FLIR i7 question

[Rye Zers]

I have heard description of this unit that describes many times the image freezes on the screen and it retains a shadow even if the camera was sweeping at 30 degree angles non stop.

Is this a normal occurence or is the unit defective? I’m particularly concerned because I haven’t seen a FLIR i7 before and wanted to buy one for general use and I don’t want it to pause every now and then.

Is the reason for the pause because the temperature scale is adjusting? Does it do this every few degrees of turns?

What kind of thermal imager that don't do this constant pausing? I don't think it has to do with 9Hz because the pause is a second long or so. Thanks.

[David A. Andersen]

All cameras do that. Some more than others.

This is to correct for drift.
If the camera does not do it, it will drift right off the scale.

Turn the camera on for several minutes before you want to use it and don't shut it off till your done. Also leave the lens cap open.

Adverse temps indoors/out will make this happen more.
Bring in the camera and leave it out of the case till you need it.

[Rye Zers]

Originally Posted by dandersen

All cameras do that. Some more than others.

This is to correct for drift.
If the camera does not do it, it will drift right off the scale.

What do you mean "it will drift right off the scale"? I think it's auto adjusting the temperature range and unit with faster processor or graphics can re adjust faster, right? This means if I "lock" the screen or temperature, it won't pause anymore.

Turn the camera on for several minutes before you want to use it and don't shut it off till your done. Also leave the lens cap open.

Adverse temps indoors/out will make this happen more.
Bring in the camera and leave it out of the case till you need it.

Besides inspecting electrical. I want to use it too at night in quick scan of the outside of my house to scan for animals hiding in bushes. And I don't want it to pause while scanning. Maybe by "locking" the tempeture, it will avoid the pause and temperature rescaling?

[Linas Dapkus]

Originally Posted by dandersen

All cameras do that. Some more than others.

This is to correct for drift.
If the camera does not do it, it will drift right off the scale.

Turn the camera on for several minutes before you want to use it and don't shut it off till your done. Also leave the lens cap open.

Adverse temps indoors/out will make this happen more.
Bring in the camera and leave it out of the case till you need it.

Do you own an I-7 Dave? I heard that sure is a mighty fine piece of equipment.

[David A. Andersen]

I'm sorry Sir, I have never held one and I am just doing the best I can with the information provided...

What do you mean "it will drift right off the scale"?

Rye; to understand what I am talking about may take some continuing education that I am not prepaired to attempt to convey in a short message board post.

If you do not understand "Drift" I recommend that you take the required courses before you pruchase or use any thermal imaging device so you don't wast money and go off "half-cocked" on some adventure...

Or just ask John, he can square you away.

[Rye Zers]

I know all about blackbody radiation and emissivity. Anyway. Thermal drift is defined as "Drift caused by internal heating of equipment during normal operation or by changes in external ambient temperature".

With regards to the screen pausing every often. I think what its doing is auto adjusting the temperature scale depending on target. For example. When you point the imager at a scene with temperature between 15 to 50 Celsius. The screen will show that scale. If you then point it to higher temperature. It will pause as the screen updates and turns the scale to 15 to 120 Celsius. I think this is the reason for the screen pause. I wonder if the unit microprocessor speed is related to how fast it updates. To those who own the FLIR i7. How does it perform compare to others? I plan to order it as soon as I get this info. Thanks.

[Chuck Evans]

Research NUC or Non-Uniformity Correction and trust Dave's word that it is a normal and essential function of the imager.

[Rye Zers]

I went to a FLIR i7 demo center and went to work with it. Temperature scale changes don't make the screen pause. So it is the Non-Uniformity Correction that causing the pauses. Now for those who own higher end models. Is there a way to temporary disable the feature in situation that you need fast motion and can take a slight decrease in temperature accuracy (such as mobile based thermal imager like the PathFinder car system or military vehicle thermal system)? Just curious as I know the FLIR i7 won't make you disable it.

[Scott Gilligan, CMI]

First off...you are not going to get any kind of advanced features like that from a low end camera. If you want live video that does not get interrupted, that is not something that modern handheld cameras can do because they are uncooled microbolometers. You would need to think about going into the cooled focal plane array camera world or into a surveillance system type camera.

No one camera is going to be able to perform all tasks, especially lower end entry level cameras. You are basically trying to make a hammer perform as a calculator.

Pick which application you want to do and find the appropriate camera to do the job.

[John McKenna]

Originally Posted by sgilligan1

First off...you are not going to get any kind of advanced features like that from a low end camera. If you want live video that does not get interrupted, that is not something that modern handheld cameras can do because they are uncooled microbolometers. You would need to think about going into the cooled focal plane array camera world or into a surveillance system type camera.

No one camera is going to be able to perform all tasks, especially lower end entry level cameras. You are basically trying to make a hammer perform as a calculator.

Pick which application you want to do and find the appropriate camera to do the job.

Exactly.