I tested an industrial-grade thermal camera without the pro price tag – and was highly impressed (and now there's $100 off for Amazon Prime Day!)

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• An industrial-grade thermal imaging camera with a very reasonable price tag.
• Packed with features, from a great display to a built-in lens cap and huge battery.
• A robust camera built to IP54 standard.

What’s the deal?

Get $100 off the Thor 002 over Amazon Prime Day, and you can use the code TMTHOR002 to get an additional 5% off, bringing the price down to $284!

There are consumer-grade thermal cameras, the sort you find for or built into smartphones, or that retail for a few hundred bucks, and then there are industrial-grade units that cost, well, a lot. They’re usually more sensitive, have a better display, and are calibrated.

Take the Flir E5 Pro, this is a $1,250 camera aimed squarely at the industrial market. 

Also: This USB-C accessory gave my Android phone thermal vision superpowers

But what if you could get a professional-grade thermal imaging camera for the price of a consumer unit?

This is the market that the Thor 002 by Thermal Master is going for. 

When I first picked up the Thor 002, I couldn’t help but notice the heft, quite unlike most consumer units that feel almost hollow. It has a huge — huge by thermal imager standards — 3.5-inch hard IPS display with a 640 x 480 resolution and a refresh rate of 60Hz, giving you a really clear picture of what’s going on. 

It has a standard infrared resolution of 256 × 192 pixels, and a super IR resolution of twice that, at 512 × 384 pixels. To get you even closer to the action, there’s x2 and x4 digital zoom — a feature that’s easily accessible from the buttons, and one that I appreciate, as my eyes aren’t getting any better. 

The imager offers a thermal range of -20°C to 550°C (-4°F to 1022°F), a range that covers the majority of consumer and industrial applications.

The camera is built to meet IP54 standards, which means that rain is not going to be stopping you, and the alloy chassis made with with ABS shrugs off bumps and two-meter drops.

I also like the fact that there’s a neat, integrated lens cap in the camera covering the thermal camera, protecting it from damage. It’s a nice touch and much better than messing with detachable lens caps that just get lost. 

Also: I used a $170 thermal camera to check my GFCI breaker – here’s why this one’s worth it

The battery is a very beefy 5,000mAh lithium rechargeable cell that will run the camera for over 10 hours. Images are stored on a 32GB microSD card and can be accessed by removing the card, using a USB cable connection, or using the camera’s companion app. It’s all smooth and straightforward, just as I’d expect from a professional bit of kit.

ZDNET’s buying advice

I’ve been using the Thor 002 for a few weeks now, and I’m very impressed by how good it is. Yes, it’s a lot bigger and bulkier than my consumer cameras, and a lot bigger than the thermal cameras that attach to a smartphone, but this is also a quantum leap forward in terms of quality. The screen is a lot better, the camera and software are a lot more responsive, and I have confidence in the fact that it has been calibrated.

Finally, the price — $399. That’s an astounding price for a thermal imager of this caliber, and doubly so when you realize that it gives a $1,200 camera a run for its money. If you’re after a pro-grade thermal camera without the eyewatering price tag, I recommend taking a look at the Thermal Master Thor 002 — it’s hard to beat!