Guide PC210 vs Hikmicro B10 budget 1000 USD - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: TheKid
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 29, 2023, 01:10:33 am
content: I am contemplating between Hikmicro B10 and Guide PC210. My primary applications are pcb analysis and general at home use to check for leaks and insulation. I do intend to on occasion write reports on PCB but nothing serious there. I will also buy a macro lens is the PC210 capable of using it since its fixed focus(I don’t know what it means). Video is important to me and someone posted that B10 doesn’t support it but PC210 does if connected to the laptop.I’ve done my research and it looks like the B10 is ~$50 more than PC210. It appears to me out of the two the only major difference is the windows software. Guide software seems to have issues with edits. The edits remove all metadata and are smaller in size. Is the B10 worth the 50+ ?I could also afford B20 but I don’t need WiFi since I use it seldom. I am also willing to go up to $1000 usd for this purchase but I don’t see any meaningful options that are better than PC210 and B10. I just don’t want to unnecessarily spend on this tool since it’s my first purchase of this kind.

author: TheKid
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 29, 2023, 04:31:53 am
content: The rabbit hole took me deep.1. The B10 does not have video capture only the B20 with WIFI allows wireless streaming.2. I also tested both Hikmicro and Guide windows software and found that Hikmicro has a more polished version but Guide is not far behind it looks clunky and feels unfinished although they seem to have matched the basic features. Couple features like live editing of span/level and better text notes would make the software for PC210 perfect. I wouldn't get PC210 to make reports.3. The next cameras in line are Hikmicro B20, Flir One Edge Pro, Seek ShotPro all 3 priced at $550 USD. I do think they are worth the price cant go wrong with any of the choices but I dont really need it since I dont use this tool everyday. B20 is the one with the most value but the other two are great I assume because of the respective companies experience in the field.I think in the end it really doesn't matter for sub $1k or even sub $2k Thermal cameras because the really really good ones cost $10k+I have decided to with PC210

author: torch
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 29, 2023, 08:33:29 am
content: I have not delved too deeply into the subject of post-image processing, but I believe there are 3rd party options if you don't like the supplied reporting software.

author: Henry1983
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 29, 2023, 04:32:55 pm
content: I just made this exact decision, between the Guide PC210 and Hikmicro B10. I initially also considered the InfiRay C200 and its various branded versions (Kaiweets KTI-W01, Topdon TC004/TC005, UNi-T UTi260B, Vevor SC240N/SC240M, etc.) and the HTI HT-18+ (unclear if it's also a branded InfiRay). The Guide PC210 was $279 and the Hikmicro B10 was $359 (after coupon), both sold on Amazon by their manufacturers.Various teardowns, plus Guide and Hikmicro making their own thermal cores, gave me greater confidence in the quality of their products over the competitors. These are thermal cameras designed, built, and supported by actual thermal camera companies—not budget tool manufacturers slapping their branding and software on top of another company's white-label product. The PC210 and B10 also have both MSX-like edge enhancement image fusion and manual level/span, which I really wanted for my use cases (mostly home inspection and HVAC). The competitors, by contrast, only have standard image blending between thermal and optical cameras.The lower price of the PC210 is a big plus. The fast startup, wider field of view, and memory card slot, and USB video streaming featureare also nice features. The smaller display doesn't concern me, and the reporting software isn't important for my use cases. I actually ordered a PC210, in fact, before canceling and switching to a B10.What tipped the balance for me was reading more about support and software updates. Reviews and discussion gave me confidence that Hikmicro was responsive to customer service requests, providing timely warranty replacement when necessary. Hikmicro is also still visibly working to improve the B10 firmware, not only fixing bugs but also adding new features (e.g., a new "SuperIR" upscaling mode for saved photos). Reports about Guide customer service were less positive, and firmware updates seem slow and difficult to obtain.There are some software omissions that are disappointing and that could place the B10/B20 more firmly in a feature class above the PC210 and other competitors, better justifying the price premium. In no particular order:Video recording on device. (Pocket2 has this.)Video streaming via USB. (PC210 has this.)"SuperIR" live upscaling. (Eco and Eco-V have this.)Ability to save and restore a manual level/span setting. (Pocket2 has this.)Ability to set an additional point on the screen for displaying temperature. (Some InfiRay derivatives have this.)Automatic parallax adjustment in fusion mode. (Some Flir and Fluke models do this to an extent, as I understand it, by trying to align edges between the thermal and optical images.)Who knows, maybe someone at Hikmicro will see this wish list and pass it along.Ultimately, both the Guide PC210 and Hikmicro B10 seem like very good products and the best quality of the latest generation of budget thermal cameras.Edit: After playing around with the B10 for awhile, I'm happy to report that itdoessupport USB video streaming, storing level/span, and setting additional measurement points. It's remarkable how difficult comparing these products is. I've edited the above to reflect the features that the B10 already has.

author: beatman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2024, 04:56:19 am
content: I have B1L and B20 last two years use about every day very happy with both.Firmware updates bring new futures the only bug i have seen is the B1L after the last update don't work anymore the auto shutdown 5-10-20 etc minutes.I have to close every time manually.