S1 · 45 devices
Smartphone modules
The sensor alone, powered by the phone. Light, cheap, no screen or battery.
Independent technical comparator
The real numbers behind thermal cameras
192 devices gathered from manufacturer documentation. Native thermal resolution versus advertised resolution, NETD and its conditions, recalculated IFOV. Every figure carries its source.
What the sensor measures160 × 120
What the camera displays320 × 240192documented devices
38brands compared
37capped at 9 Hz or less
41with interpolated resolution
348source references
01Thermal camera selector
I need a thermal camera for…
Four questions, an instant result: the selector rules out devices that don't fit your situation and ranks the rest by suitability score.
Start with your use case. The conditions shown are starting values, adjustable afterwards.
- Building diagnostics and energy audits3 m, 10 cm areaSee the guide
- Electrical panels and switchgear1 m, 2 cm areaSee the guide
- Electronics repair10 cm, 2 mm areaSee the guide
- Leaks and moisture2 m, 10 cm areaSee the guide
- Mechanical and maintenance1 m, 3 cm areaSee the guide
- Solar (photovoltaic)5 m, 15 cm areaSee the guide
- General-purpose or other useany distance or target
- Observation, hunting, surveillanceno temperature measurement
- Automotive and electric vehicles50 cm, 20 mm connectionSee the guide
- Your use case
- Measure or spot
- Format and budget
- Distance and target size
02Catalog
Five device families
A smartphone module and an industrial camera are not judged on the same scale. Each Segment has its own scoring scale.
S2 · 46 devices
Pocket compacts
Standalone, built-in screen. The most common format for general-purpose use.
S3 · 17 devices
Imaging thermometers
Gun-shaped format. They locate an anomaly rather than detail it.
S4 · 35 devices
Professional building cameras
Radiometry, report generation, stated accuracy. The building diagnostician's tool.
03Rankings
Seven use cases, seven rankings
There is no overall score, and that's not an oversight. A device built to read a circuit board at three centimeters is not the one that inspects a roof. You can also move the weightings yourself.
- Building diagnostics and energy audits View the ranking →
- Electrical panels and switchgear View the ranking →
- Electronics repair View the ranking →
- Leaks and moisture View the ranking →
- Mechanical and industrial maintenance View the ranking →
- Solar (photovoltaic) View the ranking →
- Automotive and electric vehicles View the ranking →
Specialized
Specialized uses
Fireground cameras, airborne systems, and observation monoculars do not face the same constraints as diagnostic cameras. They therefore use independent methods and scores.
Firefighting and rescue
A ranking built for response work: seeing through smoke, surviving heat and remaining simple to operate with gloves. Measurement accuracy does not dominate the score.
Thermal drones and aerial inspection
A complete aircraft cannot be compared with a standalone gimbal. The two tables therefore use separate scales focused on data quality and the aerial mission.
Thermal observation and hunting
These devices detect and identify heat sources but generally do not produce temperature measurements. Their scores are never comparable with radiometric instruments.
04Articles
Read before you buy
8 min read
Can a thermal camera see through walls, glass or smoke?
Walls, glass, smoke, fog, plastic, clothing: what infrared really passes through, and what the camera shows instead.
8 min read
Rent or buy a thermal camera? The real math
Free loans, daily rental or an entry-level purchase: observed prices, pitfalls and the break-even point.
8 min read
Underfloor heating: locate pipes and leaks with a thermal camera
Warm-up, settings, floor coverings and pitfalls: the step-by-step method to trace pipes and spot a leak.
9 min read
Thermal imaging for water leak detection: what it can and cannot find
Thermography does not see water: it reveals a temperature anomaly. Method, limits, false positives, and the specifications that matter.
9 min read
What thermal camera resolution do you need?
160 × 120, 256 × 192, 320 × 240, or 640 × 480: choose by target size, working distance, and field of view.
8 min read
Emissivity: why your camera reads 23°C on a pipe at 60°C
The setting that skews thermal measurements the most, and that half of manufacturers don't even document. What to understand and check.
05Research tools
A database built to be checked
Browse all 192 cameras
Static product links grouped by brand, available to visitors and search engines without loading the comparator.
Calculate IFOV and spot size
Turn field of view, native resolution and distance into a real target footprint.
See who is behind the data
Editorial scope, sources, limitations, independence and correction policy.
05Method
What this database contains,
and what it doesn't
Data is gathered from manufacturer documentation, supplemented by manuals and independent tests when the manufacturer stays silent. Every value carries its source and the date it was checked.
You will find
- The native thermal resolution, next to the advertised one
- NETD with its measurement conditions, without which it isn't comparable
- IFOV recalculated from the optics, to check the manufacturer's figure
- Discrepancies between a brand's marketing and its own datasheet
- An explicit note of what a manufacturer does not publish
You will not find
- User reviews or aggregated star ratings
- An overall score, an editor's pick, or a staff selection
- An estimated value standing in for missing data
- A ranking influenced by payment
- A hands-on test: no device has been physically handled at this stage, and it's stated on every product page
75%threshold for a full score
55%threshold for a partial estimate
348referenced sources
11logged scoring-scale changes