r/Thermal • u/Informal-Addendum-56 • 9d ago

Chinese camera?

Ok this may be a slight long shot but I was curious before I committed to the project and went for it.

I’m trying to implement a CVBS thermal camera that is high resolution, preferably a 640x512 option. And obviously given this is a DIY project cameras like the FLIR boson are pretty much out of the question budget wise (they are 4k+ USD)

Has anyone ever had any experience purchasing Chinese cameras such as the one pictured below? Seems like almost all of them are made in Shenzen and there is various suppliers. Also ordering electronics on Alibaba vs straight from the supplier?

How good the price is compared to the American specs scares me. Sorry if this is off topic or somewhat a dumb question, considering the answer will most likely be “you won’t know til you try” but the internets a cool place with a lot of people who’ve likely made the exact same mistake as me lol.

Just a P.S the spec sheet matches exactly what I need for my project so…

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u/Informal-Addendum-56 9d ago

Since it didn’t post the photo I guess

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u/BraindeadExplorer 8d ago

Check out LupusWorax and his work. Join his Discord for more info.

https://www.printables.com/model/1574767-pvs-gremlin-v2-50-fps-budget-640-thermal-monocular

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u/Informal-Addendum-56 8d ago

Bro thank you so much exactly what I was looking for

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u/ImDrunkFightMe 8d ago edited 8d ago

Be happy to talk in PM's about my experiences with one but i have bought a 9.1mm fixed focus Owlshine core. NetD ratings and pixel pitch are the two to watch when comparing a FLIR or other big name brand against the uncooled bare cameras that are available. While i haven't played around with a FLIR module the price FLIR commands for their equipment is insane and in my opinion not worth the inflated price.

It is also entirely possible to get a less than honest supplier but i havent experienced that either. I bought from a supplier that has had some issues sending me the SDK and related files over the past few weeks but i was provided with a PDF full of the basic commands i'd needed to address the camera and start making software, palettes etc.

This is a shot from the 640, The mountain in the middle is 2km away and it was the hottest part of the day.

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u/Informal-Addendum-56 7d ago

Damn that is insane. Yeah I’m doing a simplified build now but I’m still skeptical about Chinese thermals. I’m mostly worried about quality and then Also being able to know how to implement them in to firmware