ZDNET's key takeaways The Topdon TC992C Duo Thermal Camera is available now for $269 on Amazon.
It's an accurate and reliable thermal camera for iPhone, Android, and Windows.
It's a bit more expensive than some of the other thermal imaging cameras. View now at Amazon
I'm a big fan of having a thermal camera (or two) as part of my repair kit. I use them for all sorts of applications, from detecting faulty components on circuit boards to figuring out where that pesky draught is coming from in winter. While they might seem like a gimmick, they're an invaluable tool to help the DIYer, mechanic, or engineer get stuff done.
So sensitive it can see my breath! Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Thermal cameras come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from standalone units to ones built into smartphones. But my favorite are the kind you can attach to a smartphone and control via an app. This means I have the convenience of having any photos I take with the thermal camera on my phone already (and not having to mess about with cables or microSD cards to transfer them), and I can still use my iPhone.
But the problem so far has been that there isn't a thermal camera that will work on both iPhone and Android. Since both now use USB-C, this has been a point of annoyance since it forces the consumer to stick with one platform or another.
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But not anymore! Now Topdon has come out with a thermal imager that works with both iPhone and Android: the TC002C Duo.
Is that CCTV camera powered? You bet it is! Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
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