Knowledge base › Thermography › Radiometric vs thermal photo

Radiometric thermography vs an ordinary thermal image: the difference that counts

Two images can look identical — same colours, same hotspots — and yet one is usable evidence and the other a pretty picture. The difference isn't in what you see, but in what sits beneath the colours: measurement data.

Why does this matter?

A thermal camera does not capture colours, but temperature. The colour is only a rendering of that measurement. In a radiometric image the temperature value stays stored behind every pixel; in an ordinary thermal photo or a screenshot only the colour remains and the measurement is gone. That difference is invisible on screen but decisive in a report: an insurer, manufacturer or judge wants to know "this panel is 18 °C warmer than its neighbours", not "this looks warm".

How does this work in practice?

A radiometric camera stores the temperature per pixel, along with the parameters needed to calculate it correctly: emissivity, reflected ambient temperature and distance. Afterwards we can click and measure any point in the image, adjust the colour palette to bring out detail, and determine the delta-T between a defect and its surroundings. An ordinary thermal image allows none of this: the colours are fixed and there is nothing left to measure.

Common mistakes

• A screenshot as a "report". A JPEG of a thermal image contains no measurement data and is therefore not verifiable.
• Palette manipulation. By changing the colour scale you can make damage look larger or smaller; without a fixed scale and values an image is not objective.
• No emissivity correction. Glass and metal reflect; without the correct setting you measure the surroundings instead of the object.
• Comparing colours between images with a different temperature scale — apples and oranges.

Why with a drone?

With an onboard radiometric camera such as the Matrice 30T you measure large areas quickly, at a fixed height and under equal conditions. Every shot contains the full measurement data and a GPS position, and the flight is repeatable, so you can redo and compare a measurement later. That way you build a file based on numbers, not on impression.

Why Droneview?

Droneview works exclusively radiometrically with the Matrice 30T and keeps the raw data. Our report shows not only where a problem is, but exactly how hot it is — verifiable and reusable in a counter-assessment.

Frequently asked questions