Purchasing a thermal camera for car is not like purchasing a point-and-shoot or a DSLR camera. Different cameras are designed to do different tasks. It is crucial to get a camera that is right for your needs. We will guide you through the process of choosing a thermal camera irrespective of what you want the camera for.

Thermal imaging, thermography and infrared explained

There are different terms used when referring to infrared technology. You may have heard some people refer to thermal imaging cameras as IR sensors, infrared imagers, infrared thermometers, thermographic cameras, temperature guns and heat cameras.

Keep in mind that all these terms describe the same technology. You should also understand that thermographic cameras have a sensor that translates infrared radiation generated by heat into an image showing the variation of temperature on the surface. The resulting map can be accurate and record the temperature in a pixel-by-pixel format without having to make contact.

These devices have an IR sensor. The sensor is also known as the thermal sensor or the infrared sensor. The device is known as a thermal camera, thermal imager or heat camera. All these terms can be used to refer to the same thing. The only exception is the thermographic imaging camera which refers to the thermal cameras that are used by first responders like firefighters and police.

Thermal imaging and night vision

You may also have heard about night vision equipment. Night vision and thermal imaging can get mixed up. This is because thermal imaging can work in total darkness and will give you night vision under specific conditions. But night vision devices and thermal imagers use different technologies and do different things.

Remember that night vision devices take small amounts of visible light. They then amplify the light. Night vision takes the type of light that your eyes can see and turns up the volume. There should be at least a small amount of light for these devices to amplify it. This could be dim artificial light, starlight or moonlight. Night vision devices are useless in total darkness. There is no light for them to use.

Night vision devices will also fail if there is a lot of light because the device will be overwhelmed. Thermal imaging devices work within the electromagnetic spectrum’s infrared section. These cameras can detect thermal radiation and display the different levels of energy detected using different shades or colours of black and white.

The infrared portion of the spectrum is typically generated by heat. This means that thermal imagers give you heat vision. Thermal cameras do not work with visible light. This means that they work properly in complete darkness.

Keep in mind that a thermal camera for car can fall short compared to a night vision camera because a thermal camera might not be able to differentiate between objects that have the same surface temperature. For example, a snake is cold-blooded. This means it doesn’t emit any heat and you might not be able to see it via a thermal imaging camera.