8 ms·

No mention about thermal camera resolution, even in the "Full Tech Specs". Although it does mention it's using FLIR Lepton 3.5 sensor. Seems to be 9 fps at 160x

No mention about thermal camera resolution, even in the "Full Tech Specs". Although it does mention it's using FLIR Lepton 3.5 sensor. Seems to be 9 fps at 160x120. [0] [0]: https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/f/flir/lepton-3-radiometry https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/f/flir/lepton-3...

wlesieutre 4y ago
9 fps is because if the framerate is any higher it would be subject to ITAR export controls, that's going to be a limit you find on any similar cameras
- mwint 4y ago
  Does ITAR present an impediment even if it’s manufactured and sold in the US?
  - Sporktacular 4y ago
    It only is an impediment if it is made in the US. There are high frame rate sensors sold openly abroad.
    - numpad0 4y ago
      Not made, but exported from the US. Nevertheless US manufacturer(s) are not willing to sell restricted versions of these miniature sensors.
  - LWIRVoltage 4y ago
    You can't take it out of country without an export license- Someone else will have to comment on the process of doing that so they can take their camera on vacation or something I've had to navigate that and make use of listed exemptions to that, for sending thermal cameras i bought from israel- BACK to israel for repair- because of ITAR. Other than that, you can do what you want in-country with a high quality thermal-and the US can import others who make stuff that high quality, without issues
    - nmstoker 4y ago
      Seems highly unlikely anyone would stop to check the camera when coming back into the US with a personal phone. They would need to be checking millions of phones for a tiny number of hits.
      - dotancohen 4y ago
        If you get caught you could lose your professional license. I would assume stiff fines and would not be surprised if some cases might be punishable by incarceration.
        nmstoker 4y ago
        That highlights the issue with the American approach to enforcement: staggeringly low levels of being detected but if you are, then it's eyewateringly harsh penalties to compensate. Tends not to work because most people quite rightly realise there's a near zero chance of getting caught. More effective approaches reinforce that you will often get caught by being more proactive and the punishment can then be more proportionate.
    - SpelingBeeChamp 4y ago
      I brought a 640 x 480 ThermApp Pro with me on vacation to Buenos Aires recently. This might come as a surprise to you, but no one asked me about my camera's frame rate :P Hey, wait... are you the person on the EEV Blog Forum who wrote about your saga of trying to figure out how to legally ship your camera to Israel for repair? That was also a ThermApp, no?
      - LWIRVoltage 4y ago
        Yes, that was me -i did successfully send it to the manufacturer for repair , also! Didn't think that was too notable, but i guess i'm the only person ever who did the process so it stands out when someone talks about it, huh? lol
        4y ago
- numpad0 4y ago
  This is rather disappointing especially there are now 25fps Hikmicro cameras at similar prices.
- Sporktacular 4y ago
  Only in the US. Doesn't apply to these guys for example www.infiray.com
- nomel 4y ago
  Buy several and place them behind a cold rotating disc, with a hole in it, so each is exposed for 1/<desired fps> seconds? Although I see I can save quite a bit of effort by buying a 25Hz HIKMICRO thermal camera on US Amazon.
- walterbell 4y ago
  25 fps is available on Amazon, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33890299 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33890299
ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
IR cameras tend to be very low-res (or very expensive). Looks like they have some kind of computational photography pipeline processing, to enhance the IR image. You can get FLIR modules for most smartphones (Android and iOS). Not sure I'd buy a phone, just for the camera.
- anigbrowl 4y ago
  I wonder if it's possible to take multiple low-res cameras and combine their output in an array...mainly because I have a source for affordable but very low-res (32x24) thermal cameras.
  - nomel 4y ago
    You could make a sensor array by placing the raw sensors close together, all on the same image plan of a single lens. This results in gaps between that would have to be dealt with. Or, you could make a camera array, with multiple lenses, like: https://graphics.stanford.edu/projects/array https://graphics.stanford.edu/projects/array
    - Ao7bei3s 4y ago
      For a real-world application: the ARGUS video capture system used on MQ-9 Reaper drones is 386 5-megapixel, 2010's-era smartphone grade camera sensors and four lenses (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgon_Stare https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgon_Stare)

wlesieutre 4y ago

9 fps is because if the framerate is any higher it would be subject to ITAR export controls, that's going to be a limit you find on any similar cameras

mwint 4y ago
Does ITAR present an impediment even if it’s manufactured and sold in the US?
- Sporktacular 4y ago
  It only is an impediment if it is made in the US. There are high frame rate sensors sold openly abroad.
  - numpad0 4y ago
    Not made, but exported from the US. Nevertheless US manufacturer(s) are not willing to sell restricted versions of these miniature sensors.
- LWIRVoltage 4y ago
  You can't take it out of country without an export license- Someone else will have to comment on the process of doing that so they can take their camera on vacation or something I've had to navigate that and make use of listed exemptions to that, for sending thermal cameras i bought from israel- BACK to israel for repair- because of ITAR. Other than that, you can do what you want in-country with a high quality thermal-and the US can import others who make stuff that high quality, without issues
  - nmstoker 4y ago
    Seems highly unlikely anyone would stop to check the camera when coming back into the US with a personal phone. They would need to be checking millions of phones for a tiny number of hits.
    - dotancohen 4y ago
      If you get caught you could lose your professional license. I would assume stiff fines and would not be surprised if some cases might be punishable by incarceration.
      - nmstoker 4y ago
        That highlights the issue with the American approach to enforcement: staggeringly low levels of being detected but if you are, then it's eyewateringly harsh penalties to compensate. Tends not to work because most people quite rightly realise there's a near zero chance of getting caught. More effective approaches reinforce that you will often get caught by being more proactive and the punishment can then be more proportionate.
  - SpelingBeeChamp 4y ago
    I brought a 640 x 480 ThermApp Pro with me on vacation to Buenos Aires recently. This might come as a surprise to you, but no one asked me about my camera's frame rate :P Hey, wait... are you the person on the EEV Blog Forum who wrote about your saga of trying to figure out how to legally ship your camera to Israel for repair? That was also a ThermApp, no?
    - LWIRVoltage 4y ago
      Yes, that was me -i did successfully send it to the manufacturer for repair , also! Didn't think that was too notable, but i guess i'm the only person ever who did the process so it stands out when someone talks about it, huh? lol
      - 4y ago
numpad0 4y ago
This is rather disappointing especially there are now 25fps Hikmicro cameras at similar prices.
Sporktacular 4y ago
Only in the US. Doesn't apply to these guys for example www.infiray.com
nomel 4y ago
Buy several and place them behind a cold rotating disc, with a hole in it, so each is exposed for 1/<desired fps> seconds? Although I see I can save quite a bit of effort by buying a 25Hz HIKMICRO thermal camera on US Amazon.
walterbell 4y ago
25 fps is available on Amazon, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33890299 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33890299

ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago

IR cameras tend to be very low-res (or very expensive). Looks like they have some kind of computational photography pipeline processing, to enhance the IR image. You can get FLIR modules for most smartphones (Android and iOS). Not sure I'd buy a phone, just for the camera.

anigbrowl 4y ago
I wonder if it's possible to take multiple low-res cameras and combine their output in an array...mainly because I have a source for affordable but very low-res (32x24) thermal cameras.
- nomel 4y ago
  You could make a sensor array by placing the raw sensors close together, all on the same image plan of a single lens. This results in gaps between that would have to be dealt with. Or, you could make a camera array, with multiple lenses, like: https://graphics.stanford.edu/projects/array https://graphics.stanford.edu/projects/array
  - Ao7bei3s 4y ago
    For a real-world application: the ARGUS video capture system used on MQ-9 Reaper drones is 386 5-megapixel, 2010's-era smartphone grade camera sensors and four lenses (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgon_Stare https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgon_Stare)