Thermal imaging technology has completely transformed the way we perform building inspections. Nowadays, you don’t have to drill a hole in the wall in order to inspect potential faults in the wiring or pipes. The huge advances in technology even allow you to check for gas leaks, which otherwise cannot be easily detected until the worst happens. That’s why every test equipment arsenal should have one of these incredible devices – a thermal imaging camera.
FLIR, as a company, has worked hard enough to bring this technology to every contractor and inspector in every industry. They are currently trying to redefine the cost and quality of the basic entry level thermal imaging camera by introducing the affordable and compact FLIR C2 on the market.
Upon picking up this camera, you’ll immediately notice how lightweight it is. It has a design that has been never seen before in a thermal imaging camera. Instead of the typical gun shape, the C2 closely resembles a standard digital camera or a smartphone. The company is proud to refer to it as its ‘pocket-size camera’, and they are completely right to do so. It can conveniently fit in a shirt’s pocket or in a tool belt for quick access whenever you need it.
Another thing which makes this the perfect camera for every job site is its rubber overmold, which completely encompasses it, leaving only the lens, screen and flash open. Being protected this way, means that even if you drop it on an extremely hard surface, the rubber will break its fall and will act like a cushion, keeping the delicate parts from shattering.
The C2 features the latest touch screen technology for viewing images and operating the menu. Its capacitive touch screen is quite responsive, but not too much to make it accidentally turn on while sitting in your pocket. Besides the thermal camera and the lamp for additional lighting in dark environments, there’s also a separate digital camera. This is very important because you can analyse the state of an object or a wall both on the surface and deep within and later make a comparison.
So, we can conclude that the C2 ticks all the boxes referring to hardware elements. But how does it compare in terms of performance and ease of use? If you’ve never before used a thermal camera before, the FLIR C2 is good to get a basic understanding of how they work. It has a simplified menu allowing you to quickly switch between thermal, digital and MSX. FLIR’s MSX image enhancement technology succeeds in bringing out details in infrared images that are not usually seen with other cameras.
A convenient feature of the C2 is its ability for automatic orientation which turns an image the right way up, despite the way the device is held. When pointed at a specific area, it will directly measure its temperature and display it on the screen. Plus, it will also state what are the lowest and highest temperatures in the camera’s complete field of vision, allowing you to determine the ambient temperature. Regarding image capacity, the FLIR C2 can store up to 500 images in its memory, making it convenient for a contractor to inspect several buildings before running out of space.
All in all, the FLIR C2 meets all the basic requirements a thermal camera should have, without too many fancy features that could easily confuse a newbie user. Plus, it gives the best performance you can get for such an affordable price. Anyone looking to purchase their first thermal camera will make no mistake if they choose the FLIR’s C2.