If you’ve ever watched the movie Predator and wished you had heat vision, then the P2 Pro is the product you’ve been searching for. Our friends over at InfiRay were nice enough to send one out for review and I’ve spent the last few weeks testing it out.
Features
The InfiRay P2 Pro is a compact and versatile thermal camera with a sensitivity of -4 degrees Fahrenheit to 1112 degrees Fahrenheit, also known as -20 degrees Celsius to 600 degrees Celsius in metric. It utilizes an infrared sensor with a resolution of 256 x 192 and is capable of producing detailed images that are 1.6 megapixels in size with an accuracy of ±2 degrees Celsius.
Speaking of size, the P2 Pro weighs in at only nine grams, making it so minuscule and lightweight that you can barely tell you have anything attached to your phone or tablet while using it. Packing the sensor and lens into this tiny metal body is an awe-inspiring feat, and it’s impressive that InfiRay was able to pull it off. Additionally, the compact size also makes it possible to get the P2 Pro into tight spaces when using it with the included USB extension cable.
The macro lens is another handy accessory found in the box, and it uses magnets to attach quickly and easily to the P2 Pro. With the macro lens, it is possible to get a close-up view of circuit boards and other small materials for a more precise temperature reading.
Finally, we can’t discuss the features without mentioning the P2 Pro app. This is where you’ll be able to view everything once the camera is connected to your mobile device. The app provides you with up to 11 different color palettes to choose from, as well as displaying the temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius. It also offers a photo and video mode that records in 25 frames per second for smooth playback.
User experience
Having used the InfiRay P2 Pro for the past few weeks, I can vouch that it is easy to use and convenient to carry with me everywhere I go. Once the app is installed, it will ask to launch each time you connect the P2 Pro to your phone. However, I’d caution against checking the box to make that happen by default because then the app wanted to launch for every USB Type-C device I connected to my smartphone.
I found the P2 Pro very useful for analyzing the temperature of everything around me. Whether it was checking the temp of my electronics and mobile devices, looking for where warm air is leaking into the house, or checking up on my hot water heater and the engine in the car. Overall, it became a great tool to have on hand, and it’s also a lot of fun to check the running temperature of everything around you.
For the most part, the app works well. It was easy to turn off the watermark that’s enabled by default and set the temperature to Fahrenheit. Afterward, I was able to start checking and photographing everything around the house. The P2 Pro app even has tools to help you pinpoint the exact areas you want temperature readings and it can output an analysis that can be saved and referenced later on.
Another useful feature is that the P2 Pro app allows you to use the back camera on your phone simultaneously with the attached camera. This makes it possible to see a normal and thermal view in a single photograph. Considering, it can be difficult to decipher what some items are in infrared view, having an image of both together can be invaluable.
One thing to note, photos were always saved as if they were taken in the portrait orientation, even though I used it exclusively in landscape view. This can be easily fixed by rotating the images manually, but it would have been nice if they were saved in the proper orientation to begin with.
Another minor issue I encountered was the app occasionally refused to connect with the camera if I had used it previously that day. Disconnecting the camera, swiping the app away from the overview menu, and plugging the camera back in fixed this.
Last but not least, the P2 Pro runs without draining a ton of power. InfiRay rates it for 5-7 hours of use with a Samsung phone. In my experience, I never used it for longer than an hour on any given day and I didn’t notice a significant impact on the battery.
Final thoughts
The P2 Pro from InfiRay can be an essential tool for many professionals and engineers, as well as being a lot of fun to play with for curious individuals like myself. It’s light, compact, uses a premium and rugged aluminum body, and has a feature-packed app with all the tools and settings you could ask for.
If you’re interested in picking one up for yourself the P2 Pro can be purchased from Amazon or InfiRay’s website for $299. At this time, there’s even a $50 off coupon available through Amazon dropping the price down to $249.
