DARK 30 Thermal Cam

Seeing in the dark is a superpower, but being able to see heat is an even greater superpower. One that works both day and night. And it’s hard to hide from a thermal imaging device. DARK 30 is a vehicle-mounted thermal imaging device, originally developed for hunters, but not limited to that. We took a closer look at the version with the 384x288 thermal sensor.

Scope of Delivery

The DARK 30 comes in a large hard-shell case. It feels very high-quality right away. The case, including contents, weighs 9.25 kg.

Inside, everything is lined with custom-fit foam. The thermal camera itself, the mounting plate, and the screen are securely held. The rest of the necessary accessories are hidden under the paper inlay.

Here you’ll find the mounting feet—either magnetic or suction cups—the bracket for the screen, the remote control, and of course the cabling. You get a power cable for the screen, one for the camera, and an HDMI cable. A 12V splitter is also included, in short, everything needed for operation.

Installation

Mounting the DARK 30 on the car roof is simple. You just need to decide where you want to place the camera. Clean the paint well at that spot so it doesn’t get scratched.

We chose the magnetic feet, but suction cups are also a good option. The side sockets should face left in the direction of travel. Simply attach, and the base plate holds. The magnetic feet hold perfectly up to 70 km/h; we didn’t drive faster with the DARK 30 on the roof.

If desired, you can also screw the mounting plate directly to the roof crossbars, provided you have suitable screws. For those who want maximum security, the DARK 30 can also be screwed directly to the roof (M8 screws included) with a sealed hole in the roof.

The underside of the base plate has the same connectors as the side.

The camera itself is simply mounted onto the base plate and secured with the mounting ring. This is also quite straightforward.

Next, the cables need to be connected and routed. Also easy.

The suction cup for the screen is attached to the window. But beware, it’s very hard to remove because it has a kind of adhesive on the suction surface. A small spatula or scraper is needed to detach it.

For those without a window, the included pipe clamp can be used.

Then screw in the stand. Not a big challenge.

Now just attach the screen to the stand.

Finally, plug in all cables, insert the battery into the remote, and power it on.

With a distinct whirring, the camera starts. The screen takes a few seconds to start but works flawlessly.

Anyone wanting to record videos (with sound) and photos must also insert the micro-SD card. The slot is under the thermal lens beneath a large rubber cover.

The App

The screen and remote are optional; the DARK 30 can also be controlled via its own app over Wi-Fi.

The interface is intuitive and everything works as it should. We had no issues. Notably, the image transmission has a few milliseconds of delay, while the screen shows it in real-time.

The advantage of the app is faster and easier menu navigation. With the remote and screen, it works too, but much slower.

Several settings are available. Everything done in the app is displayed simultaneously on the screen.

Switching color palettes is easier via the app, as you can directly select the one you want without fiddling on the remote.

The small joystick on the remote allows precise camera movement and alignment.

In Use

Thermal imaging on the car roof is very nice. No heat source goes unnoticed. Like this car in the image, it was recently driven, as indicated by the warm spots.

The DARK 30 screen is unfortunately still very bright at the lowest setting. Those using it tactically rather than for hunting should darken the interior.

In the default setting, camera rotation is extremely fast. We set it to the lowest level and left it there.

Up to 8x digital zoom is available. Unfortunately, zooming beyond 3x is limited due to the 384 x 288 px sensor resolution—the image becomes very pixelated. Higher resolution versions make this more practical.

The DARK 30’s 20° field of view is relatively narrow but fine. It is intended for long distances over 100 m rather than close-range.

At these distances, it performs excellently. Details are clear, and the overview is good.

The same vehicle at 100 m with 8x zoom. The image becomes very coarse and pixelated.

Overall, anything with heat is clearly visible on the screen. If it’s just landscape, the processor struggles to color it, and the image may appear all bright/warm or dark/cold. Slight camera rotation can drastically change the image. Future software updates may improve this.

Most color palettes are usable. Only “Hot Metal” was problematic, as the image was mostly red. The other four worked perfectly. As with thermal devices, palette changes depending on conditions are necessary. We’d like a Red Hot mode, where hot spots are red and the rest grayscale—best for detection. Software updates could change this in the future.

The Dark 30 has no image stabilization. Footage while driving is slightly shaky.

Conclusion

We find the Dark 30 thermal camera very well-designed. Of course, there are minor flaws, but these can be fixed with software updates. You get a fully functional observation solution out-of-the-box that fits any vehicle. It doesn’t even have to be a car; Dark 30 can also run on a power station. The screen mount is okay, but for serious off-road use, a more stable mount is recommended.

For hunters covering large areas, definitely a good solution. Also useful in tactical or police applications.

Dark 30 is available from all dealers from €4,250