Checking for gaps in insulation, draughts, etc Balancing radiators Identifying flow and return pipework Looking for energy consuming appliances (eg wall warts) Looking for water leaks Looking for chimney / flue leaks Testing boiler flue temperature (vaguely) Testing for short circuits on PCBs Testing for failing/improperly installed components on PCBs Car engine diagnosis Watching for wildlife / lost cats / etc
and I'm sure there are many more things others use them for.
Theo
Yes, it's not really picking up heat as such (long wave IR), it's just picking up light that human eyes can't see. Which is handy if you can arrange IR illumination, but isn't a thermal camera and warm things won't cause their own illumination (except maybe if they're red hot).
Theo
Much cheaper alternative methods for many of those uses.
The "average" person would possibly use it for one of those activities and only once, and at a cost of £470. If you are in certain jobs then maybe you may use it on a regular basis.
A decade or two ago, I had dealings with a small monochrome camera, which had an IR filter so the monochrome picture approximated to luminance as seen by the human eye.
Without the filter, it was quite spectacularly IR sensitive. Weak, feeble old incandescent 'power on' lamps looked like floodlights, with LED versions on newer equipment looking normal. The bottom step of a standard BBC grey scale was actually brighter than the step above.
Out of curiosity, I wound a Weller adjustable soldering iron up to maximum (around 450C, I think), and with the workshop lights out, it did indeed glow according to the camera.
The phone addon units are £200, not £470. There's not much advantage for the casual user of having a standalone unit.
IMX it's paid for itself when doing renovation projects, because it gives you insights about the thermal performance of the building. For example, I now know my source of summer overheating is the windows, and not leaks through the walls, and I can focus my efforts appropriately. It was only through a timelapse as the sun rose that I could see what was going on.
Like any tool, it helps you do a job in a way you either couldn't do before, or much more efficiently. Otherwise we'd still be using hand drills and two man saws.
Theo
Most digital cameras can see into IR enough to display a flashing light (it renders as pink) if you point a TV remote at a camera and press a button. I've even seen it "advertised" as a way of determining whether a remote is working (ie batteries are OK). It only works with IR emitters: they can't see hot objects like soldering irons, though I bet they can if the IR filter is removed.
We have IR-sensitive security cameras in our house which make a very loud clonk every time the IR filter is moved into or out of the optical path - which happens repeatedly when the daylight gets down to a certain trigger level. That level is set far too high: the camera can see well in much dimmer light (if you manually disable IR mode). It's really annoying because if we set the cameras to motion-sensing while we are away, there is always a flurry of "motion detected" email alerts every morning or evening as the camera flicks between modes, and the change in brightness is picked up as "motion".
I've seen on astronomy sites instructions on how to remove the IR filter that is normally fitted to DSLRs, in order for the cameras to be able to see IR in starlight. I presume CCD and CMOS sensors are inherently sensitive to IR as well as visible light, and have to have the IR filtered out to give a natural colour (and panchromatic black and white) response.
Checking for warm wiring, i.e. loose terminals.
Thomas Prufer
Octopus energy lend them out to their customers
Yes, I got that email - I wonder how long the queue will be?
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