Though there are plenty of endoscope/borescope options available to pick and choose from on the market today, none of them are designed specifically for heavy duty and industrial applications quite the way that the Anykit NTS500 5.5mm 3 Meter Waterproof Borescope is.
Everything about this “snake camera” from top to bottom is designed to provide incredible performance in anything but the most common of applications. The 3 m probe provides instant visual access to pretty much any nook and cranny imaginable, and because it is a compact probe (measuring and it just 5.5 mm in diameter) you will be able to sneak this into tight spots other probes cannot get to.
It’s the dual camera set up of this particular model that really helps to set it apart from the rest of the pack, however. The ability to flip from a forward-looking viewpoint to a side viewpoint effortlessly – and then back again – is really special.
Key Features
The dual camera setup is far and away the most special feature about this unit, but the ability for this camera to also capture in 720p high definition video – as well as high definition still photographs – is definitely up there as well.
The 5 inch HD LCD screen is compact enough to fit in the palm of your hand but still provides plenty of immediate visual information about what your camera probes are seeing. You can also plug this directly into any modern television or computer thanks to the built-in AV port on board, provided you have cables that allow you to do so (sold separately).
Control Setup
The control scheme on the Anykit NTS500 5.5mm 3 Meter Waterproof Borescope is simple and straightforward, with the overwhelming majority of the controls mapped directly to a handful of buttons on the right-hand side of the video module itself.
Both cameras can be flipped between from this control center but can also be manually selected by depressing a button directly at the end of the probe itself. The six LED lights that allow this endoscope to work wonderfully and even the darkest conditions can also be controlled and manipulated directly from the command module that doubles as a 5 inch LCD HD screen.
Camera Quality
Camera quality with this particular unit is pretty impressive, with both of these lenses capable of shooting in 1280 x 7 20 high definition – whether you’re looking to capture live video fed directly through the 5 inch LCD screen or if you want to capture still images on the same display.
The six LED light ring guarantees that all of the images you are fed through this camera set up are going to be perfectly illuminated in even the darkest of spaces, and the CMOS sensor built into these lenses are going to help pick up all kinds of light when the LED rings would have been overkill.
Capture and Storage Options
Direct capture to the Anykit NTS500 5.5mm 3 Meter Waterproof Borescope unit can be taken care of thanks to the fact that it includes 16 GB of storage on board, though you’ll have the opportunity to dramatically extend the storage available through this particular set up as well.
Get your hands on an accessory TF memory card (all the way up to 32 GB or more) and you’ll be able to add to the onboard 16 GB of storage and also have an easy way to transfer the video or the still images you capture directly to other devices.
Don’t forget that this unit can connect to a multitude of other devices through accessory AV cables. The capture and storage options that these AV ports make available are second to none.
Battery Life
A 3.7 V 3500 mAh battery using the latest lithium-ion technology acts as the power plant for this borescope, providing plenty of utility for upwards of four hours of continuous operation.
Better than that, however, the fact that this borescope can be recharged from completely dead back to 100% inside of 45 minutes or so thanks to the quick charging capabilities this unit comes complete with right out of the box.
Probe Length and Flexibility
The camera probe on this endoscope measures in at 3 m long, plenty enough probe to reach pretty much anything and everything you might have to see in an industrial, homeowner, or DIY situation.
No, it isn’t the longest probe set up on the planet. But it certainly offers more than enough reach to get to pretty much anything and everything you might have an otherwise difficult time seeing.
The semi-flexible probe will maneuver around tight spaces and corners effortlessly but can also hold its shape to lock on to a stable position so that you can see without a lot of camera shake and shutter. Some of the other top tier endoscopes are a little bouncy when capturing video or stills (especially when right up close to the inspection target), but that isn’t going to be a problem that plagues you with this particular setup.
Anykit NTS500 - Summary
Overall Rating:
Quality
Features
Cost
When you get right down to it, there are a lot of spectacular borescope/endoscope options available on the market today – but none of them are quite as well designed or as intelligently put together as this obviously made for industrial applications unit is.
You’ll find that all the bells and whistles you could wish for in an endoscope are going to be part and parcel of the Anykit NTS500 5.5mm 3 Meter Waterproof Borescope unit, that should provide you with years and years of quality results thanks to the new lithium-ion technology and the nearly indestructible probe cable makeup.
High definition video and still image capture is effortless through the onboard storage, accessory TF card, or AV cable options as well. There’s quite a bit to fall in love with when it comes to this particular endoscope, and that’s why many consider it to be the very best of the best option on the market today.
