PROS: High thermal resolution, 25Hz refresh rate, wide temperature range, long battery life, IP65 waterproof.
CONS: Visual camera resolution is only 0.3 megapixels.
| Product | Type | Resolution | Battery capacity | Waterproof | LCD screen | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UNI-T UTi260B | Workbench | 256 x 192 pixels | 5000 mAh Li-ion, 6 hours | Yes | 2.8″ | Click for more info |
HIKMICRO B10  | Handheld | 256 x 192 | 6 hours | Yes | 3.2″ | Click for more info |
UNI-T UTi120S  | Handheld | 120 x 90 | 2600mah rechargeable lithium battery | Yes | 2.4″ (320 x 240 pixels) | Click for more info |
UNI-T UTi260B Specifications
| Type | Workbench |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 256 x 192 pixels |
| Pixels | 49152 |
| Connectivity | USB-C |
| Temperature range | -5 F to 1022 F (-15 C to 550 C) |
| Accuracy | 2 C |
| Thermal sensitivity | 50 mK NETD |
| Distance | |
| Storage Type | 16GB microSD |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh Li-ion, 6 hours |
| Dimensions | |
| LCD screen | 2.8″ |
| Refresh rate | 25 Hz |
| Applications | PCB Manufacturing, PCB Inspection, Electronics Testing |
| View Angle | 56 x 42 |
UNI-T UTi260B – Specs & Review
Whenever low-cost manufacturers introduce a high-end thermal camera in their portfolio, I’m always intrigued. This is the moment where they bring the fight to the big manufacturers and try to bring more to the table in terms of numbers. There’s an unwritten rule: The flagship of one company will be a better offering when compared to the mid-range of another. Why? Because the other company has their own flagship as well which costs even more and thus the mid-range can’t go that far in terms of specs because it will make the flagship redundant. It’s marketing 101.
Now back to the camera, the UNI-T UTi260B thermal imager is UNI-T’s most expensive camera. On the front of it you’ll find a 2.8″ LCD screen together with 9 buttons to operate the device. On the back you’ll find the thermal sensor and a 640 x 480 visible light camera together with a flashlight which uses 2 LED lights. You can capture thermal images which you can then transfer to your computer via the USB Type-c port (USB Cable included).
UNI-T UTi260B – Thermal imaging quality
Now let’s look at what matters, image quality. The thermal sensor can produce an infrared resolution of of 256 x 192 pixels totaling 49,152 thermal pixels. This 256×192 IR resolution is really good because it is 50% more than what you get from the average thermal camera at this price level. You just won’t get that many pixels from a handheld Flir camera for this price.
Then we have the 25 Hz refresh rate which makes for a very smooth picture. If you put this one and a 9 Hz camera side-by-side you won’t want to go back to 9 Hz anymore because the real-time image is so smooth on the other one.
One place where the camera could do with some improvement is the visual camera supporting the thermal sensor which has a 640 x 480 pixel resolution. Most infrared thermal imaging cameras will have at least a 2 MP visual camera.
There are 7 color palettes to choose from: Iron oxide red, rainbow, white heat, lava, black heat, red heat and high-contrast rainbow.
The camera also has quite a wide viewing angle of 56 x 42 degrees, this is also known as field of view.
UNI-T UTi260B – Temperature Range, Accuracy
Now let’s look at the camera’s temperature measurement performance. First of all, it has to be the sensitivity since that is instrumental to defining image quality. This camera has a 50 mK NETD which means it’s not bad at all. It means it can spot a temperature difference of down to 50 mK. The lower the number here the more detailed the image will look because the camera is sensitive to even the slightest differences in temperature.
Then there is the temperature range and things look fantastic here since the sensor can measure any temperature between -5 F to 1022 F (-15 C to 550 C), a range which is about 30% wider than what you would expect from other thermal cameras in this price range. Its thermal accuracy is on par with what’s expected out of thermal sensors these days, +/- 2 C.
The software offers a few different ways of measuring the temperature, one would be Center Spot where you basically take a measurement of just one point in the middle of the image, there’s HiLo tracking where you will always have 2 points in the image showing you where the hottest and coldest temperature is, but there’s also the ROI (Region of Interest) and Sync Multi-Points which allows you to select up to 3 points of measurement anywhere in the image.
UNI-T UTi260B – Battery life & Memory
All the thermal images that you capture will be stored on the 16GB microSD card which is provided with the camera. That is more than enough and you basically won’t have to delete any photos throughout the camera’s lifetime.
The thermal imager camera is also equipped with a 5000 mAh Li-Ion battery which will ensure up to 6 hours of continuous operation.
The camera is IP65 rated so you can be sure that it is completely waterproof and dustproof. Now it can withstand splashes, but don’t immerse it in water.
