Ivy Tools Blog

Update: FLIR E95 now in stock! Follow link to purchase at Ivy Tools.

Three exciting new thermal cameras from FLIR offer professionals increased resolution, better thermal sensitivity, and a host of excellent hardware and software developments. The cameras bring a full update to FLIR’s aging but solid Exx-Series. These new Exx cameras are not simply a refresh of their older siblings—the FLIR E75, FLIR E85, and FLIR E95 are all new from the ground up. The models are differentiated primarily by resolution, temperature ranges, and a few differences in measurement capabilities. The touchscreen is larger and brighter, the lenses are interchangeable, and the focus is now laser guided and spot on. It all adds up to a FLIR Exx camera with a picture that’s better than ever.

New Resolutions
The new FLIR Exx-Series cameras have received a bump in resolution, with the lowest resolution now being 320 x 240 in the E75 (76,800 pixels). In recent years this has become the workhorse resolution for professionals, thanks in part to the popularity of the FLIR E60 and FLIR T420. So we love that this is now the minimum resolution in this line. The FLIR E85 does even better, with a resolution of 384 x 288 (110,592 pixels). And the FLIR E95 offers a beautiful 464 x 348 (161,472 pixels) image. Sensitivity (NETD) is the same on all three imagers, rated at 0.04 °C for the standard 24 degree lens. Sensitivity gets even better for the 42 degree wide angle lens (0.03 °C). Temperature ranges vary by model, but all three have sufficiently large ranges for most applications. The FLIR E95 will measure temperatures up to 2732 °F (1500 °C), a feat unheard of in this price range.

New Focus
One of our favorite new features of the FLIR Exx-Series is the laser guided autofocus. The cameras have a built in laser distance meter that can precisely measure to 100 ft (30 m). The camera then uses this data to focus the lens for the target distance. This amounts to a very accurate and quick focus at the push of a button. In case of a complicated target area with multiple focal points, the new Exx cameras incorporate a manual focus ring to dial in the image by hand. The E85 and E95 also use the laser distance meter for another feature: calculating area. Because the distance and lens qualities are known to the camera, you can draw a box on the touchscreen and the E85 and E95 can tell you the area contained by that box (square feet or square meters). All distance and area measurements are recorded with any corresponding image.

New Lenses
Until now, getting an accessory lens for your thermal camera meant you needed to return it the manufacturer for calibration with the new lens. FLIR has changed all that by including a chip on the lens itself that carries calibration data from the factory. You can now have an extra lens shipped directly to you, attach it to your camera, and run the built in calibration program. The camera will read the data on the lens, make adjustments, and you will get accurate measurements with no downtime. Furthermore, this means that one lens (maybe seldom used) can be shared between multiple cameras. Lenses are no longer tied to a single camera as before, adding enormous flexibility and convenience for users.

New Touchscreen
To make the most of the new resolutions and lenses, FLIR has created a fabulous new touchscreen. The screen is 30% larger, 25% brighter, and has a wide 160° viewing angle. There’s no more squinting to see the image when you’re outside, and it’s easy to view the camera when looking over someone’s shoulder. (Of course if you need to share the camera, you could just use the built in Wifi to relay the live screen to your phone or tablet!) The touchscreen on the new E75/E85/E95 is made of notoriously tough Dragontrail glass, and gives the glossy picture and touch sensitivity you would expect from a smart phone or tablet. The screen makes use of multi touch gestures for a greatly improved interaction with the infrared camera. You can use two fingers for pinch zoom, or swipe down from the top to access frequently used shortcuts.

New Level of Flexibility
In addition to all the innovations above, the new Exx cameras include many (all?) of the best FLIR features. The new E75/E85/E95 imagers have visible light cameras as well as thermal cameras, which means they can all perform the popular FLIR MSX image enhancement. Also included is UltraMax super-resolution imaging, to combine multiple images into a single image of double the original resolution. Communications include Wifi to a phone or tablet, Bluetooth to FLIR electrical and moisture instruments, and even GPS to record where each image was taken. You can capture still images or thermal video (and even time lapse on the E95). The cameras have a tough rubberized housing to resist dust and water. And if you’ll tolerate a little superficiality, we think the new FLIR Exx cameras look simply fantastic.

More Information
FLIR E75 for sale at Ivy Tools
FLIR E85 for sale at Ivy Tools
FLIR E95 for sale at Ivy Tools

Questions or comments about the latest FLIR cameras? Please feel free to add a comment below, or give us a call at (877) 273-2311.