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Special Requirements
There are many applications which will have special needs with respect to the operation of a camera. The following are examples where the physical characteristics of a camera are important.
Frame Rates, Camera Capture Speed, Real Time Video
Cameras capture images at a variety of speeds. Many entry level cameras are NOT real time and will blur when looking at moving targets, or when used in a scanning motion. Generally entry level cameras are less than 10Hz (10 frames per second), and must be used while stationary, on stationary objects.
There are many applications where a faster frame rate will be required, otherwise the image will be blurred and distorted. When monitoring rotating or moving equipment, or when the thermographer themselves is moving (walking or in a vehicle), you will need a faster frame rate. Higher speed frame rates are usually above 30hz, with the faster rates at 50 or 60Hz.
If you have an application which occurs in a very short time interval, ie less than a few seconds, then you will also need to consider video capture in real time. This is where a camera is able to gather several seconds or minutes of streaming video (usually at 30 frames per second), and can then break each frame down individually for analysis. This is mostly found in
high end professional cameras With this kind of application you should definitely seek the advice of a seasoned professional who has performed this kind of measurement.
Indoor or Outdoor Use
If you are going to use your camera outdoors then special attention should be given to the type of viewing options the camera provides. Most external LCD screen are adversely affected by Sunlight, so much so, that they are virtually impossible to see in bright sunlight. Many entry level cameras provide some kind of sunshield which slide over the screen to form a protective tunnel. This is a crude but relatively effective remedy for short term use. Some models do offer a day bright screen, which is specially lit to provide better viewing in outdoor elements. These are also quite effective, but the best solution is an internal LCD or CRT viewfinder otherwise known as an eyewell.
This solution is found in most professional cameras which offer both an external :LCD screen for indoor use, and an internal viewfinder (eyewell) for use outdoors in Sunlight. If you perform extended work outdoors, the latest internal viewfinders offer low radiation OLED (organic LED) viewfinders which make it much more comfortable for use over long periods of time.
Screen Size, Onscreen display and Image Display
There is a great variety of screen sizes and display resolutions, and the appropriateness of each is completely up to the end user’s personal preference. Screen sizes are measured diagonally across the screen and will range from as small as 2 inches to 5 inches. Subjective characteristics to keep in mind when looking for an appropriate screen size are:
Can I see the screen properly?
It’s important that you can see the screen properly. That might sound like an obvious statement, but screens come in all different shapes, sizes, qualities, and fonts and text is unique on each. Those with impaired vision, may find some screens and/or text formats very difficult to read. It’s important to ask yourself:
Am I able to read all the small numbers clearly. Can I see the difference between an 8 and a 0?
Can I see sufficient detail in the image (ie for high sensitivity applications)?
What is it like outdoors?
Bear in mind that in general, the larger the screen the higher the power consumption. If long battery life is an important factor having a smaller screen, or perhaps energy saving (screen saver) functions will be of benefit.
Is there enough information on-screen?
The amount of data represented on-screen is also an important consideration for many applications. It may be important to have specific data in front of the operator at all times. Information such as the emissivity, image range, temperature range or filter, hot seeking cursors or other temperature related information may need to be instantly recognized by the operator.
Why does it look better on the camera than on the PC?
Always bear in mind the image display is usually NOT the same as the detector resolution. In most cases (especially when larger screens are in use), the image will be enhanced or digitally increased in size to be presented on the camera’s screen. Many 160×120 native resolutions (detector) will be enhanced to 320×240 or 640×480 on the rear screen of the camera for display purposes. This only serves to aesthetically enlarge the image and has no effect on measurement capabilities. Often this enhancement is not carried through to the software, whereby the image will open in it’s native format.It pays to always compare the on-screen performance to the downloaded image to avoid getting a false sense of image quality. How the image looks in the PC software will be the best representation of how it will look for the customer when you prepare the report!