FLIR is one of the biggest brands in thermal imaging cameras, and the new C8 is a significant upgrade to the simple 'compact camera' design that is popular with consumers. It has a simple and familiar design and uses FLIR's MSX system – Multi-Spectral Dynamic Imaging – which uses an optical camera as well as a thermal camera to deliver extra detail.
The big upgrade is the resolution of the thermal camera, which now has 320 x 240 pixels of resolution – 4 times that of the 160 x 120 of the C5 – meaning it's possible to identify much smaller details in the thermal image.
The thermal camera includes a 3.5-inch integrated touchscreen; the maximum temperature it is able to 'see' is 842°F / 450°C, and the minimum is freezing point (32°F / 0°C).
Features are designed around simplicity, for practical use cases for inspections. The device has a selection of imaging modes that make you feel like the Predator from the movies; there are options to highlight the hottest and coldest parts of the image seen, and to set a temperature above or below the areas that are highlighted. So, for example, you could use it to check the servers and instantly see if something was above the suggested operating temperature.
The optical camera is still 5MP, the same as the FLIR C5, so if you're content with a lower thermal resolution, it may be an option to look out for our previous best rugged camera choice on the best thermal imaging camera list – after all, it might now be more accessibly priced!
Images are saved to onboard memory and then transferred via WiFi using the FLIR Ignite cloud app. When I last reviewed a FLIR device, up to 1GB of storage was provided at no cost.
The new camera is already visible on retailers' sites, including:
🇺🇸 USA: FLIR C8 on B&H – listed as coming soon
🇬🇧 UK: FLIR C8 on Amazon – will ship after September 27
You can learn more about it at the FLIR site where the RRP is $899 (around £800 / AUD$1,360).
You might also like
Check my guide to the best thermal imaging cameras, and my review of the best thermal drones.
You should also check out some of the thermal imaging binoculars – many of which have built-in cameras.
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