Review: Thermal Master T2 Max Thermal Camera (with laser pointer)

In this month’s podcast Charles Foley and I talked about thermal scopes and comparing five models side by side during a very cold weekend in northern Minnesota. It got me thinking about how best to review the scopes I occasionally get sent to try out.

As we said on the podcast, different scopes seem to work better or worse than one another at different ranges and in different temperature conditions. So making some general comparison about how effective they are at detecting animals is difficult. Any comparison relates only to the temperature conditions at that moment, the animals you are looking at and how far away they are. What might work brilliantly in the Amazon might not work so well in the mountains of Sichuan. And vice versa.

In Minnesota we compared several scopes including my new Zeiss DTI 6/40, a new Topdon monocular and the new Thermal Master T2 Pro camera which can attach to your phone. The latter is similar to the Xinfrared T2 Pro camera but has some exciting improvements.

I will review my Zeiss again soon now that I have used it at length in Bolivia, Sichuan and Mexico, though my bottom line is that it is robust, has exceptionally clarity and great battery life. On the other hand it is heavier than I would like and its expensive.

Charles is currently in Ghana with the Topdon monocular and will review it when he gets back.

So I will review the Thermal Master camera now.

The bad news for iPhone users is that the new camera only works with Android phones. The good news is you can buy a phone-sized screen for an extra $150 to use with the camera, which is something Android users might want also to consider. The camera and handle are currently on sale for just $399 USD. You can get an additional 5% off with the ‘mammalwatch1’ discount code, so even if you buy the screen too you are looking at just over $500 for the whole kit.

Thermal Master are essentially a rebrand of Xinfrared and the camera itself is familiar, with similar display and menu options. There are a range of colour (heat) schemes and detection modes. It shoots video and takes pictures. And the image is impressively sharp. Once again you can choose to display a red cursor which automatically finds the hottest part in any image: sometimes this is helpful and sometimes distracting.

As I wrote above – and talked about at great length on the podcast – I wouldn’t like to say whether this camera is any better or worse at detecting animals than other scopes. It really depends on the ambient conditions, the animal in question and how far away it is. But I can say that it works pretty well. Thermal Master claim it can detect a deer at 1800 yards (1600 metres) and a pigeon at 300 yards /metres. So if you are into long distance pigeon watching then look no further.

What I think is more important when choosing a thermal device is to consider is how comfortable you are using a camera with a screen attached vs a monocular. So, if you are a monocular fan like me, you might appreciate the improvements that Thermal Master have made to  the design of the camera mount. These improvements help overcome the three gripes I had with my Xinfrared camera.

Namely:

1. A temperamental connection between the camera and my phone
2. Struggling to translate the location of an animal on the screen into where it is in real life
3. Having to rely on your phone’s battery

The Thermal Master comes built into a carrying handle. You can remove the camera and attach it direct to your phone if you want to travel light (or discretely) but most of the time the handle is going to be your best option.

How does it help?

First, the handle includes a rechargeable 21700 battery that can power whatever screen you are using (your phone or the new Titan Screen that Thermal Master now offer) which will extend battery life greatly. (The Titan Screen also has a built in battery).

Second, the connection between the camera and the screen is more robust and I no longer have to keep wiggling USB cables in ports to get the image to display.

Third, and best of all in my view, the handle has a built in laser pointer to help locate in real life any heat you see on the screen. Find a hotspot, push the button, and the laser will show you exactly where you need to look. This makes life a lot easier for me. After using a thermal monocular for 8 years I still struggle with using phone camera models to locate animals. That said, I know several people who have gotten fully used to these new style cameras and love them.

If you are an iPhone user then Thermal Master sell a Titan Screen to use with the camera. This phone-sized screen has a built in battery, so even if you have an Android it might be worth spending the extra $150 to get the added battery life and leave your phone behind.

The instructions that came with my scope could be improved. Working out the controls on the screen is easy enough but figuring out which cable goes into which port is not as simple as you would think and the kit didn’t come with a guide on how to do this. Thermal Master sent me the attached which explains it better.

If you are using the Titan Screen then any photos and video will be stored there and you should be able to send them to your phone using bluetooth.

You can buy the scope here through the Thermal Master storefront (delivery is free and there is no tax in the USA) here https://thermalmaster.com/products/thermal-master-t2-max-1600-yards-thermal-hunting-scope?ref=ppiecrq

Or via the Thermal Master store on Amazon in various countries. Note that in the USA at least it is cheaper to buy via the Thermal Master store which sells tax free. Here’s a link to the Thermal Master store at Amazon.com in the US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DW8SV9B4

Use the discount code mammalwatch1 for 5% off at either storefront.

If you the discount code doesn’t work for you please let me know and I will investigate.

Has anyone used a Thermal Master camera already?