Seek Compact

The camera is supplied in a sturdy storage case.
This is the smallest camera in the Seek family and it isn't quite 4.5x2x2 cm in size; nevertheless it contains a sensor with 206x156 pixels. The Seek Compact is implemented as a plug-in module for a smartphone and exists in two versions: with a micro-USB connector (Android phones) and with a Lightning connector (iPhones/iPads). The little camera is supplied with a sturdy storage case so that you can carry it around safely.

After installing the accompanying app, the Seek Compact is ready for use. The features of the app look very much like those of the ShotPro. There is a range of colour palettes to choose from, there are various options for displaying spot temperatures in the image, of course there is also a screen-shot function and there is a settings menu. Compared to the ShotPro there is here no option for setting the emissivity, but the average user will not likely miss that much.

Just as with the ShotPro, it is here also possible to combine the thermal image with the image from the smartphone camera. The result is however somewhat different, one part of the display will show the thermal image and the other part the image from the normal camera. The images are therefore not projected over each other, as is the case with the ShotPro. While there are various settings for adjusting the size and position of the images, I didn't find the result quite as convincing because of the differences in the view angles and positions of the cameras.

Side by side

Foto: Seek Thermal
I tested these two camera side by side and measured a large number of objects.

In practice, the Seek ShotPro turns out to be a very convenient and robust device, with a very good image quality. The resolution is excellent and especially with the overlaid visable/IR image you will have a great deal of information. The battery life, according to the manufacturer, is 4 hours. That is quite long. Of course, there is quite a substantial price tag attached to this device, but considering the quality and performance it is certainly worth it.

With the Seek Compact the contours in the image are a not as easy to see. I have experimented quite a bit with the different palettes to get things to show up somewhat clearer. While the resolution is visibly less than that of the ShotPro, this disadvantage can be mitigated by going closer. Also the solution of the double image is not as elegant, but that is just simply the disadvantage of a plug-in module that does not have two cameras on board itself. But with all this we must, however, not forget that the price is considerably different at 300 Euro.

In any case, both solutions are excellently suited for measuring the temperatures in electronic circuits, for example, but you can do much more than that. Walk around your lab or home and point the camera at all kinds of devices, windows and walls. You will be surprised with the things that you will “see”.