by Shane Henson — January 25, 2012—NEC Avio Infrared Technologies, a manufacturer and seller of infrared (IR) products, recently expanded its R300 series of thermal imaging cameras with the launch of the new R300S high-definition thermal imager.
According to the product’s designers, R300S includes a host of advanced capabilities, including high-sensitivity NETD (noise-equivalent temperature difference) of 0.025°C at 30°C, exclusive olive color palette, improved averaging, thermal movie recording to SD (secure digital) memory card in radiometric format (10fps), thermal/visible integrated images in composite/split-screen display, autofocus, a 3.1 MP visible camera, and a wired remote control unit.
The R300S’s exclusive olive color palette allows the user to notice slight temperature differences of an object with finer detection of anomalies during building inspection surveys. Even blood vessels can be clearly identified through the top of a hand, notes the manufacturer. Additionally, a new grid display feature assists with locating the center of the infrared (IR) image and positioning the object both horizontally or vertically.
The full range of recording modes includes still visual and IR images, time interval, movies, panoramas, composites and a voice annotation microphone and speaker built into the R300S. These specifications are complemented with a selection of optional lenses such as 2x telephoto, 2x wide-angle, close-up, etc. to expand field application versatility. Other features include multi-point emissivity correction and emissivity back calculation for better accuracy, high-speed auto focusing, automatic/simultaneous temperature scaling, and vertical/horizontal panoramic thermal imaging.
Also notable is the R300S’s ergonomic design, which is well balanced for comfort with two independent REC/FRZ (record/freeze) keys located on the top and rear panels for easy and flexible operation in the field. A separate viewfinder is included for use in bright light environments, as well as a glare-resistant, tilting LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor that allows the user to hold the camera and capture images in a comfortable position from any angle.
