Drones with thermal cameras are designed for a wide range of uses so it’s important to look at the all-round capabilities of the drone rather than just the thermal camera. For example a fixed wing drone with a thermal camera is great for covering large distances for creating thermal maps of a field but a thermal multirotor drone is better for thermal inspections in confined spaces.
It’s also useful to learn about the other types of night vision for drones.
In this article, I’ll take a look at 7 different drones with thermal cameras and break down which are best for agriculture, surveillance, search and rescue, and hunting. If you’re just getting started with looking into drone imaging, check out What to Look for in Thermal Drones.
Thermal Drones Reviewed In This Article
Resolution | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual | |||
 Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced | (R-JPEG) | ||
 Mavic 3T | |||
 Autel Evo Dual | |||
 Matrice 300 RTK with Zenmuse H20N | |||
 Matrice 30T | to 1280x1024 | 4000×3000 (wide camera) | |
 DeltaQuad #View | (no payload) |
||
 SenseFly eBee X (senseFly Duet T camera) |
Cheapest Drone with a Thermal Camera
DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual (and Advanced)
The Mavic 2 Enterprise is the cheapest drone with a thermal camera but has the lowest resolution. This model has been superseded by the Mavic 3 Enterprise but it’s still possible to purchase these second-hand and from some retailers.
The Mavic 2 Enterprise series is a range of 3 drones; the Zoom, Dual and Advanced. Only the Dual and Advanced versions feature thermal imaging. The Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced model has the highest quality thermal camera of the 3 models, however, if you’re looking for an affordable thermal drone the Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual is one of the cheapest on the market.
The resolution and quality of the images taken with the Advanced model are much higher with 640×512 pixel images compared to 160×120 pixels of the Dual.
It’s also worth noting that the cheaper Dual version has a non-radiometric camera, so it produces jpeg images rather than r-jpg images. R-jpeg images store the thermal information in each pixel and can be edited in post production. Non-radiometric cameras still have an infrared detector and display the temperature but produce a thermal image (non-radiometric thermogram) of the temperature field.
For a full comparison of the three models, check out this article: Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced v Dual v Zoom.
Above: Resolution comparison of a 512×640 pixel thermal image Vs 160×120 pixel thermal image. Image credit: Autel Robotics
One thing to be aware of with the Mavic 2 Enterprise drones is that they only have a single payload attachment. This means that even though they come with multiple attachments, only one can be fitted at a time, ie the loud speaker, spotlight or beacon. This has been addressed in DJI’s newer Enterprise 3 range.
DJI Mavic 3T
The Mavic 3 Enterprise series was released September 2022, which includes the 3E and the 3T. The difference between the two is the 3E has a mechanical shutter and the 3T has the thermal camera.
For the breakdown on the improvements and differences between the Mavic 2 Enterprise and this model, check out this article on the Mavic 3 Enterprise drone.
The Mavic 3 Enterprise series has a built-in beacon which is an improvement from the single payload issue in the Mavic 2 Enterprise series. The attachments are hosted by a USB-C port and two screws.
Thermal Drone Camera & Standard Camera
The camera on the Mavic 3T consists of 3 systems:
- 640×512 pixel radiometric camera
- 48MP wide angle camera
- 12 MP RGB Zoom sensor with up to 56x zoom
The thermal camera has customizable color pallets which gives the option to choose a color scheme that highlights the features needed, depending on the type of thermal imaging.
The resolution of the thermal camera is the same as the DJI Mavic 2 Advanced but the standard camera has a much larger sensor which takes higher quality photos and video. This means better images in low light, less noise and more ‘true to life’ colours.
Drone Controller
The controller for the Mavic 3T is an enterprise version of DJI’s smart controller, it’s essentially the same as the RC Pro but with a built in microphone and programmed with the Pilot 2 app.
Battery, Flight Time and Range
The Mavic 3T has DJI’s occusync 3 technology which supports 9.5 miles (15 km) maximum range.
The battery life is 38 minutes when hovering and 45 mins full flight under test conditions. In real-life flying conditions, the maximum flight time is more like 35-40 minutes depending on the transmission interference and wind conditions.
DJI has also released a charging hub that fits 3 batteries, it also has USB-C ports to charge the RC pro controller at the same time.
Autel Evo II Dual
Why Choose a Non-DJI Thermal Drone?
An important limitation to note when investing in a thermal drone is the ability to fly in zones that require special approval from the FAA. A draw back of DJI drones that encourages businesses and government organizations to look at other UAV brands is DJI Geofencing.
Geofencing is programmed into all DJI drones as a safety feature to prevent UAVs being flown in non-FAA approved areas. However, if you’re working in search and rescue or have approval from the FAA to fly in areas not generally accessible to the public, this software feature can cause a delay in flying your drone for a few days until your FAA approval is recognized by DJI.
There are 3 drones in the Autel Evo II series with thermal imaging; the Rugged Bundle V2, the 640T Enterprise and the 640T RTK. The drones in this series without thermal imaging are the Evo II Pro Entreprise and the Evo II Pro RTK.
Unlike the DJI drones, the attachments are generally sold separately which can start to really hike up the price but it’s great to have the option to only purchase the accessories needed.
Thermal Drone Camera & Standard Camera
The thermal camera on the Autel Evo II Dual is the same resolution as the Mavic 2 and Mavic 3T but the video resolution is where this model excels. It takes 8K recordings which means the FOV can be cropped down and we still have a very high resolution footage.
The Autel Evo II Dual also has a RYYB sensor rather than RGB which is 40% more light sensitive.
If manual camera capabilities are important then the Autel thermal drone is a better option than DJI’s enterprise series. The Autel Evo II has manual photo modes giving more control to the drone pilot over the image quality. DJI have removed manual camera settings from all drones in the Enterprise range.
Smart Flying Modes
Smart flight modes are another area where Autel comes out on top. DJI has removed their intelligent flight modes from the Enterprise drones.
While both Autel and DJI thermal drones can follow a set route, Autel Evo II Dual has additional useful features such as orbit, gesture control and tracking modes. While they might not be essential, being able to set the drone to circle a object and continue to gain information while the drone pilot addresses other tasks is useful in emergency response situations.
Above: Intelligent flight modes available on the Autel Evo II Dual thermal drone.
The Best DJI Drone with a Thermal Camera
DJI Matrice 30T
The Matrice 30T is the best DJI drone with a thermal camera, it offers the highest resolution and is capable of creating accurate orthomosaic images. The thermal camera is 640x512p but has super resolution mode which takes 1280x1040p thermal images.
It’s a larger drone compared to the Mavic series measuring about 1/2m wide when unfolded. The Matrice series are DJI’s high-end enterprise drones. The 30T is designed for faster take off for first response teams, taking only 1 minute from unboxing to having the drone in the air.
The Matrice 30T is also compatible with the DJI RC Plus Enterprise controller which has a 7″ screen. This is much larger than the 5.5″ display of the DJI smart controller.
Thermal Drone with Zoom
Matrice 300 RTK
Although one of the largest drones reviewed here, when the Matrice 300 RTK is fitted with the Zenmuse H20N it offers the best thermal photography zoom.
The Zenmuse H20N camera has two thermal cameras that can work together to give up to 32x zoom. This allows the Matrice 300 RTK to capture detail from afar and inspect hot spots that could otherwise go unseen.
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK has been designed to offer versatility with its multiple payload ports that have the capacity to accommodate up to three gimbals simultaneously. This multi-gimbal system is equipped with expansion ports located on both the top and bottom of the drone, providing an opportunity for developers to create and customize their own payloads.
For a comparison between the two Matrice thermal drones, check out this Deep Dive on the DJI Matrice 300 RTK and 30T.
Long Range Drone with Thermal Camera
DeltaQuad Pro #View
The DeltaQuad Pro is a VTOL (vertical take-off) fixed-wing drone meaning it can stay in the air much longer than it’s multi-rotor counterparts. Without any payload the DeltaQuad can fly for over 2 hours and cover over 150km in a single flight thanks to its gliding flight style.
The Nighthawk 2 camera option includes an infrared camera which has up to 50km life video range.
DeltaQuad have produced some all-round impressive drones. The #Cargo model can carry up to 1kg in the payload carriage which can be dropped by parachute. These specialist features make this drone ideal for search and rescue operations to deliver medical supplies, food and water.
The DeltaQuad #View is engineered for surveillance in difficult conditions including snow, rain and night time imaging. It has fully autonomous mission options and tracking capabilities.
Wrap Up on Drones with Thermal Cameras
Overall the Autel Evo II Dual and the Mavic 3T Thermal are in very close competition. The main deciding factor in which version is the best thermal drone is that DJI packages up the accessories in a more affordable bundle which integrate really smoothly.
However, Autel has engineered a drone that has better capabilities including intelligent flight settings and manual camera modes.
For more information, you may also be interested in these articles on drone mapping, drone surveillance or drones in search and rescue.
