Thermal Imaging
The best thermal-imaging devices allow you to see and measure temperature differences accurately from a safe distance. They are useful for identifying heat sources in very dark or obscured places, whether you’re trying to rescue a lost person or pet, to identify sources of heat loss from a house or to observe a variety of wildlife, including birdwatching. More recently thermal imaging cameras have even been effectively used to identify infected individuals in a crowd, by picking out those that have higher feverish temperatures.
An infra-red thermal camera will enable you to explore your environment in a unique way. Beyond the visible spectrum, there is an unseen world of heat radiation. For the most part, the cameras work like regular ones, except that image sensor detects invisible IR light and it is translated to a visual “thermogram.” Thermal cameras still have pixels, but starting at lower resolutions (e.g. 80x60 pixels, or 0.003 megapixels). This is enough detail to pick out hotspots in wiring, for example, but higher resolutions are always better, especially for thermal imaging at a distance, such as search and rescue, or wildlife observation.
What do Thermal Imaging Device Specifications Mean?
Thermal Sensor Size – Similar to digital cameras, thermal sensors are measured in pixels; generally speaking, the bigger the sensor the better the picture, as a larger sensor can capture more detail. Pulsar thermal imagers use one of three different sized sensors with its own designation: XM models use a 320×240 thermal sensor, XQ models use a 384×288 thermal sensor, and XP and XG models use a 640×480 thermal sensor.
Thermal Sensor Pixel Pitch – This is the distance between the centre of the pixels. A smaller pixel pitch results in finer image quality and a physically smaller thermal sensor. However, a larger pixel offers more sensitivity. A sensor with a smaller pixel pitch will have a greater base magnification than a thermal imager with the same size lens and a greater pixel pitch. Pulsar XM & XG sensors have a 12µm pixel pitch, and XQ and XP sensors have a 17µm pixel pitch.
NETD – Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD) is a measurement of the smallest temperature difference a thermal device can detect. The lower the value, the more sensitive the device becomes — performing better than a device with a greater NETD value in conditions that are challenging to thermal imagers such as cold, fog, and rain. A device’s NETD rating is an important indicator as to how well it will perform.
Refresh Rate – A high refresh rate (such as 50Hz) is best when choosing a thermal imager. A high refresh rate will result in a smooth image when panning or tracking fast-moving objects.
Tring Astronomy Centre stock and supply a wide range of Thermal imaging and Night Vision Devices from trusted brands such as Guide Sensmart, Pulsar and Zeiss and are happy to offer advice.
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Guide Sensmart® TD210 Thermal Imaging Monocular
£599.002-3 day leadtime -
Pulsar Axion XM30F Thermal Imaging Monocular
£1,069.00The Axion XM30F is particularly ideal for birdwatchers, to find out why click here to read our guide.
Available from stock!
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Pulsar Axion 2 XQ35 Pro Thermal Imaging Monocular
£1,639.00Typical leadtime - 2-3 working days -
Zeiss DTI 1/25 Thermal Imaging Monocular
£1,649.00Free Gift
Claim a free ZEISS YETI Mug worth £30 from Zeiss by redemption. Click here for more info.
- available from stock -
Zeiss DTI 3/35 G2 Gen 2 Thermal Imaging Camera Scope
£2,149.00Free Gift
Claim a free ZEISS YETI Mug worth £30 from Zeiss by redemption. Click here for more info.
Improved Gen 2 Version - Intuitive operation, available from stock
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Pulsar Axion 2 XG35 Thermal Imaging Monocular
£2,339.00Please call to check availability -
Pulsar Telos XP50 Thermal Imaging Monocular
£3,099.00New Product - available from showroom stock! -
Zeiss DTI 4/50 Thermal Imaging Monocular
£3,100.00Free Gift
Claim a free ZEISS YETI Mug worth £30 from Zeiss by redemption. Click here for more info.
Perfect for locating and observing wildlife over large areas, detects heat sources clearly at distances of up to 2,635 metres. - Available from stock
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Guide Sensmart® TN430 Thermal Imaging Binoculars
£3,449.00 -
Guide Sensmart® TN450 Thermal Imaging Binoculars
£3,789.00 -
Guide Sensmart® TN630 Thermal Imaging Binoculars
£5,539.00 -
Guide Sensmart® TN650 Thermal Imaging Binoculars
£5,919.00 -
Guide Sensmart® TrackIR 25 Thermal Imager
£1,399.00 -
Guide Sensmart® TrackIR 35 Thermal Imager with Wifi
£1,649.00Detection Range: 1000m (Human: 1.8mx0.5m), 2400m (Vehicle: 2.3mx2.3m)
3-5 working day leadtime
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Guide Sensmart® TrackIR 50 Thermal Imager
£1,929.00Call to check availability
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Guide Sensmart® TrackIR Pro 19 Thermal Imaging Monocular
£2,619.00Call to check availability
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Guide Sensmart® TrackIR Pro 25 Thermal Imaging Monocular
£2,799.00Call to check availability
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Guide Sensmart® TrackIR Pro 35 Thermal Imaging Monocular
£2,799.00Call to check availability
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Pulsar Axion 2 LRF XG35 Thermal Imaging Monocular
£2,629.00Please call to check availability -
Pulsar Axion 2 LRF XQ35 Pro Thermal Imaging Monocular
£1,925.00Please contact to check availability -
Pulsar Merger LRF XL50 Thermal Biocular
£5,899.00Typical Leadtime 3-5 working days -
Pulsar Merger LRF XP50 Thermal Biocular
£4,645.00Special Order - contact us for leadtime -
Pulsar Merger LRF XQ35 Thermal Biocular
£2,999.00Available to Pre - Order Now! -
Pulsar Telos LRF XP50 Thermal Imaging Monocular
£3,399.00Contact us to pre order.Out of stock -
Zeiss DTI 3/25 Digital Thermal Imaging Camera
£1,850.00The brand new Zeiss DTI 3/25 Digital Thermal Imaging Camera offers outstanding optical performance. Typical leadtime 7-10 days
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Pixfra Ranger R425 Thermal Imager
£1,029.95£899.00Special Offer While Stocks Last! -
Pixfra Ranger R435 Thermal Imager
£1,119.95£999.00Special Offer While Stocks Last! -
Pixfra Ranger R625 Thermal Imager
£1,369.95£1,199.00Special Offer While Stocks Last! -
Pixfra Ranger R635 Thermal Imager
£1,529.95£1,349.00Special Offer While Stocks Last! -
Pixfra Ranger R650 Thermal Imager
£1,919.95£1,699.00Special Offer While Stocks Last! -
Pulsar LPS 7i Battery Pack for Telos XP50
£109.00The LPS 7i Battery Pack has been designed for use with the Telos series and does away with the need for specialist battery chargers, offering fast charging through a simple USB-C connection