Best Thermal Camera YET? (HIKMICRO vs. TOPDON)

It's been 2 years since the last Thermal Imager review!
• Thermal Cameras: TOPDO...
Now there are a couple HOT new players on the market:
HIKMICRO Pocket 2
TOPDON TC View
Will these two newcomers edge out the FLIR ONE and TOPDON ITC629?
Let's put them to the test and see how they stack up!
HIKMICRO POCKET 2: ******SAVE $150 with DISCOUNT CODE [8HLXYKOO]*******
www.amazon.com...
TOPDON TC VIEW: *******SAVE $60 with Amazon PRIME*******
www.amazon.com...

[@smh988]

Year 1998, took a month long class at FLIR. That and $11K got certified to purchase and use an actively-cooled FLIR IR "camera" that was literally the size of refrigerator, and rolled on a cart. 10 yrs later we had handhelds that cost a measly $24K each, which was actually considered affordable. Now.. a smartphone plug-in. sheesh. I wonder if we fully realize and/or appreciate the ever increasing technology. Enjoyed this video, btw.

[@dogsplantscarsneatstuff176]

Thanks for the history Steve. I now appreciate themal imaging even more. I am still trying to get my head around rolling in a refrigerator size device.

[@smh988]

@@dogsplantscarsneatstuff176 haaa Ya, that beast took 2-3 people to load into a van. The cryogenics were expensive, it was never a viable tool, wrote-off as loss. The handhelds were 2nd or 3rd gen and were a revelation: Great resolution (for the day); customizable; large temp range; accurate; adjustable emissivity. By the way, FLIR was bought by Fluke I commented that I liked this video, but I should have said 'I enjoy all PHAD's videos'.

[@craigkennedy9968]

if you think that is awesome, you should check out most of the ulephone rugged phones, like the ulefone 18T with built in FLIR camera

[@stephenwgreen78]

@@craigkennedy9968 I looked at those and then looked at how fast IR tech was advancing. Decided I wanted to keep my phone longer than a year or 2😂🤣. It would be nice if flagship phones start throwing them in though

[@craigkennedy9968]

@@stephenwgreen78 Ulefone 18T is a flagship rugged phone with excellent specs. you can even add on an endoscope or a night vision camera. instead of a macro camera, there's is a microscope camera, and main cam is 108mp. nearly Indestructible screen, huge battery and memory, and a flir camera that puts others to shame and will stay relevant. those cheap ir cams used in video are laughable and extremely poor quality.

[@wino99999]

So the reason that the image didn't align in the Fusion mode is because you had the Parallax correction set for 1m (top middle of screen at 5:21). As someone else said the camera takes the IR and Normal pic through 2 different lenses and you have to set the distance to 0.3m (1ft for our American Cousins) otherwise they will be wildly out of alignment when looking close up!

[@HayabusaRydr]

I have the same issue with my hikmicro B10 and have changed the parallax from lowest to highest setting and haven't seen any difference....

[@asleeperj]

Does that change as the distance to the object changes?

[@wino99999]

@@asleeperj yes, but unfortunately there's not the ability to change it much, normally only 2-3 separate distances.

[@belljoxer]

The thermal and optical images are coming from different lenses. I have a different model HIKMICRO camera and there is a setting to tell the camera what distance range you are shooting from. This information is necessary so it can correct the image offsets and merge them more accurately.

[@lolzlarkin3059]

Not sure why they wouldn't design in a pair of mirrors and use a common lens. Then it would always look perfect.

[@inothome]

@@lolzlarkin3059 Infra-red is absorbed by glass, so the lenses for the IR camera are made of different materials. Like sapphire, germanium, calcium fluoride and other things. I don't think visible light passes through those easily or at all.

[@chipster9422]

The Pocket 2 has a distance measurement adjustment in it that will correct for the misaligned images you are getting.

[@dericn]

Thanks Ivan. Based on your review, I bought the TOPDON one on Black Friday. Just got it today, and am very impressed with it. By the way, the extension cable they supply WILL work with your phone. The USB-A side pops off, revealing a USB-C connector.

[@michaelwitmer7536]

ivan, the topdon comes with a cable to attach your phone with the case on. no need to buy one. You had it laying on your table there. I didn't notice at first, but if you look closely you will notice that one end of the cable has a tether connected to an adapter. So, that cable supplied converts into two different ones

[@mikeburdi3464]

Thanks for the review. I have been contemplating getting a new unit for a couple of months now. Your honest, independent review makes it a bit easier. Thanks again and cheers!

[@unscrat2593]

I have the pocket 2. It’s quite good. Decent resolution, and good refresh rate. I don’t use the optical camera at all . There is enough resolution to identify what you’re scanning.

[@dosgos]

We had the Flir Pro and used it with an iPhone. It was awesome. The phone & gizmo battery levels have to be monitored. Generally, I think dedicated devices are best for pros. One can use their phone to photograph the screen to email-text in the field where necessary.

[@craiggoodwin9704]

Ivan, I don't know if I can afford to watch your channel much longer. Great review. Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for Sharing!

[@t.k5928]

😂me too

[@mikehonda7934]

I’m an iPhone user, and I’d pick the Hikmicron no question over the TopDon for a couple reasons, and not just only because I use Apple. With the Hikmicron, I see the camera wireless connection to the phone being a winner overall, because both Apple and Android can charge their devices and still use and mirror to your phone. What makes it better for Apple, is you can screen mirror across all of the Apple eco system while still being connected wirelessly to the camera using the iPhone as a hub. Like if your phone is too small to see, I can screen mirror my phone to my Apple TV and have a 11”-10,000’ (yes I mean feet) tv monitor or projector completely wirelessly. Which is helpful in a shop, or live shop training. Though the price is a bite to take, you’re not stuck with a useless device because it’s android only, and vise versa in minimum cases.

[@JohnnieBravo1]

This is so weird. I was looking at the Topdon cam yesterday and today, to look at tire heat patterns on my old 71 Camaro road rager, and heat loss on my house, now that it's winter here in Alabama. (we don't do winter down here like you guys do ..... I've spent a LOT of time supporting guidance systems on longwall and continuous mining machines in PA, so I'm well familiar with your winters there )

[@sixtyfiveford]

I have the Topdon TC VIEW and love it. The resolution is phenomenal.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Yeah I was really impressed! Can't beat the price either! 🙂

[@spelunkerd]

That shift of optical to thermal almost looks like a parallax effect. Do they use separate lenses? Same thing that happens when you close one eye. I really like what is happening with these cameras but the price is a sticky issue. One thing I'd want to do is look closely at a functioning printed circuit board, so I wonder how close it can focus. You make a good point about battery life. The other aspect of battery life is long term life. Hopefully the rechargeable battery is replaceable....

[@Dave-ei7kk]

I have a UNI-T pro UTi690B that I bought around a year ago. Had to order it with the Banggood app from China (which I almost never do). But I have to say, I’d rather use it than any of the 4 IR cameras I saw you review. It is built in the same form factor as the older pistol grip TopDon you reviewed but has better specs. For instance: 255 X 192 IR resolution Configurable visual image overlay with parallax correction and switchable white illuminates so you can use it in dark places (like under a car dashboard) and still see the visual light image overlay. 5°F -1022°F measurement range. USB-C Rechargeable lithium ion battery Micro SD card slot for image storage IP65 water resistance, 2m drop tolerant Lots of configuration options for how the image is displayed. I see it listed on eBay for more than I paid for it when it was first introduced. So lookout for sales. Banggood has it for $349 right now so their sale price is no longer in effect. Check it out on KZbin. There are other sites that have reviewed it. I highly recommend it even if you have to pay full price.

[@GeminiSeven43]

I have the Seekshot Pro and the thermal image does not update nearly as fast as the HIKMicro and that is very frustrating when you have to move the camera super slow to get a good image read. I like the refresh rate of the HIKMicro and hope that it will be a better choice in the future. Thanks so much Ivan for all your great down to earth reviews. By the way since your review the price went up to list price on Amazon, I had the same thing happen when Eric O. recommended the Astro Scraper and the price went through the roof and availability went south. You two definitely Rock the markets...LOL

[@michael_mouse]

9:18... Your extension cable/velcro idea is an extremely neat solution as to why I've never been interested in purchasing any of the 'push on' type thermal cameras... because I would be constantly worried about twisting/snapping the male connecter off... ouch, now that sounds painful :0)

[@kv2280]

The last 2 recent product review videos have been very good. Coming from you, Ivan, I definitely trust your opinion .

[@TheOmegaman69]

Very well done review. The one thing, the unknown thing, about the TC View is not the device hardware itself but how it affects the phone display drain on the battery. Typically, the display is what draws the most current from the battery of most battery powered devices, like cellphones, tablets, etc. When watching a video is probably the largest drain. This IR device, according to the manufacture, draws 0.25 Watts, about 67mAs. Over 4 hours, the specification of how long the Hikmicro is suppose to last, would be about 268mAs of the phones likely 3900-4200mA/h battery. This is next to nothing, and would leave about 3600-3900mA/h battery life. But, it probably will affect what the display of the Android phone draws. These are the unknown numbers, what the display draws with and without the TC View connected and being used. However, the biggest advantage of the TC View I see, is the fact it doesn't have a battery. You don't have to worry about it's battery draining while not in use. Given all the information that Ivan has provided (thanks Ivan), and these considerations, between these two I would also choose the TC View. I would probably use it for 15 minutes or so, continuously, and compare how much the battery percentage drops with and without it attached and used over this 15 minutes (or whatever time desired). Since it would not normally be used that long at one time, and not very regularly used, this may not be an issue at all. Great job again, Ivan. And once again, thanks for making these informative videos (this includes the automotive videos also, or course).. Omegaman

[@herrtomas6729]

The TC002 is now available for the iPhone (or iPad). That's great because you can use it on a much larger hi-res screen. Just bought one - brilliant!

[@publicmail2]

Ivan, check out infiray line, including the T2S+ for $300, comes with cable and nice handheld universal mount. Just bought one and the specs and hardware and price are the best, IMO. They carry a full line but theT2S+ model has adj. focus down to macro and no built in battery bs. Of course depending on use heavy duty model with their own screen too.

[@paulw2791]

Thanks Ivan, I am a tech at a dealership and have been looking at various ones over the last 5 years. Looks like I'll be getting the Topdon TC View.

[@Jakeisks]

The TOPDON TC View (TCView, TC001 camera) causes screen tearing on my Galaxy Tab A8 (fresh install of Android 14).

[@FunnyMuffler]

Dude, I've had that TopDon in my wishlist for months now! And in the past few days I've been itching to pull the trigger, haha. I'll compare it to my Seek camera if I do. _FMG_

[@johnlenoir1023]

That is pretty dang cool cannot believe how small and surprisingly well they work especially for the price holy cow I did not know anything like that ever existed thank you so much for the video I could have used one of these cameras on my neighbor's house started to catch fire

[@Jpilgrim30]

You can take apart the flir cameras and solder jumper wires from the USB port to the battery connection and run it off of your phone’s battery. I had a gen 3 FLIR one so I know what you mean about the horrible battery situation. If you don’t feel like doing that then you can swap out the battery.

[@douglasgagnon4869]

Have you tried the top don TC003? I’m about to pull the trigger on that one. 😂

[@sprograt]

Loving the videos recently keep up the great work.

[@TheOriginalDaveJ]

Think I'll wait on the HIKMICRO mk2 to come along, that'll be WiFi/Bluetooth technology. Make sending photos via email or transfer to computer/phone seamless. Saying that, very handy Android set up which seems relatively convenient and can be carried in your pocket!

[@tillhermann7273]

You can easily correct the position of IR and Digicam by selecting distance on touchscreen. I get quite perfect overlays here with pocket2

[@jwilkers1]

I've got the Hikmicro (one that looks like a laser thermometer) it's been really good I think I paid $240 on a black Friday sale

[@MehdiRF]

Thank you for in-depth review, my biggest concern for these pocket sized thermal cameras is not only battery runtime but also lifespan. I don't know how reliable these batteries are and even if they are high end lithium cells they will come to end of life with in 3-5 years in my experience and changing them is an inconvenience. For these reasons I bought the Bosch GTC 600 C (256x192) which uses interchangeable 12 volt battery and runs forever :)

[@InventorInvestor]

the shift in the image is obviously due to the camera's not being in the same location, and the distance from the target (that you have the camera). What is the image on objects that are farther away?

[@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT]

Very interesting small IR cameras! My YT profile picture was made with a very expensive (and big) FLIR camera, some 9 years ago, and I'm sure if I took it again with any of these cameras, it would be much better. Indispensable tool to track thermal related malfunctions and I would go for the small TC View (my phone is even Android, but I could get a used cheap phone just to work with this camera). As for the Pocket 2, the non overlapping pictures result from two different image sources - IR is taken by a Bolometer and color image by a standard CCD, the two not being in the same optical path, for obvious reasons, but Topdon could have made an effort to shift one to overlap with the other (could be a design overlook, maybe software correctable in the future). I find both prices very attractive indeed!

[@stealthg35infiniti94]

Ivan, would you do a quick test for using to find cold intrusion in home windows/doors. I could see perhaps them being very useful in HAVAC troubleshooting finding leaks.

[@jerryberkel8421]

Cant you use your phones camera on the topdon and use fusion mode the same way the hikmicro did?

[@dev-debug]

I like the tool reviews. Amazon shows a USB extender as frequently bought together item. Don't use those, get a flexible cable like he uses unless you want to risk damaging the phones USB port.

[@x01e]

Its tool week on PHAD love it, keep em coming.

[@mytube2013]

Could you show the photos the same object taken by the 2 cameras side by side ?

[@baldy95307]

Either this video is somewhat old or Amazon is pulling a few shenanigans with pricing (probably shenanigans from Amazon). The current price of the HIKMicro Pocket 2 is $599, not $450 on Amazon and the current price of the TOPDON TC View is $299, not $240. That still makes the TOPDON a better choice financially. (EDIT - I just noticed the date on his laptop screen and this video was done yesterday 11-22-2022. Did Amazon realize that he was doing a review of the product and as a consequence raise the price?)

[@markrup6369]

Is TopDon working on an iOS version? I'm amazed they would ignore such a large portion of the market by only making an Android version.

[@icen9701]

TOPDON is expected to offer an ios version in 2023.1

[@jimforsyth2.]

The cable isn't a problem it may be handy to see the screen at odd angel

[@tdf123emcee2]

There is a more advanced version of the FLIR that let's you change the emissivity!

[@EATSLEEPFARM]

Amazon sells a lighting to usb for iphone aslong as the app is available

[@billyyoder8171]

Thank you Ivan. Did you buy your usb c adapter cable online or locally? Looking for this short cable myself.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

It was a generic one on Amazon...

[@brandongary7649]

Was gonna try the pocket 2 in your link but the coupon code didn’t work

[@GaryB007]

Both of the links are showing as unavailable on Amazon. If they're affiliate links, you might want to point them at alternatives.

[@amundsen575]

I have a Flir One second generation for android , pain in the ass, software crashes often, tech support told me to make sure charger puts out 5.2v as it needs to be fully charged to use. cost $250 bout 5 yrs ago

[@Jpilgrim30]

Maybe if enough people complain about the image shift issue then they may could release an updated firmware that gives you the option.

[@itsdavex2]

They make USB extenders , about $7 USD if you have a case on your phone and the camera can't plug in. Also, the Topdon comes with a cable.

[@chipster9422]

Misaligned images on the Pocket 2 can be corrected by using the distance measurement tool in the camera!

[@lanwickum]

Seek has been my preferred thermal for many things.

[@tomn8tr]

Seek Shot Pro has 320x240 resolution and is in a similar form to the HIKMICRO Pocket 2 for less money.

[@richb419]

when it comes to IR cameras Flir has always been the best, you do get what you pay for. most of us cant afford the best and still need training to use it. I have used the cheap ones 8 to 11000 dollar cameras Rich

[@takenusername]

Where did you get the pocket 2 for $450?

[@scotts4125]

Hikmicro has a couple in the same form factor pistol style of the old Topdon. I wonder if the 2 images would be more in alignment. I have an Innova 3360 pistol style. I couldn't recommend it. It's OK but not great.

[@functionalvanconversion4284]

Thanks for the details!

[@billmck12345]

hey ivan, long time no see.... good vid here. i use the flir tg275 and the seek shot pro....for the electrical diag side of things i use the seek shot pro ...you don't need a camera onboard at 320x240 res..very crisp and at a very reasonable price. seek also has an app but i havn't messed with it much

[@billmck12345]

if ya need any info on these just let me know

[@6996brandyl]

What about the Black Friday Special?

[@lolzlarkin3059]

Would you be better of with just buying a cat ruggedised phone with it already built in?

[@baxrok2.]

Thanks Ivan!

[@GraditelMacedonia]

Good stuff...im owner on UNI-T UT260B...and is awesome about ratio, money vs quality!? So, this examples are also good enough, helping on job site, obviously not for every day use, comparison is good except image quality... according me there Topdon have 3/5.

[@seek3n]

Is hikmicro pocket better than topdon TC003?

[@imprezaaudi]

The Uti 730e is probably a better IR unit 320*240 resolution 5A battery. Circa $650

[@paulgilliland2992]

Ivan in full holiday sales mode.

[@sumduma55]

Lol.. deduct a point for you using a specific case. You fid that with the flir and they even listed the two incompatible phone cases on their website.

[@duncanevenson4621]

Just get the Cat S62 pro built in flir camera.

[@onewheelnut]

Please check out a tourch I've seen on amazon.its a headband cob type with hand gesture control, thought of you triple clicking every time you face camera. Two cost £20 ware one charge one.love the content.

[@Xinfrared274]

Good review filming here🎉 interested in reviewing our p2pro thermal camera to join the competition? Hope hearing from you soon.

[@johnsangalli7438]

Discount code doesn't seem to work anymore

[@GeorgeKennedy-u4r]

Is there a Android attached thermal camera that doesn't use an "app"? I hat putting these apps on my phone since many come with spyware or advertisement bullshit.

[@Jakeisks]

that would be a neat trick

[@kerrylewis2581]

TOPDON might be a nice fit in combination with my Samsung Tablet.

[@anthony-i1k8c]

I love my iphone but I keep a cheap old Android with no service for these sorts of gadgets.

[@steventiry8701]

Do not forget that you can also screenshot your phone.

[@NoWr2Run]

What I want to know is, CAN I SEE THE BIGFOOT THAT COMES IN MY BACKYARD AT ABOUT 50 YARDS LATE AT NIGHT ? I'm guessing there's NO GUN MOUNT AVAILABLE FOR IT EITHER ? I liked the one that goes on your Camera, personally. Ivan, Are you going to have any tools for SNAKE REMOVAL ? Say if one gets in your wood pile in your GARAGE ? THANKS AGAIN, Henry from N.E. PA.

[@NoWr2Run]

😁

[@boyllcam]

Any remote software?

[@vitok2010]

your discount code is not valid in amazone

[@wuldntuliktonoptb6861]

Those plug in phone ones BURN your battery you’ll be in service titan watching it drop a percent every 5 seconds. If they have internal battery ya get about as much life that way and it still drains your phone. For that reason alone I kinda think they’re worthless. If your phone dies at the call you’re dead in the water. Spend the little extra to upgrade.

[@Jakeisks]

for someone using it near a power plug, a hub might work (seems to be working here)

[@hisroyalblueness]

Your problem is that there are 2 lenses, one each for each function, so they will be aligned to coincide at a predetermined distance. In fact that’s not your problem, your problem is that you don’t understand that, What you have is a thermal camera that does what most others can’t. It achieves it by using 2 lenses, and the misalignment of fusion images at any other than an ideal focal distance is an obvious and expected outcome . . What were you thinking, did you expect some new technology to bring about the bending of light to bring 2 separate lenses together or did you just not notice the two distinctly separate lenses on the front of the camera dude? idea at a

[@xerxes456]

Flir one is no good never functions when you need it bought it a couple years back. Changed battery but no luck still not working.

[@charlesdelajoux4951]

Also available for IO and 50 box cheaper

[@j.lietka9406]

Check the prices for these cameras....

[@greyguy9767]

Might be great for seeing Bigfoot images. Lol

[@marleythechameleonandherbi2724]

Strap on version - $4000 😂

[@mareksebzdamess6203]

you are the missing link in evolution, man! living proof that we can reach back to the bacteria level. Try this: - take this strap off, remove the glue, scrub the donkey shajt you probably put there - get rid of this cable, connect it like a normal person - (camera facing the direction you look, as I smell another complaint after ameba-like move) - go to the app - on imaging screen tap the arrow up icon in the bottom-right area - choose "dual light" - appologise

[@MrSleepProductionsInc]

I’m pretty sure the U.S. government limits the resolution of thermal cameras.

[@craigkennedy9968]

this video is pretty lame, comparing these extreme low end cameras. should check out Fluke cameras, Fluke meters with cameras built in or Rugged Phones with thermal imagers built in like the Ulefone 18T. truly incredible phone !

[@meatballmagoo6134]

That video was hard to watch I skipped through it and said f it ...

[@meatballmagoo6134]

UMM

[@preston963]

I just use the FLIR built into my rugged phone n it cost US$440!