What can thermal cameras not identify effectively at close range?

Thermal cameras are designed to detect infrared radiation emitted by objects, which they translate into thermal images. While thermal cameras excel at identifying the temperature differences between objects, they face limitations in recognizing fine details of objects, particularly at close range.

At close distances, thermal images can appear less distinct, making it difficult for the camera to resolve intricate features or the exact shapes of objects. This results in a loss of necessary detail that may be critical for identification or analysis, such as recognizing a person's face or distinguishing between small, similar items.

In contrast, motion can still be detected by analyzing temperature changes over time, and while thermal cameras do not capture color variations, they still effectively convey temperature information. Therefore, the inability to identify the details of objects at close range is a significant limitation of thermal cameras.