The operating instructions are in German. The description of the instructions is good and sufficient. The app itself is spartan, but sufficient. This allows you to take photos and videos, connect to the camera and set the resolution. A bit of a hybrid between the “traditional” all-in-one endoscope options we’ve reviewed above as well as the more modern wireless options, this particular unit looks a lot like a space-age fishing pole and offers the compact form factor of the wireless units with the control and capability of the all-in-one systems. A borescope is used for a wide variety of inspections, while an endoscope – while similar in concept – is for medical inspections. Borescopes can be used to inspect machinery and engines, pipes and gun barrels, and hidden areas inside the home live cavity walls. Endoscopes, by contrast, are used to inspect body cavities and organs. What kinds of borescope are there? Inspection camera specialists Skybasic have made an incredibly useful borescope that’s ideal for when you need to get deep into the heart of the problem. Their industrial endoscope features a large screen, a simple menu layout, and an amazing amount of cable.

You don’t need to be a DIY expert to recognise the Bosch brand name. This German engineering firm has more than a century of experience making tools of excellence, and for a range of budgets. The Bosch UniversalInspect must be one of the best inspection cameras on the market right now. It’s compact, made from quality components, and has a useful zoom function. endoscopes are a good choice. They provide image quality roughly halfway between 720p and 1080p, though it’s not as standardized as the other two, so it can vary. 720p endoscopes also produce good image quality at a reasonable price. The Depstech DS500 includes a dual camera design, which not only features a forward-pointing camera but a second looking out to one side (yet it manages this with a narrower probe than the wireless WF028 further down this guide). The DEPSTECH 1200P Semi-rigid Wireless / Wi-Fi Endoscope is our favorite, due to its waterproof frame, semi-rigid cable, and bright LED lights. Next is the BlueFire Semi-Rigid Flexible Wireless Endoscope, which also has a semi-rigid cable, an adjustable LED light, and 720p resolution. Its small battery keeps it out of the top spot. The AnyKit 1200P USB Endoscope can attach to most computers, includes a semi-bendable cable, and has a low price that makes it the best overall value for the money here. Inspection cameras are battery-powered, and the battery life is important. The charge time is also worth looking at.First off, and what makes this the best inspection camera on my list is the dual-camera setup. Not only do you get the main front-facing camera, but another one pointing at 90° for an unbeatable field of view. The cable on this endoscope is compact, too. It’s just a 9.84 foot cable (with a slightly longer than 3 foot version available for those that want a really short cable), which is a real boost for those that don’t want to have to worry about cable management on some of the other endoscopes on the market with cables that can get to 30, 40, and even 50 feet or longer (like the ones we highlighted above). Memory card storage: most borescopes offer fixed internal storage but some have removable SD cards – useful if you need to offer images to a client. If your inspection camera comes with a display, you should ensure it’s large enough for you to clearly view what’s going on. 3″ and above tends to be the best screen size for viewing. Any smaller than this, and you may not be able to get a good view of the area. A state-of-the-art 1200p image sensor powers the individual camera at the end of this snake style probe to provide you with crystal clear HD video as well as still images at resolutions between 320 x 240 all the way up to 1600 x 1200 (with a couple of stops in between).

Of course, you may not know exactly what task you are using your camera for. The models I’ve recommended have variable focal distances; a distance of between 3 and 10 cm would be suitable for a wide range of tasks. Cable Type and Length The camera unit on this set up measures in at just 8.2 mm, giving it an opportunity to probe tighter spaces and areas that some of the larger cable cameras cannot get to. It is still capable of producing high definition video at 640x480 resolution – though it isn’t quite as HD as 720p or 1080p HD cameras we’ve reviewed above provide. The most important thing to consider before buying an endoscope is what devices it will be compatible with. Many of the endoscopes on our list work via Wi-Fi with smartphones, while others connect via USB cable to certain phones and computers. In fourth, the Teslong NTS150RS includes a display screen and a great battery, making it a good industrial choice. The high price costs it a few places on our list. The YINAMA 1.6-198inch Industrial Endoscope has a great battery and a display screen, but its poor LED light and software bugs drop it to fifth place. Last place belongs to the ILIHOME WiFi Endoscope, which is waterproof and has 1200p resolution but suffers from poor lights, a small battery, and poor durability. With an incredible range of webcams, endoscopes and even otoscopes for looking in your ear, Depstech are surveillance experts. Their DS300-SJ dual-lens endoscope is one of the best inspection cameras available right now. The screen is crystal clear, and you don’t need to fiddle around with mirrors to get a better viewing angle.The length of the cable is also an important factor. I’ve recommended cameras with cable lengths ranging from 1 m to 10 m. Those with long cables can get into areas a lot further away, but the camera itself will feel heavier. This makes the cable overall a little less manoeuvrable once you’ve managed to get it into a tight space. Rechargeable batteries are convenient provided they last long enough. Ideally, you’ll want a few hours of run time. This is especially important if your camera takes a few hours to charge, as many do. Camera Resolution

Borescopes are designed for industrial as opposed to medical use. These have either a rigid or flexible stem and are suitable for large equipment inspections. They usually have a larger diameter lens than endoscopes, illuminating a greater area.

FAQ

The camera lens itself has an excellent 70° field of view, and you can switch between three viewing modes with a single button. If the image on the screen is upside down, you can flip it through 180°. It’s a useful little feature you’ll use more often than you think. The video and photos you can capture with this endoscope will be crystal-clear thanks to the inclusion of six adjustable blue spectrum LED lights on the probe, allowing you to tinker with the brightness so that you can capture images or video effectively without washing them out. The DS500 is a fine tool, capable of performing its duties even in a rough and tumble environment. The build is confidence-inspiring, always appreciated in the kind of environment where serious work is being done, and we really appreciated the case and addition of a magnet as well as a standard hook –you’ll never lose a screw again. The instructions that come with this camera are hard to understand. It feels like someone was given a word limit, so there are some things missing. You have to fill in some of the gaps yourself. The DEPSTECH 1200P Semi-rigid Wireless / Wi-Fi Endoscope is the best wireless endoscope on our list. It’s battery-powered, so you don’t have to worry about being around an electrical outlet while you’re using it. The large, 2200 milliamp battery lasts up to five hours, letting you use this endoscope for long stretches at a time. It’s waterproof, which can make it a great tool for exploration or for repairs where water may be involved. It also has a semi-rigid cable, so you can bend and flex it to suit your needs, and make sure it travels where you want it to go.

Images can be recorded as stills or video to the SD card, or output via the analog connector. Admittedly the design features what feels like a historic connector – the Mini-USB –but this is a professional tool with a professional price and the cost of a USB adapter is hardly relevant. FAQs What is the difference between a borescope and an endoscope? Home use: Wireless endoscopes are ideal for homeowners who are hands-on with repairs and home maintenance. You can inspect gutters, drains, beneath cabinets, and inside walls. It’s important that your inspection camera is waterproof, especially if you’re going to be using it in damp areas or to inspect drains. Those with a fully waterproof rating can be used underwater. Endoscopes are miniature cameras. These have very small lenses with a diameter of around 4 mm. Although used in a range of industries, these are most commonly associated with medicine. Endoscopes are used to view inside the human body and diagnose illnesses. Some inspection cameras use disposable batteries. While these are more convenient because there’s no need to wait hours for the battery to charge, they may work out more expensive and you’ll need to dispose of the batteries after use.

The 8 mm diameter flexible camera head contains 4 bright LEDs that do a good job of lighting up the darkest spots and have three different levels of brightness. You get 95 cm of cable to inspect pipes or behind wall cavities, which isn’t loads, but it wraps neatly around the unit and doesn’t take up much room. While you may be hoping to get a camera that provides crisp full-HD video, the miniaturization that goes into this process means that full-HD video can be really expensive in endoscopes. However, you still have some options that can deliver crisp video without a huge price tag. Inspection cameras generally have either a flexible or rigid cable. Rigid cables are better for areas above your head or in straight lines. These are best for inspecting drains and can also be useful if you’ve got some obstacles that you need to push through to get into a confined space. The engineering under the hood of this endoscope provides for a semirigid cable nearly 33 feet long, long enough to reach almost anything that professionals, homeowners, DIYers, and hobbyists would like to look at – with plenty of room to spare!