Hot take: the $90 camera I dropped down flues caught more than my $400 one ever did
I do a lot of relining work, so seeing the inside of a flue matters to me. I bought a $400 inspection camera setup with the little monitor last winter, pretty proud of it. Two weeks ago the screen cracked when it slid off a hearth, so out of desperation I grabbed a $90 borescope that plugs into my phone. The cheap one gave me a sharper picture of a cracked tile at 18 feet than the fancy rig ever did, and the LED ring actually lit the corners. I'm not saying the pricey one was junk, it was tougher, but I finished that whole job on the $90 one and the homeowner was happy. Anyone else find the cheap tool does the job better than the expensive one they bought first?