The folks at Thermal Master are producing so many gadgets that it’s hard to keep up with – but this one, the DV2, is more than worth a look, even if nature decided to fight me in testing it for he last six weeks.
If you’re a regular tech reader here, you’ll be familiar with Thermal Master by now. But out of all of the company’s devices, this one has been the hardest to test by far – not because of the quality, but because of nature itself. I’ve now spent several months amid soul-crushing heatwaves, monsoonal wet weather, and a couple of typhoons. So it’s made time spent outside pretty challenging.
So, unlike my usual reviews, I’ve had trouble taking photos of the detected birds on screen, because my iPhone is even less tolerant of the heat than I am. And you’ll know how fun phone screens are to control in rain, when local birds tend to bunker down deep in the mountains surrounding my apartment.
Which is a shame, as I really, really love to watch birds. (This now sounds weirder that it's written down.)
The DV2 lets you spot them where a set of binoculars may not; it uses thermal imaging but its unique design is what sets it apart from more conventional units.
It feels more like a lightweight camcorder, in a sense, with a flip-out, smoothly rotating 5-inch screen projecting what’s picked up by its 10-mm f/0.8 lens. It sort of looks more like a smartphone that flips out of the side of a selfie stick than any similar tech I’ve seen before.
And while it’s designed for spotting elusive birds among dense foliage, it’s not limited to the avian world. It can pick up distant mammals hundreds of meters away even in broad daylight.
Thermal Master says its range is more than 1,000 yards (914 m/3,000 ft), but I wasn’t able to confirm this precisely, given the weather and living on the side of a mountain where distances are harder to properly gauge.
But like other Thermal Master devices, it punches above its weight when it comes to its price and holds its own against much more expensive tech in the same field, including Zeiss.
The display is a touchscreen (with 1,280 x 720 resolution) and does a good job at spotting heat even in thick foliage. However, think of it as more of a bird-finder than something that can identify species. If you’re a serious birder, you’ll probably want to use it in conjunction with other tech if you want photos or species recognition, for example.
And because of the extreme heat, I found the DV2 not as effective as I’d expect it to be in cooler weather. Even at night, the "feels like" temperature has regularly exceeded 100 °F (more than 40 °C), which is not ideal for this gadget.
However, I think using it at night is its strength, particularly if you’re looking for elusive nocturnal types like owls. That said, the screen does project a fair bit of light, which can be disorientating and also startle birds close by. Any animals at a distance, however, are likely to be less bothered.
Where I am right now, I basically have birds of prey circling over the mountains during the day, and tiny species fluttering about before dusk. The DV2 will spot these smaller birds, but from a distance they’ll appear more as heat patches than defined shapes – so, again, it’ll find them but you might need other tools if you want a good look at these feathered friends, or to capture good images of them.
Now, thermal sensing speak is not my specialty, so you might need to check out the specifications on the company’s site. But what I do know is that the screen is powered by a 256 x 192 native thermal sensor with a 10-mm manual-focus lens. There’s also image upscaling via AI, but whether you find this useful really depends on the conditions, time of day and what you’re seeking out among the trees.
One thing I have found more enjoyable with the DV2 is how it doesn’t require you to squint through lenses and adjust focus. In this sense, I can see it as a fun device to take on hikes and camping trips, for example, as it’s also lightweight.
There are limitations to the DV2, like its app – it's a bit clunky and as of testing, it doesn’t let you set up the device like a bird-feeder camera to stream live. But at the same time, it’s not really designed for this; it finds the animals, letting you do the rest. And giving credit where credit is due, birds generally don’t give off a lot of body heat, so I’ll tip my hat to Thermal Master for undertaking a pretty challenging build.
The DV2 has an interesting powering system, too. Instead of a sealed, non-replaceable internal battery, the device fits a single standard, removable 21700 rechargeable battery. While it may seem weird to be using tech that isn’t instantly powered up via USB-C, this is intentional and allows for much longer usage – like some flashlights, for example.
The DV2 comes with a charger for the battery, of course, but you can use off-the-shelf batteries that’ll extend the device’s function. So the company’s claims of up to eight hours of nonstop use with the single battery are, from what I could tell, realistic.
Also, while a small thing, it's these features that make life much easier. The battery cover looks like it needs a tool to unscrew it, but half of it actually flips up to be used as a kind of handle. It then folds down flush against the base of the gadget once the cover is screwed back in.
And the more modern tech I have tested out or bought, the more I appreciate having the option to carry a bunch of batteries in my backpack on a hike, rather than a power bank and cables. In this sense, the DV2 is ideal for hikes and camping – if you also want to see birds, that is. (Not that I have been able to hike at all for the past few months, given the weather.)
Sure, it’s not perfect, like nearly every thermal-imaging device I've used – but it’s a solid investment for anyone getting into this specific kind of "hobby" without spending thousands to essentially get a device that does the same job. And the thoughtful packaging, flexibility with battery use and the overall architecture might be the best I've seen from Thermal Master so far.
With battery loaded, the DV2 weighs about 512 g (18 oz), and while the company has built its body largely with plastic – the trade-off if you want to keep things light, of course – it feels sturdy, comes in a really lovely and protective hard case, and so far I am yet to get a scratch on it. Which is actually a rare thing for me. It's also been fine out in the rain, though much like your smartphone, the touch screen gets trickier to use.
Right now, the DV2 is available for a discounted launch price of US$499.00, which is $100 off the MSRP. It also comes with a two-year warranty and excellent customer service across the globe. Check out the Thermal Master site for more, including shipping. The company is offering a further 10% off for New Atlas readers with the code THERMBIRD10.
It's also available via Amazon.
I'll update this review with images I've taken when I am able to.
Source: Thermal Master
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