Finally got some budget approved this year. Thought the new tools save us some time,
boss saw this and went, Cool. Now go check more stuff.
Should’ve kept staring at busbars with the clamp meter out.
I bought my first thermal camera because I wanted the best specs I could afford. My first device was the FLIR ONE Pro because the brand felt reliable.
I paid a lot of attention to NETD numbers back then. I thought 40mK vs 50mK would make a huge difference.
But after using more thermal cameras over time, I realized NETD differences are absolutely real, this isn’t just marketing.
The bigger question is whether that sensitivity difference matters more than higher resolution for your actual use case.
For example, if you mainly work on electronics, PCBs, automotive diagnostics, or small hotspots at close range, I’d personally prioritize resolution and image detail first.
Having more pixels on target often changes the experience more than a small NETD improvement.
And if you’re doing HVAC, insulation checks, moisture detection, wildlife observation, or situations with subtle temperature separation, then better thermal sensitivity becomes much more noticeable and valuable.
Because of that, I don’t automatically recommend beginners buy entry-level products from big brands anymore.
A lot of the time, beginners can only afford the lowest-spec models from those brands anyway.
Now I care much more about choosing a camera whose strengths actually match the main job I need it for, instead of just buying based on logo or one parameter on the spec sheet.
Curious what people here prioritize now after owning multiple thermal cameras:
The lens on the p3 looks much better, and the software algorithm is less aggressive (more accurate) on the thermal master. I'd put the ts001 closer to the p1. I believe the p3 has a better lens element that has less distortion and higher accuracy across the frame. Both the ts001 and p1 have more distortion and temp shift based on the angle. The ts001 is also not focusable, which makes a big difference if You're outside of the fixed focal distance.
The long range optics are much more interesting, but also more expensive and have a similar walled garden.