Endoscope/inspection camera

[Shedendman]

I'm after one
Budget,cheap as pos,but under £100
Do not want one that fits a phone,been there done that,garbage
One that records also, micro SD etc
So,whats out there chaps,what do you recommend

 

[MetalMonkey]

Funnily enough, I have a new one arriving tomorrow, apparently.
So very topical as I had been doing a lot of looking into the various models available .
I should be able to let you know tomorrow if I've made a mistake or not

My old one ran of AAs which it ate, but had a fairly small head, which has come in quite handy.
I don't use it often but it has been a lifesaver when I have, so I wanted an upgrade.

On my shopping list of features for a new one was:
1) rechargeable lithium battery
2) < 7mm head (you have a lot more choice if 8.5mm is OK).
3) Dual lens (gives you a side camera and a front one), if this isn’t a requirement it will reduce the cost
4) Articulating – allows you to wiggle the end (oh matron) which is a feature I’ve wanted every time I’ve used my old one. You can get two or four way articulation, but the four way is considerably more money.

You may not need all of those, but I suggest looking at brands like Teslong, Raycam, DXZToz – all Chinese and all seem pretty good. Also keep in mind if you need a flexible or semi rigid (oh matron) cable.
Project Farm also has a comparison video out on them.

 

[Migmac]

Was watching a small engine repair channel today, he recommended this one

Two-Way Articulating Borescope with Light, Teslong 5-inch IPS Endoscope Inspection Camera with Articulation Head, Automotive Mechanics Fiber Optic Scope-0.15inch: Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science

Two-Way Articulating Borescope with Light, Teslong 5-inch IPS Endoscope Inspection Camera with Articulation Head, Automotive Mechanics Fiber Optic Scope-0.15inch: Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science

amzn.to

 

[Kram]

One important bit is how the LED's are arranged at the front. If they are sharing the same outer protective glass as the lens, you will find a lot of internal reflection, that made my old cheapy, nearly usable until I removed the protective lens.

 

[Ross365]

Many years ago, I bought a very cheap one (a few quid) from eBay, which plugged into a USB socket on a laptop. It was brilliant for the money!

 

[frank horton]

Funny, as it happens I need to get one for a leaky drain....
Metal Monkey...waiting with interest....

 

[mark roberts]

I got one from aldi recently

 

[doubleboost]

I use this at work very handy bit of kit

 

[Shedendman]

I use this at work very handy bit of kit

Looks good to me
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/357299341225
about the same-ish

 

[MetalMonkey]

It arrived from the rain forest:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FJDB61M3

Looks pretty good for the money on a black friday deal IMO.

Decent case, USB C for charging and data transfer.
The user interface seems pretty intuitive.
The placement of the knob is good for finger/thumb control when moving the head. It is plastic, seems reasonably solid but would have been nice to have something a bit beefier.
Main/Side camera and split screen mode is nice.
Screen is good.
Body is mainly plastic with a couple of aluminium parts.

Cable isn't too floppy but not as rigid as my previous one.
You have to keep it fairly straight in order to get full articulation of the tip.

The quality of the camera is OK.
Having looked at some of the ones from other brands, I was perhaps hoping for better quality , I didn't have it in Full HD mode to start with, but swapping it didn't seem to make much of a difference.
However - it is worth noting that the 8.5mm model jumps up to a 2 megapixel camera, whereas this having the smaller head is dropped to a 1 megapixel - so it might just be a limitation of the size.
It is also not in the same price bracket as some of the more expensive units with higher resolutions.

It is perfectly acceptable and still an upgrade over my previous unit. Focal length is quite short so you can get quite close to things.

Overall I'm pleased for the money I've got the features I wanted.
If I was prepared to compromise on the size of the camera or increase the budget I probably could have got a better resolution or a cheaper unit, but this seems a good balance.

It doesn't come with any attachments (magnets/hook) for retrieval, which would have been a nice extra, but wasn't really a deal breaker for me, but worth noting.

I suspect most of these units are very similar, so I doubt you would go too wrong with any of them.
Longevity is a question mark, but then there is really no guarantees with any brand thesedays - so will just have to see.

 

[james butler]

ive just bought one from lidl for £20
cheap enough to throw away when it goes wrong yet guaranteed for 3 years

 

[Robotstar5]

ive just bought one from lidl for £20
cheap enough to throw away when it goes wrong yet guaranteed for 3 years

I got the Aldi version a few years ago, has come in handy a few times.

 

[marlinspike]

ive just bought one from lidl for £20
cheap enough to throw away when it goes wrong yet guaranteed for 3 years

Any good? Saw those but wasn't sure of the quality.

 

[m_c]

I've got a Teslong (5 mm end - to fit down injector holes) and I can't fault it.
Decent enough image quality, side view camera (handy for seeing valves, or at least the remains of which valve has departed where it should be...), SD card to save images, and a fairly decent quality screen.
Also came in a nice plastic storage case.

 

[6ply]

ive just bought one from lidl for £20
cheap enough to throw away when it goes wrong yet guaranteed for 3 years

I thought those were about £60 or something last time I saw them. Or is this a different model / clearance?

 

[james butler]

I thought those were about £60 or something last time I saw them. Or is this a different model / clearance?

i dunno i had an aldi version that i think got lent out and not returned but i didnt pay much for that one either

 

[Shedendman]

ive just bought one from lidl for £20
cheap enough to throw away when it goes wrong yet guaranteed for 3 years

Same with the one i ordered above(@doubleboost ),for the amount of times its going to get used no point spending fortunes
Will let you all know what its like when it arrives

 

[james butler]

Parkside Inspection Camera with Accessories for Drains Cable Ducts & More - NEW | eBay UK

Accessories: 1 hook, 1 double hook, 1 magnet, 1 mirror, 1 USB-A to USB-C cable, 1 carry case. - USB-C connection for data transfer via the included cable (USB-A to USB-C). - LED inspection light: 12 brightness levels.

www.ebay.co.uk

looks like the parkside touts have bought up the last lot for ebay markup still cheap though

 

[Shedendman]

Well mine arrived this morning and i'm now filling out the returns for ebay this afternoon,pile of poo poo ROC rubbish
Poo picture,poo response from the buttons just basic poo

Pardon our interruption...