All thermal imaging cameras have infrared detectors. These infra red detector systems have been widely used by the military for decades. The military used these cameras to locate targets, track people, intelligence gathering and surveillance. However, the technology of Infra red sensing has greatly expanded and now cameras are available for other purposes like sensing a forest fire, home surveillance, sailing boats, location of individuals in mines and border patrol.

The essence of Infra red sensing is that any object whose temperature is above 0’K will radiate infra red energy. This infra red energy is detected with the thermal camera and then using sophisticated computer software, this is converted into an image which can be visible on a screen.

There are a variety of thermal sensing cameras available today which vary in size, shape and design. The cost of the cameras depends on what the purpose is and how complex the software is. The cheapest thermal cameras cost anywhere from $2000 and up.

Some of the thermal cameras even come with motion detectors and all of them have excellent resolution producing sharp images. At night, there is no need for a flash light or any type of illumination to capture images.

When used for home security, the suspects can be seen vividly in total darkness without revealing the location of the camera. Because the camera uses very fine temperature changes to capture the images no amount of camouflage can help the suspect. Some of the cameras have fixed lenses and some used for home surveillance have a rotating frame to capture images in 360’.

The cameras are built of a sturdy frame and have high shock resistant capability. When used with batteries, the cameras will generate images for about 2-4 hours depending on the number of images obtained.

All thermal cameras today have one or two USB ports which allow hook-up to a computer. The camera is relatively simple to operate. For security reasons, most thermal cameras are only for use in the United States and it is forbidden to take them out of the country without permission. The price of thermal cameras is variable but starts at $5000 and can go as high as $ 20,000.