PROS: Low price, Visual camera, high screen resolution.
CONS: No water protection.
| Product | Type | Resolution | Battery capacity | Waterproof | LCD screen | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noyafa NF-521 | Handheld | 32 x 32 | 2600 mah | No | 2.4″ | Click for more info |
Flir TG165-X  | Handheld | 80 x 60 | 5 hours | Yes | 2.4″ | Click for more info |
Seek Thermal Compact  | Smartphone | 206 x 156 | No | Yes | Click for more info |
Noyafa NF-521 Specifications
| Type | Handheld |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 32 x 32 |
| Pixels | 1024 pixels |
| Connectivity | USB |
| Temperature range | 14 to 752°F (-10 to 400°C) |
| Accuracy | +/- 2% / 2 C |
| Thermal sensitivity | 0.15° C |
| Distance | |
| Storage Type | SD Card (8GB TF Card) |
| Battery capacity | 2600 mah |
| Dimensions | |
| LCD screen | 2.4″ |
| Refresh rate | 9 Hz |
| Applications | The NF-521 is mainly used for industrial maintenance |
| View Angle | 33° |
Noyafa NF-521 – Specs & Review
The first thing you notice about the Noyafa NF-521 thermal imaging camera is that it is a handheld thermal imager which can work standalone, it doesn’t need a smartphone or anything.
There is also a visual camera to aid the user in better interpreting what they see and that is achieved by blending the visual and the NF-521 thermal image. The visual image has a 2 megapixel resolution and while the result itself is certainly better than a standard 32 x 32, it is not nearly as good as the MSX feature that Flir cameras use or Seek thermal’s technology.
Speaking of the thermal images, it can capture and save them on its 8GB TF Card included. Now that one is a micro TF Card slot / micro SD Card slot and Noyafa vaguely specifies this. It’s not a full-size SD Card.
Noyafa NF-521 – Thermal imaging quality
Now that we’ve looked at the form factor and storage, let’s have a look at picture quality because that’s what we’re here for. You get a 32 x 32 thermal image which amounts to 1024 pixels. That may not sound much but at this price level this is what you usually get with most thermal cameras.
Certainly, this low resolution greatly benefits from the 2 megapixel visual camera to help the user clearly distinguish what he is looking at. The refresh rate is the standard 9Hz which is below the legal limit for consumer infrared cameras.
Even though the thermal resolution is low, the screen resolution is quite decent and makes for easy reading. This is mostly because it has a 320 x 240 pixels resolution and the TFT LCD has a width of 2.4″. Do the math on that and you’ll find that it clocks in at a decent 166 PPI resolution.
On the digital display you’ll find the current temperature measurement from the infrared thermometer on the center spot but also the maximum and minimum values that are present in the infrared images. You also get a date and time in the bottom left corner along with the emissivity value in the bottom right one.
You can toggle between a few different color palettes which Noyafa defines as: Ironbow, iridescence and Grayscale.
Noyafa NF-521 – Temperature Range, Accuracy
On the thermal side, things are pretty standard: It has a thermal sensitivity of 0.15 C which is exactly what you would expect in this price range. Then there is the temperature range which can vary from 14 F to 752 F. Now that should be enough for most situations like HVAC inspections, pest detection or engine inspections. Air leaks should also be clearly visible in this range and one can use it as a floor heating detector and troubleshooter.
The accuracy of this thermal imaging device is also on par with a thermal accuracy of +/- 2 Celsius and the viewing angle is ok with a field of view of 33 degrees.
Noyafa NF-521 – Battery life & Memory
The case of the NF-521 infrared thermal imager camera is made of plastic and the device itself is not waterproof or dustproof meaning that you should be a bit more careful when handling it. Noyafa does mention that it can be dropped from 2 meters high and will still continue to work.
In terms of the startup time, the camera does pretty well because it boots up in about two seconds after you’ve pressed the power button. Even though Noyafa does specify that it comes with an 8GB memory card included, sometimes it can come with a 16GB one, for example on Amazon it now comes with 16GB.
Noyafa equipped this camera with a 2600 mah battery, basically the same size that you would find in a Flir TG165, which should be good enough for about 8 hours of use. What is interesting is that while most other manufacturers like to specify the battery life for their HD thermal imagers in hours, Noyafa has chosen to just specify the capacity.
All things considered, you really get what you’re paying for and then some. It is a usable product at a very low price point because it costs less than what you would pay for the cheapest Flir One and that one needs a phone to work. This does not.
