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Borescopes and endoscopes are both types of inspection cameras. If you're on the lookout for a new borescope or endoscope, you may have come across the other term in your search. While the two instruments have similar names and appearances, they have distinctly different applications.

It's vital to know the difference between these two useful devices before making a purchase. The wrong instrument may not suit your business's needs. So, let's discuss the key differences between borescopes and endoscopes, and explain which option you should choose depending on your intended use.

Introduction to borescopes

A borescope is a specialised device used to gain a clear internal view of narrow, hard-to-reach spaces. Otherwise inaccessible, small, and poorly lit places become easy to see with a borescope.

Modern borescopes feature high-definition cameras, allowing users to view these hard-to-reach spaces clearly and in full detail. Borescopes also have built-in lights, illuminating dark areas.

Introduction to endoscopes

An endoscope is a type of borescope. One way to think about the two devices is to remember that all endoscopes are borescopes, but not all borescopes are endoscopes!

Endoscopes are more precise and refined when compared to traditional borescopes. While the two devices perform similar tasks, endoscopes are typically used in higher risk areas with little room for error.

Physically, endoscopes feature a tiny camera attached to a flexible, long cable. By manipulating the cable, users can move the camera around within incredibly tight spaces.

Like borescopes, endoscopes also feature a built-in LED light, which will illuminate the area without blinding the camera.

Borescope applications

Workers within a range of industries will use borescopes to observe a variety of objects internally.

For example, if you run a car repair shop, your mechanics will rely on borescopes to inspect the internal workings of cylinder heads, engines, and other hard-to-access spaces within a vehicle. If you work in any of the following industries, you’ll likely make good use of borescopes:
* Aerospace
* Mechanics
* Plumbing
* Law enforcement
* Gunsmithing

Plumbers will use borescopes to locate blockages within pipes without needing to access their inner workings physically. A high-quality borescope will provide the plumber with a full, 120-degree view of the inside of the pipe.

Compared with endoscopes, borescopes:
* Are more affordable
* Offer a wider field of view
* Have better lighting capabilities

Endoscope applications

While borescopes are generally used to inspect mechanical objects, endoscopes are more often used to examine living specimens. Compared with borescopes, endoscopes offer:
* Greater maneuverability
* A higher level of detail
* A smaller diameter

Doctors commonly use endoscopes to perform endoscopies, where they can observe a person’s digestive tract by inserting the device through their mouth. Doctors also use endoscopes to perform colonoscopies. At 90 degrees, an endoscope’s field of view is much narrower than a borescope’s. Because endoscopes are medical-grade equipment, they are also significantly more expensive.

Conclusion

In short, an endoscope is a type of borescope. While borescopes are mostly used to inspect mechanical objects, endoscopes are better suited to examine a living body. If you work in an industry such as plumbing or mechanics, where you’ll need to inspect pipes or mechanical objects, borescopes are the better choice.

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