Hti HT-A1 thermal imaging camera – Our complete review

The Hti HT-A1 is a pocket thermal camera that can be a great low cost alternative to the Flir C2, C3 or C5. But is it worth buying? Find out in our Hti HT-A1 review.

PROS: High infrared resolution, large LCD screen, 3GB of storage, Image blending, low price.

CONS:Temperature data for each pixel is not stored in the images, narrow viewing angle.

Product	Type	Resolution	Battery capacity	Waterproof	LCD screen	Price
Hti HT-A1	Handheld	220 x 160	1800mah	No	3.2″ TFT	Click for more info

Hti HT-A1 Specifications

Hti HT-A1 – Specs & Review

The Hti HT-A1 is a pocket thermal camera with a form factor that is similar to a digital camera and to that of the Flir C2, C3 and C5 and it is a more low-cost version.

If we look on the back of the camera we’ll notice 3 key elements: An infrared sensor, a visible light camera which we’ll talk about later and an LED light.

The camera comes with a micro USB port for data transfer and for charging the battery.

The live view is the one we have been used to on Hti products as most of them share the same type of firmware.

You get 3 points on the screen, the first for center spot thermal measurement. This is a fixed point and the measured temperature is displayed on the upper left corner. The other two spots are dynamic and they shift around as you move the camera because they display which point in your image is the warmest and which is the coldest.

Kudos to Hti for also showing the temperature reading next to all the three spots, this is something we like and we want to see on other thermal cameras as well.

You can toggle between image modes so that you can have either the thermal image in view or the visual image and then there are the 3 degrees of fusion: 25%, 50% and 75%. This is easily done by pressing the left and right buttons. Given that the infrared resolution is so high, you will not be needing the visual image very much.

If you hear a clicking sound, that is the camera adjusting itself and it is normal.

In typical Hti fashion, this thermal camera offers you the choice of several color palettes starting with Rainbow, Cool, Iron, Black and white. From what we’ve looked at, Rainbow is our favorite because it seems to have the most contrast.

You can set the emissivity level with increments of 0.01 from 0.01 to 1. You won’t always have to change the emissivity, it’s just when you are measuring shinier materials or body temperature but it is worth the effort for a more accurate report. If you have shiny objects in the image, you might get incorrect results so it is always good to pan the camera a bit and change its angle to make sure you are not being misled. If the color doesn’t change then it’s a correct measurement.

The rest of the settings are the typical Hti menu:

• There is an auto shutdown feature for 5 minutes, 20 or none at all.
• The brightness of the screen can be adjusted and set to either high, low or medium.
• The language can be switched to English, German, Italian or Chinese.
• You can switch between temperature measurement units, either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
• The date and time can be adjusted down to the second.
• You can turn on or off the two spot thermal measurement points.

Hti HT-A1 – Thermal imaging quality

The infrared resolution is spectacularly high for a thermal camera that has this price tag. Its infrared sensor can output a thermal image of 220 x 160 pixels. It can capture 35,200 pixels in total.

After researching comparable cameras we found out that this has 50% more pixels than the average camera in this price class. But if you want even more pixels, you can have a look at the more advanced model, the HTi HT-A2 that has a 320 x 240 resolution.

The Hti A1 captures the images in JPG format but not in a radiometric form. What does that mean? It doesn’t store the temperature data for each pixel like a FLIR camera would.

This thermal imager like most other is limited to a 9Hz refresh rate and not by technology but my export regulations. Granted, Hti does make the Hti HT-301 which has a much higher frame rate. There is no manual focus mode on this camera.

Hti HT-A1 – Temperature Range, Accuracy

The Hti-A1’s infrared sensor has a thermal sensitivity of 0.07 C. That represents how much the temperature has to change for the thermal imager to detect it. This is the value that you would expect at this price because most of the other cameras have this kind of sensitivity.

Then there is the issue of temperature range where the camera performs decently. It is capable of measuring temperatures between -4°F to 572°F (-20°C to 300°C).

But what about temperature accuracy? The Hti has a measurement error of +/-2°C which when comparing it with other cameras in its price class we notice that it is right there with them in terms of accuracy.

This thermal imaging camera has a view angle that is quite narrow with it having a 35° x 26° field of view. Its bigger brother, the Hti HT-A2 has a wider view angle.

Hti HT-A1 – Battery life & Memory

Hti equipped the HT-A1 with an internal memory of 3GB which given that the camera doesn’t store images in radiometric form, will be more than enough to store tens of thousands of images. Hti says that it is more than 20.000 images in their user manual. Ignore the Amazon descriptions as we believe they are wrong.

The camera has a built-in rechargeable 1800mah battery with a 2-3 hour battery life. To make sure you don’t waste it, you can set the camera to shut down automatically after either 5 or 20 minutes.

The Hti HT-A1 was designed in such a way that it is not waterproof, nor dustproof. There is no IP rating from Hti published about it.

One of its main advantages is the big 3.2″ LCD screen that is bright and clear with a 320 x 240 resolution.