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The 12 Things You Need To Know Before Buying an Infrared Camera
Buying an infrared(IR)camera is different for all people. For some, cost is the deciding factor. For others, certain key features are most important, or the desire to advance one’s career through certified training. Most, however, want a high level of quality and value. Still others don’t want to make the wrong choice and end up with a new thermal imager that is heavy or hard to use. Please note: we use the term infrared camera, and thermal imager interchangeably.

Point #1: Buy an infrared camera that delivers accurate, repeatable results.
In the case of infrared cameras, the phrase caveat emptor, i.e. "let the buyer beware" truly applies. Imagine, for example, you bought a calculator and you noticed that sometimes you added two-plus-two but when you hit the equal sign, the calculation didn’t add up to four!  When you bought this calculator, you assumed it would work, and like most people you didn’t question its accuracy. Then you get a call from your bank advising you that your checking account was severely overdrawn. When you went back to crunch all the numbers, you discovered that the calculator made an error once in awhile. Said differently, a basic requirement of your infrared camera is to produce accurate and repeatable results, just like a calculator. The industry accuracy standard for infrared cameras is ± 2% or 3.6° F, whichever is greater.
If you are considering purchasing a new infrared camera and you learn that the accuracy spec is "plus or minus 5%" or something higher than 3.6° F, then you should stop right there and not even consider buying it. Why? Because an infrared camera that could be 5% inaccurate could, just like the calculator in the example, get you into serious trouble. Your images and temperature measurements may be wrong.
Be sure to purchase an infrared camera that has a place onscreen to input both emissivity and reflected temperature values. Without this it’s like buying a calculator that’s missing a button!

Point #2: Buy an infrared camera with high detector resolution/image quality.
Just like buying a digital camera, the more pixels, the better the resolution, the sharper the thermal image. Here, again buyer beware applies. If a salesperson says, "we offer 640 x 480 or 307,200 pixel resolution," your next question should be: "Is that 'detector resolution' or 'LCD resolution?'" The LCD display resolution may in fact be 640 x 480 or capable of displaying 307,200 pixels (640 multiplied by 480) of image content. But if the IR detector pixel resolution – the “feed” as it were – is only 160 x 120 or 19,200 pixels, then it just doesn’t matter what the display resolution is. You should always ask what the detector resolution is and what the detector pixel count is. These two features determine the camera's true resolution. The greater the number of detector pixels, the sharper the thermal image will be.

Point #3: Buy an infrared camera with a replaceable battery you can change yourself.
This is one of the most important aspects of camera usability. It’s also something most people don’t think about until after they’ve been working with a camera for awhile. It’s a big limitation if you can’t change your own battery. If you’re using your camera to inspect electrical problems, or to inspect motors and pumps on a production line in a manufacturing facility, and your IR camera loses power, you could expose yourself and others to safety concerns, particularly in an electrical substation that hasn’t been inspected in awhile. At a minimum, you’re on the clock, so it is most likely costing you or your company money. Not to mention, you’ll definitely look like you bought the wrong IR camera, or worse: that you don’t know what you’re doing. There may be those who have budget constraints that truly give them no choice but to purchase the least expensive thermal imager. If getting the lowest price possible is your overriding concern, then changing the battery yourself may not be important to you.

Here’s the scoop on battery power management systems for IR cameras:

• Always buy an infrared camera that allows you to "pop-in/pop-out" a new battery as shown in the picture nearby. This feature may be called either "field replaceable" or "portable" and provides the ability to change the battery yourself, quickly and easily.
• Be sure that you get an extra battery and a battery charging station.
• Battery technology has come a long way in recent years, so it’s reasonable to expect that the infrared camera or power drill you’re buying uses Lithium Ion battery technology. This technology features longer battery life, allowing you longer use with a single battery.
• Some manufacturers offer car/truck chargers that allow you to charge the battery while in the camera compartment in your vehicle.
  
  Point #4: Buy an infrared camera that outputs standard JPEG format.
  Would you buy a computer that wasn’t MS Word compatible? For the same reason, you shouldn’t buy an infrared camera that requires additional software in order to convert its proprietary thermal image formats into a standard JPEG.
  Always request a demo of the infrared camera so you can see how many keystrokes or "clicks" it takes to output and image, as well as how to output a standard JPEG image directly from the camera. Standard JPEG format makes it easy to email your images or place them within Microsoft Word documents.
  The infrared camera should allow you to keep all your temperature data stored in the JPEG, even when you email it to a colleague, supervisor, customer, etc. Be sure to inquire if the JPEGs are standard, or have to first run through the manufacturer’s proprietary or conversion software. Finally, decide whether or not you want the ability to send fully radiometric JPEGs over email.
  
  Point #5: Buy a lightweight, ergonomic camera for extended or frequent use.
  A camera that weighs even just a pound or two more than another may start to cause back and arm strain within 20 minutes. Lightweight is key, especially if you will use the camera frequently or for extended periods. Also, the small, lighter and more ergonomic the infrared camera, the more likely you will be able to hang it off your work belt in a holster to provide hands-free control when you need it. Be careful here, however, because a manufacturer can make a holster any size. Most “toolbox” infrared cameras today should weigh in at under 2 lbs. and feel very easy to grasp.
  The infrared camera’s buttons are critical to its ease-of-use. While it may seem counter-intuitive, it is often the case that an extra button or keypad will actually make it easier to use your infrared camera, as opposed to trying to do the same functions with fewer buttons. Some infrared cameras have integrated onscreen (even touchscreen) keypads or sketch-with-a-stylus functionality. These may cost a bit more, but the added functionality is significant and should be seriously considered. The on-camera buttons should also be very comfortable to use, but more importantly, intuitive to understanding what function each button delivers.
  It’s critical that you get a demo and walk through the various day-to-day activities you will perform: saving an image, downloading to your PC, creating a simple report. Why? Because until you see firsthand how many clicks and steps it will take you with any given infrared camera/software package, you will never know if the system will work well for you. Some infrared cameras require multiple steps to do a simple task, and some simple operations can be buried deep within some difficult-to-use menus.Get a demo on the basic functions – or you could be significantly increasing the day-to-day difficulty and frustration.
  
  Point #6: Buy an infrared camera that incorporates a mega pixel visual camera with a built-in illuminator lamp to help clearly document your work.
  Infrared cameras see in total darkness but visual cameras, as we all know, require well-lighted conditions and high resolution to generate clear, sharp pictures. The image on the right is taken with an infrared camera with essentially, some “headlights” mounted on it – the “target illuminator,” as many thermographers would call it. 
  
  
  Point #7: Buy an infrared camera with a built-in laser pointer.
  Safety, convenience and ease-of-use are all good reasons to buy an infrared camera with a built-in laser pointer. These tend to be available on all cameras, except for the most basic, entry-level models.
  Safety is always the best reason to spend a little more on the right tool. If you shouldn’t be touching the target you’re looking at with an infrared camera – say for example, an electrical box, motor, pump or something when viewed from a ladder – then the laser pointer helps you in two important ways. The laser pointer keeps your hand free and clear from danger while allowing you to point to the area of concern.It also allows more than one person the ability to fixate on the problem in front of them.
  The laser pointer also helps you orient yourself in relation to the target. This is particularly true if you are standing more than 10 feet away from the target. It answers your internal question: “Now, what is the camera looking at specifically?” The laser pointer allows you to see precisely where the infrared camera’s lens is focused. It’s also ideal in gaining more orientation in dark environments, even if you’re standing closer to the target.
  
  Point #8: Buy an infrared camera with software upgrade potential.
  Today, most infrared cameras come with free software to help you analyze your images and create reports. By all accounts, they are a helpful tool made all the more necessary by both the corporate need to document findings, but also increasingly to use thermal images and reports to substantiate insurance claims. The reports are also often sold to commercial and consumer customers for a wide range of inspections: energy audits, electrical inspections, gas detection surveys, building envelope analyses and predictive maintenance surveys.
  While these entry-level freeware programs are useful, many individuals quickly find that they need more software functions. What’s important to note here is that you don’t want to buy a camera and then after a few short months, decide you need to do more with it, with no ability to upgrade.
  One way to avoid this scenario is to get a demo for the infrared camera that’s one level above what you’re thinking about buying. It will cost more, but don’t skip over the thought process based solely on price. It’s important to know what features and functions you’re giving up if you buy the less costly model. Even if you end up buying the less costly, lower-end model, you will know what you’re giving up.
  
  Point #9: Buy an infrared camera with enhanced image fusion capabilities.
  There’s been a lot of buzz about fusion capabilities with infrared cameras. Our thinking on fusion is that if it doesn’t offer you more than just putting a fixed Picture-in-Picture (PiP) thermal overlay “box” over your visible image, it may be better not to have it at all. Instead, be sure that that you can do basic image manipulation, such as being able to move the “thermal box” around, or make it bigger or smaller. More advanced fusion capabilities allow you to stretch and resize the thermal PiP using a stylus pen right onscreen, allowing you to customize your fusion to the exact target you’re looking at. This can be ideal for analyzing the problem, and it also just makes your infrared pop. For those who need to present documentation to supervisors or customers, this enhanced fusion capability will really make a favorable impact. At its most advanced level, infrared cameras allow users to “dial-in” a combination of visible and thermal imaging into one composite image. This capability can produce exceptional results and exceeding smart reports.
  
  Rule of Thumb: if you’re looking at an infrared camera with built-in fusion capabilities, be sure you can move and resize the thermal box in the middle of the LCD display. If the infrared camera you’re looking at has a fixed box showing you a thermal overlay to your visual image and you can’t move or resize that box, then don’t buy it. You can easily do better. Here’s a video clip demonstrating what this is about: www.goinfrared.com/fusion
  
  Point #10: Buy an infrared camera with a wide temperature range.
  When you buy an infrared camera, be sure that the temperature range it operates in is compatible with the temperatures of the targets you will be viewing. You don’t want an infrared camera that can’t measure the temperatures you want.
  
  Point #11: Buy an infrared camera with upgrade potential.
  In the world of infrared cameras, this isn't always possible. The engineering and sophistication of the infrared detector, robotic manufacturing techniques or specialty optics mean that some cameras can be easily upgrade while others cannot. Except for the less expensive cameras, many infrared cameras will allow you to upgrade the firmware to increase pixel counts and thermal resolution, in addition to upgrading all sorts of in-camera features and functionality. Buying an infrared camera that allows you to upgrade is key. If there isn’t an upgrade option, you should ask if the manufacturer routinely buys back used cameras in exchange for credit toward a new one. You’re likely not going to get top dollar for your used camera, but you will get a fair price.
  This becomes more important when you see a feature that would substantially increase your productivity or safety, or even help you lock in a competitive advantage. These might be features such as buying a high definition infrared camera, on one with an embedded global positioning system (GPS), or one with a wireless remote.
  There are also new infrared cameras capable of detecting gas leaks, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), methane, carbon monoxide and dozens of other types of gases that need to be monitored. And there are fixed-mount, auto-alarm activated cameras that are ideal for seeing through smoke, fog or complete darkness – typical conditions in many manufacturing environments. Today, fixed-mount infrared cameras are ideal for fire-safety applications in warehouses, coal piles or even waste sites, anywhere spontaneous combustion is a potential problem.
  The bottom line is if you’re buying from a manufacturer that has offered formal trade-in/trade-up programs, and makes all types of infrared cameras, then you’re buying from a company that is in the position to continue to service all your infrared camera needs. You need a company you can grow with – or at least an infrared expert watching your back!
  
  Point #12: Buy an infrared camera from a manufacturer with strong post-sale technical support and certified training.
  If you are new to the field of infrared cameras, you will obviously want to think about customer service and technical support after you’ve purchased.
  If you are really unsure as to whether or not to buy an infrared camera, consider enrolling in training first, before you buy. It’s always better to have a camera and bring it to class, but if you are really unsure, this is a great option. For additional information on training, visit the Infrared Training Center (ITC) website: www.infraredtraining.com.
  With infrared cameras, it’s important to always ask for a demo. Ideally, ask for a demo in the type of application environment in which you work, not just a conference room. Sometimes it’s easy to fudge a demo in a “non-real” conference room environment. Lots of infrared cameras can accurately measure an air-conditioned conference room, but will they maintain their accuracy when they are exposed to hotter or colder temperature differences in actual working conditions? If you ask for a demo, and see firsthand how an infrared camera operates, you will have done your homework and you’ll be more likely to make the right buying decision.
  
  Article courtesy of FLIR. For a FREE download of the complete guide “12 Things to Know Before Buying an Infrared Camera,” go to www.goinfrared.com