Abstract: An imaging system, particularly a thermal imager, has a detector operating in at least two sensitivity modes. The detector is read on a pixel-by-pixel basis in each of at least two modes and output therefrom is substantially simultaneously displayed so that a wide range of thermal sensitivities are simultaneously displayed. The detector is, preferably, read out at maximum and minimum sensitivity levels at least half the field rate and, advantageously, at the field rate of a display. In a preferred embodiment, color is added to the normally provided gray scale output from the detector ranging from black for the coolest object through white and yellow to red for the hottest object.

Abstract: An imaging system, particularly a thermal imager, has a detector operating in at least two sensitivity modes. The detector is read on a pixel-by-pixel basis in each of at least two modes and output therefrom is substantially simultaneously displayed so that a wide range of thermal sensitivities are simultaneously displayed. The detector is, preferably, read out at maximum and minimum sensitivity levels at least half the field rate and, advantageously, at the field rate of a display. In a preferred embodiment, color is added to the normally provided gray scale output from the detector ranging from black for the coolest object through white and yellow to red for the hottest object.