Thermal Imager Comparison Guide

Comparison Summary

Overview

 

The FLIR E5 and Fluke VT04 both provide handheld thermal imaging capabilities at a relatively low cost. However, these are two completely different units. The FLIR E5 is a fully-featured industrial thermal camera designed for demanding building, electrical, and mechanical applications where regular inspections are required. Features like FLIR MSX Image Enhancement and WiFi connectivity help make these jobs easier. The Fluke VT04 is not a fully-featured thermal imager - it’s what they call a Visual IR Thermometer. Instruments of this type don’t provide temperature data for the full image, only for the center spot. The thermal heat map provided by the VT04 is really just for show and gives you some visual reference as to the surrounding temperature.

For a real comparison, you need to look at example thermal images like the ones below and compare the specifications side by side. The E5 has a thermal resolution of 120x90 with thermal sensitivity of 100mK and 9Hz frame rate. With these specifications, the E5 provides crisp IR images with high levels of detail. Fluke has actually not published the resolution of the VT04 in any of the product’s manuals or data sheets - make of this what you will, but it likely means the VT04 has much lower resolution than the FLIR E5. The VT04 also has thermal sensitivity of 250mK and an 8Hz frame rate.

Sample Images from the E5 w/ MSX:

Sample Images from the VT04 w/ Image Blending:
 

Both cameras feature some type of image blending technology. The E5 includes FLIR’s powerful MSX Image Enhancement Technology which embosses visible details onto IR images in real-time - this makes infrared images from the E5 very descriptive and easy to read. You can clearly make out labels, numbers, and structural elements which eliminates the need for a reference image. The VT04 has infrared heat map blending which adjusts the opacity of the thermal heat map as an overlay on a visible light image - this still gives you more context in your images but there is nowhere near the sharpness of FLIR MSX.

Both cameras also include some type of image analysis software. On the E5, you can transfer images to the FLIR Tools App via WiFi to quickly analyze and edit images before creating and sending professional reports from within the App. Fluke includes its SmartView reporting software with the VT04 - while this software still lets you create professional reports from within the app, the only way to transfer images is via SD card.

 

Conclusion

 

These cameras are hard to compare because they are technically different products - the E5 is a thermal camera while the VT04 is a visual IR thermometer. The E5 has much higher thermal resolution as well as special features like WiFi connectivity and MSX Technology to help make inspection and plant maintenance easier. The VT04 is lower cost and provides basic thermal capabilities, but does not have the infrared resolution or special features of a fully-featured thermal camera.

Want to know more? Check out the tables below or give us a call at 877-571-7901. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have.