Today let’s talk about inexpensive thermal cameras, specifically the Fluke TiS. As you heard from me previously, and know from being in the field, Fluke is a manufacturer at the top of their game. The Tis is Fluke’s entry level offering in the thermal market and it is, as usual, a solid piece of equipment.

The Tis show offs many features that are unusual for this price range in thermal imagers, not the least of which is a manual focus option. Cameras in the under $2,000 range typically are fixed or auto-focus, allowing you much less control over the quality of the image. The Tis also boasts the highest resolution in its price class (120x120), which will give you the ability to take a very high quality thermal image compared to other comparably priced point and shoot models.

As per normal with Fluke, this thermal imager can withstand at least a 2 meter drop – making it rugged enough to toss in the tool box and not be concerned whether it will make it out in one piece. So, in the cross section of price and features, the Tis is a great middle ground; it is affordable but offers many characteristics that are simply not available in some competitive models. At its price point, this camera is a real “hot” deal. (Ba-dum-chh)