Review on 📷 FLIR E4 Compact Thermal Imaging Camera with 80 x 60 IR Resolution and MSX: Discontinued Model - Find Deals and Alternatives by Jonah Riggle

I ordered the device on June 23 (very early in the morning) with delivery the next day. My module comes with firmware 1.22 calibrated late April 2014, all TIConfig mods run fast and without problems, confirmed thermal images are now in 320 x 240 resolution! Works great, the battery uses a single cell lithium ion so you can have the cell repaired after a few years if you wish. The ergonomics are great, the weight is great, it couldn't be better. Awesome hard case with foam cut outs for everything including accessories that you can buy later (like independent charger and spare battery). The best I've seen is a case that includes what's in the box and the most purchased accessories. However, there are a few things buyers should be aware of: 1. Thermal imaging cameras are expected to need regular calibration, how often and actual need depends on usage and expectations. FLIR says you need it every year, that's probably not true and is a ploy to get more money because FLIR has developed equipment that requires FLIR to calibrate and there is no on-site or by calibration Third party providers (currently time). From what I've read it appears to last around 2-3 years or possibly longer with light use. What happens when you don't get it is that the location and time parameters are inaccurate. do you care Maybe not, if the purpose of the imager is to highlight hotspots and show you colored thermal overlays of surfaces and how they compare, that would still work, I'm told the differences in the image still remain. It's just that the entire scale is skewed or somehow slipped, making it difficult to actually read the temperature accurately. From what I've noticed as a new E4 owner, if you can live within 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit, you don't need to calibrate it. (other reviewers can add info if I'm wrong). Why am I talking about this? Because FLIR WILL update your firmware if you send them a device for any reason. You refuse to leave it alone and you have no choice. So when you send a device to FLIR, you will receive a firmware update that will (for now) revert and prevent any changes. Now in 2-3 years the situation may change. But today, let's just say that you don't want to send it.2. The device performs a "calibration” (not the same as a temperature calibration in 1.) every few seconds, which temporarily freezes the display and readings. This is normal and I don't often find it bothersome.3. USB charging seems to require resistors of some values. Simply applying voltage to the USB line will cause the charging light to appear but not charging. I have not confirmed if high power iPads or similar chargers will work with it. 10W charger included.4. After the change, you need to change the USB mode to allow MSD (Mass Storage Device) to get your images by connecting USB. I do NOT use FLIR software (I don't need it and I'm afraid it will mess up my settings so I didn't download it).5. The MSX view is not always overlaid correctly. I have confirmed this with FLIR Technical Support. The device doesn't have a range finder, so it doesn't know how close an object is. You need to go to Settings -> Distance Parameters and change it. I find that 1 is great for tight things and >10 is best for rooms and houses. You have to keep changing it if you care about the fairings looking good. Small problem in the long run but I had to call to make sure. This setting ONLY adjusts the vertical overlay mismatch if you have horizontal issues that are a build issue and will not be fixed in software (as I'm told). For the price if you're making a mod it's a great value. I'm a bit concerned about the calibration issue, but that will be in a few years and by then the firmware situation may have changed (maybe a downgrade or something). If you're on the fence, just buy it! This situation will not happen often. FLIR is shutting down so fast! It's really cool what you can see and the uses are endless. Until Revain replenishes (which means they get a new batch of stock), this (their current stock) may be the last place to buy old E4s at retail prices. best toy I've had in years, you'll love it too! Things). Cold temperatures, in particular, seem wrong (too cold). So check EVERY measurement this thing takes! Nevertheless I still love it, for qualitative measurements (area comparison) it's great, for quantitative measurements it's bad or bad. But then again, if you're doing quantitative measurements with a thermal imager, you'll have to pay extra money for a NIST-certified calibration, and do it annually for verification (for legal reasons in court, you need this to back up the claim that your statement isn't true). I agree). So check the details, but you can count on it to detect temperature differences (even small ones) to alert you to a problem area. Just don't confuse a spot measurement with actual temperature. UPDATE (7/24/2014): It's still badass, but a few additional notes: 1. The FLIR tools should really be used (I use them from the Apple App Store) to enhance uploaded images from a thermal camera. The best way is to import the images you want into the tools, resize the window/image to the size you want, and then use screen clipping to capture the rectangular portion of the image as it appears. I do this for two reasons: first, you get a bigger, better image without the FLIR logo and other information that's usually only present in the tiny image, and finally, you make sure you're not dragging ALL the hidden information into the image It includes your serial number in your new image. You can view the image directly from the thermal imager, but I get better results by using Command+Shift+4 to crop them out of the app. 2. When the battery is low but BEFORE it tells you it's low, you'll see streaks in the video stream when using PIP mode or not using thermal mode at all. This bar is temporary and will disappear once you charge or change the battery. You don't seem to have properly calibrated the low state. So when the tension really drops, the full color video starts to take effect. I've seen this twice and only before the low battery warning went off. I have confirmed this on a few forums that others have experienced this and it is considered normal. So if you see streaks, try a new battery or charge the existing one and then check if the streaks are gone. Then you'll know it's a design flaw and simply swap out the battery before you get a low battery warning. I keep finding uses for this thing, seriously this is the best thing I've bought in a few years! UPDATE (3/22/2015) - I used a thermal imaging camera to find out where my cat pees. I could still see the "pot stains" made a few days ago. Obviously, I'm just looking for cool spots on carpets, furniture, and laundry baskets, and I know those spots shouldn't normally be spilled. You won't see any old, worn stains. I can also use the imager for general health checks on my cat. If his nose doesn't feel colder than his face or eyes, then he has a fever (no phlegm, no runny nose, no runny nose). I also found that I could easily see which furniture the cat had recently slept on (new favorite spots). Eventually, my parents used a thermal imaging camera to look for missing or lost chickens. On the thermal imaging camera, chickens can be seen very well even in complete darkness.