Thermal Master P2 camera review

Thermal Master P2: 30-second review

The market for thermal imaging cameras has grown rapidly, and their use in trades to locate wires and pipes behind walls is an obvious choice. Unlike traditional thermal imaging cameras, which were quite large, bulky, and incredibly expensive, this new wave of plug-in thermal cameras for smartphones offers a cheaper and highly versatile alternative.

The Thermal Master P2 is marketed as the world's smallest thermal imaging camera, weighing just 10g and being incredibly compact. It plugs easily into the base of your smartphone, even with a smartphone case. Once installed, you can open the Thermal Master P2 app and instantly access all the thermal imaging options and settings.

In use, it's simple. Essentially, it acts as a viewer for thermal signatures of anything in its field of view. You'll often find these on the best rugged phones, where it's an essential tool for on-site work - but here, you can use your standard smartphone to achieve the same results. Point it at a hot pipe, and you instantly see the heat signatures of both hot and cold pipes or exposed wiring. The camera's sensitivity gives it an edge over other compact thermal cameras designed for use with smartphones on the market. For example, a mechanic could use the thermal camera to see the heat signature of the coolant as it flows through the engine, helping you to check for blockages. It also enables you to check the temperature of various engine components before touching them, making it useful both for locating issues and safety.

As with any camera, you can capture images and videos recorded at 1440 x 1080 resolution. While not the highest resolution, it's good enough to view details and heat signatures. All of the captured images include heat data overlay if you have opted to apply points, enabling you to review later or share with others. The gallery section of the app features a reports option, enabling you to extract data from heat signature images for more detailed analysis. As a compact solution, the Thermal Master P2 is incredibly versatile.

Although the P2 currently only works on Android devices, it is an extremely powerful tool for anyone working in a variety of trades. The device's small size means that you can take it anywhere, and the ease of use sensitivity, detailed output, and high display resolution make it a handy device to have with you. If you're in need of a thermal camera, this small addition to your Android smartphone is an excellent option.

Thermal Master P2: Price & availability

At just under $200/£200, the Thermal Master P2 is a remarkably affordable option for such a high-quality thermal imaging camera. While the camera is very small and requires a smartphone to run and process the data it captures, this price tag is highly reasonable compared to many alternatives. The Thermal Master P2 is widely available for purchase, ad you can get it directly from the Thermal Master website by clicking here.

• Score: 4.5/5

Thermal Master P2: Design & build

The Thermal Master P2 is extremely small and comes in a solid hard case with a lanyard loop so you can tie it into a kit bag or attach it to a toolbox to help avoid it. The case reflects the high quality of the thermal imaging camera inside, which is extremely robust, protecting the camera and making it easy to store and carry around safely. Essentially, if it's thrown in with the rest of your tools, the case ensures the camera stays a little safer. The small case, measuring 42 x 44 x 15mm, houses the camera securely inside.

The camera itself is even smaller, measuring just 27 x 18 x 9.8mm and weighing only 10g. Even with the case and camera combined, the total weight is just 29g, making it almost unnoticeable, even in a trouser pocket. Connecting the camera to your smartphone is very straightforward.

The first step is to download the Thermal Master P2 app from the Google Play Store. Once installed, the app prompts you to connect the camera. The unit features a USB Type-C connector, which plugs directly into the base of your smartphone or other imaging-compatible devices like drones or laptops. As soon as the camera is connected, the smartphone recognises it, and the app displays the thermal view on your screen.

A basic look at the camera unit reveals a compact, well-built design. It consists of a small lens on the front and a USB Type-C connector on the base, alongside a small logo reading "Thermal Master." Apart from that, the design is minimalist but durable, with a weather-resistant body built for years of use.

• Design & build: 4/5

Thermal Master P2: Features

The Thermal Master P2's big selling point is that it's one of the world's smallest thermal cameras, making it highly portable. It achieves this by drawing all its power and processing from the smartphone it connects to. To operate, it must be plugged into your smartphone's base, and you'll need the P2 app installed. Currently, the app is only available for Android systems.

Its small size means most features are accessed through the app rather than the camera itself. Through the app, you get a 15x zoom thermal image (Available soon) with ±1.5°C PCB accuracy and a temperature range of -4°F to 1022°F. While the thermal camera doesn't deliver the ultra-high resolution of standard imaging cameras, it offers an IR resolution of 256 x 192 pixels, with super-resolution boosting it to 512 x 384 pixels.

After launching the app, the thermal map displays a visual representation of heat signatures with a temperature accuracy of ±1.5°C. The P2 remains compact by drawing power from the connected smartphone and offloading most processing to the app. As a result, there's no internal battery. Despite this, its low power consumption of just 0.3W ensures minimal impact on your smartphone's battery life.

The 15x zoom feature will be a great feature, although not available at present, for the thermal camera, as it's relatively uncommon in this category. The two-finger gesture allows you to zoom in and out smoothly, which is especially useful for inspecting intricate details in wiring, plumbing, or other heat signatures.

The P2 also allows you to capture both still images and videos. Once the images are captured, you can open them in the gallery and generate a report that breaks down the data into useful numerical insights for further review.

Unlike many thermal cameras, which simply display heat signatures, the P2 includes diagnostic tools. The DIY colour bar feature lets you highlight a target area using a slider and manually set a temperature. For example, when working on a car engine, you can monitor a component's temperature until it cools to a safe level for handling.

Another useful feature is the adjustable emissivity, which lets you fine-tune ambient spot distances and emissivity settings to ensure accurate temperature readings across various surfaces like soil, glass, brick, skin, water, paper, cloth, and wood.

The P2 camera app offers 12 colour palettes, enabling you to adjust the visual representation of temperatures to suit your needs. You can switch from the standard iron-red palette, which is the style commonly associated with thermal imaging, to alternatives like white-hot (black-and-white), rainbow, and others, depending on your need and preference.

In terms of versatility, the Thermal Master P2 can be used for numerous applications, including pipe inspection, insulation checks, and aerial thermal imaging attachment to a drone (with the appropriate software and firmware updates). It's also helpful for high-maintenance tasks like spotting hotspots in power systems or inspecting engine components such as coolant pipes for blockages or temperature issues.

As the P2 relies on your smartphone for processing and power, its performance depends on the device you're using. In this review, we used a Vivo X100, which is a slightly older Android model, and it provides plenty of power to handle image and data processing.

• Features: 4.5/5

Thermal Master P2: Performance

When it comes to thermal cameras, the P2 makes operation as simple as possible. To get started, you just download the app, plug in the camera, and begin using the standard application. The screen provides an instant readout showing the temperatures of various items, including maximum and minimum values. The colour overlay from the palette gives a clear impression of the temperature gradients between these points.

The P2 really becomes useful when you switch to professional mode. While the main screen looks much the same, you have a few more readouts and features that enable you to use the targeted point tool to pinpoint areas within the image and obtain precise temperature readings.

Features such as the ability to draw a line and follow the heat signature as it travels are extremely useful for mechanics and plumbers. It's also helpful for identifying faults in electronics, such as blown components on a PCB. By observing heat signatures, you can detect where a component that should be warm shows a cold signature, indicating a fault, such as a blown capacitor.

Similarly, the camera has creative applications. For instance, photographers can use it in the field to detect heat signatures of animals hidden in vegetation. This can be especially useful for spotting creatures like muntjacs in the New Forest, which can stay well-hidden in the undergrowth but are quickly revealed with the thermal camera.

Thanks to the compact size and ease of use of the Thermal Master P2, its applications are broad. For trades or professions requiring quick detection of heat signatures, the P2 is a practical and efficient tool. Combined with its relatively low cost, it's an excellent choice for both professionals and hobbyists.

• Performance: 4.5/5

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