Understanding Infrared Camera Thermal Image Quality
Abstract When looking to select an infrared camera, it is extremely important to better understand the attributes of these cameras that most impact the quality of the infrared images that are produced. This paper covers the three primary areas that influence thermal image quality: pixel resolution, thermal sensitivity and fixed pattern noise. Each area has a significant impact on thermal image quality. If you've purchased a digital camera in the past, your purchase was likely influenced by your belief that the number of pixels was the most important specification when trying to judge image quality between all the camera choices offered. For anyone that reads Consumer Reports(TM) and their detailed evaluation of digital cameras you'll appreciate that camera performance includes careful analysis of much more than the pixel count. Because a thermal camera is basically an image converter (radiant thermal energy to visible image), you need to understand what are the pr...