Damn it guys. This forum will be my ruin.
Any plausible reasons why someone (who is not into power electronics or thermal insulation) would need a thermal camera 
?
I mean, for sure I want one at least since I saw Predator back in the eighties, but admittedly merely as a tech toy.
Indeed I recently began investigating in thermopile arrays to build my own cheap substitute, but with a 320x240 9Hz camera in reach, this doesn't seem so interesting any more.
So now, thanks to you, I'm struggling with myself whether to resist my geek desire to waste 1200€ for something I will be fascinated with for the first week and then put it in the shelf.
Having bought a TIC about a year or so ago, I no longer think of it so much as a TIC or a tool for power electronics, I think of it more as a diagnostic tool like an O-scope. An O-Scope lets you see changing signals over time that you would not otherwise see. A TIC lets you see temperature you would not otherwise see.
The TIC gets used a lot more than I thought it would. It is one of the best diagnostic tools around.
Had a problem with one of the machines at work - got the TIC out and noticed an overheating relay. Turned a multi-hour diagnostic chore into a 5 minute affair.
When reworking boards, I use the TIC before I even use the o-scope. The TIC is a quick way to see obvious failures before delving into deeper diagnostics.
TIC is awesome for verifying designs. Let's say you use a 1A linear regulator and your circuit averages 250mA but peaks at 500mA, and goes in a plastic enclosure. Do you need a heat sink? You could run calculations, you could use a thermocouple, but loading up your device in worst possible scenario and looking at it via the TIC tells you much more.
Intermittent failure on a circuit? Use the TIC to find out what is going on, even after it already occured. Easy to see things like a component on it's way to failure or a component temporarily running outside it's specified range.
I diagnosed a faulty wheel bearing on a car with the TIC. It was really easy to see how much hotter it was than the other wheel bearings. Caught it before it became a much more expensive repair.
Found a huge wasps nest in my brother in laws house that he didn't even know about. The drywall was so thin they were almost in the home. With a 1 year old kid in the house who would have easily pushed right through the soft spot in the wall, it was lucky we caught it in time.
There are also uses in other fields that are more specific. I sold my i7 to a lady who uses the TIC for fitting horse saddles. By analyzing the hot spots she can gauge fitment.
A veterinarian I know uses a TIC to check animals - easy to see things like ear and toot infections and other such stuff, when you have an animal that can't tell you what's wrong.
Then you have all the standard TIC uses... checking your home insulation, checking pipe insulation, checking doors/windows/garage, checking circuit breakers and wiring, using the TIC to find wall studs, etc.
I say a TIC is getting to the point where it's almost a must-have tool for a serious electronics person. For under $1,000 and 320x240 resolution and the ability to close-focus, it's a no-brainer.
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