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[AvidIndoorsman]

...

 

[BlakeA]

Good idea but shooting in bad weather would be a nightmare. No matter how weather proof that lens casing is supposed to be, rain and snow will have you out $1500 real quick. Not to mention how annoying moisture/fog is on a lens. You are better off with a nice spotter and phone skope. Just my .02

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Good idea but shooting in bad weather would be a nightmare. No matter how weather proof that lens casing is supposed to be, rain and snow will have you out $1500 real quick. Not to mention how annoying moisture/fog is on a lens. You are better off with a nice spotter and phone skope. Just my .02

Fair points... there is no lens in production that is as rugged as a spotter. I've just been underwhelmed by phone skopes had one for a while but I found the quality to be just terrible and now if I don't have my camera I don't even bother...

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

This is a bit of a tangent, but has been beneficial for me.

A few years ago I spent less than $200 on a refurbished super zoom point and shoot, that can be controlled via WIFI from your phone. It does 20x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom. Once you get our to 60x the clarity obviously suffers, but you can shoot pics and videos very easily off a tripod, and trigger it from your phone to reduce shake. Taking video is really handy for judging bears, IMO....

As for digiscoping through the spotter; which I will be doing a lot of this summer, I have been considering getting a used GoPro and making it a dedicated digiscoping setup that can be controlled from my phone.

 

[Don Fischer]

I've been thinking about investing in new optics and doing some thinking about the best setup. I currently have a decent pair of binos and a pretty good camera...with a medium size lens. Over the last couple of years I've gotten to use my BIL swaro spotter a bunch and my FIL 10x50 swaro binos.

There have been a couple of instances where we have all the optics out looking at critters. I've found that in super low light it's actually easier to mess with the iso settings and take a pic and then judge an animal based on that still picture then it is to try and look at it with one eye in the spotter. Obviously, the spotter has better range... also you aren't going to be glassing with a camera, but most of the time you find animals with your binos and then put the spotter on it... Also animals move so you often don't have the ability to look over an animal in a fixed position for a long period of time.

My thinking is that instead of dropping say $1500 on a spotter you could get one hell of a camera lens. Any one running around with a 200-500mm or a 300-800mm and would you consider using that instead of a spotter.

Huge draw back in what your thinking about the lens. Your gonna have to carry the thing around with you and a decent one is bulky, heavy and like you said, won't give you much range. I have a 170-500mm Sigma and it does a really nice job when I shoot it right. Best shot off a tripod! You can get a new Sigma or Tamron in about the same range for a bit over $1000, then you need to carry it around with you!

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

This is a bit of a tangent, but has been beneficial for me.

A few years ago I spent less than $200 on a refurbished super zoom point and shoot, that can be controlled via WIFI from your phone. It does 20x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom. Once you get our to 60x the clarity obviously suffers, but you can shoot pics and videos very easily off a tripod, and trigger it from your phone to reduce shake. Taking video is really handy for judging bears, IMO....

As for digiscoping through the spotter; which I will be doing a lot of this summer, I have been considering getting a used GoPro and making it a dedicated digiscoping setup that can be controlled from my phone.

Have you thought about a camera adapter for the spotter, Nikon has one...

Yeah I’m doing exactly what your talking about camera on a tripod doing a trigger from my phone.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I just hate having some big goof case on my phone, especially when I use it for mapping now, plus it is always hanging of the side and turning the eyerelief on my scope. I really just want to have a smallish unit I can keep in my pack and throw it on and off my spotter really quick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahY-Ff_hBJA

 

[Deleted member 16014]

This is a bit of a tangent, but has been beneficial for me.

A few years ago I spent less than $200 on a refurbished super zoom point and shoot, that can be controlled via WIFI from your phone. It does 20x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom. Once you get our to 60x the clarity obviously suffers, but you can shoot pics and videos very easily off a tripod, and trigger it from your phone to reduce shake. Taking video is really handy for judging bears, IMO....

As for digiscoping through the spotter; which I will be doing a lot of this summer, I have been considering getting a used GoPro and making it a dedicated digiscoping setup that can be controlled from my phone.

I like your used gopro on a phoneskope adapter idea. Seems like you could be all set up for $150 with as many used units are on the market.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I like your used gopro on a phoneskope adapter idea. Seems like you could be all set up for $150 with as many used units are on the market.

Pretty dang close. If you just bought all the parts it would be $66 for the phoneskope setup and about $100 for a used or refurbed Hero5 Black (has back viewfinder and can be controlled via phone app).

 

[brymoore]

I don’t like the idea as a replacement of a spotter, maybe as an extra piece of equipment. Yes, I’ve taken pics of animals and then blown up the pic to better judge an animal.

I have Swaro 8.5s, 15s and spotter. At some point in the glassing search, I’ll move to a spotter to pick apart pieces of ground. I don’t think you can do that with a camera. You can take a pic of one spot but not conduct a search.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I just hate having some big goof case on my phone, especially when I use it for mapping now, plus it is always hanging of the side and turning the eyerelief on my scope. I really just want to have a smallish unit I can keep in my pack and throw it on and off my spotter really quick.

This what I was thinking about...I have similar gripes with the phone case setup.

 

[Zach]

I've been thinking about investing in new optics and doing some thinking about the best setup. I currently have a decent pair of binos and a pretty good camera...with a medium size lens. Over the last couple of years I've gotten to use my BIL swaro spotter a bunch and my FIL 10x50 swaro binos.

There have been a couple of instances where we have all the optics out looking at critters. I've found that in super low light it's actually easier to mess with the iso settings and take a pic and then judge an animal based on that still picture then it is to try and look at it with one eye in the spotter. Obviously, the spotter has better range... also you aren't going to be glassing with a camera, but most of the time you find animals with your binos and then put the spotter on it... Also animals move so you often don't have the ability to look over an animal in a fixed position for a long period of time.

My thinking is that instead of dropping say $1500 on a spotter you could get one hell of a camera lens. Any one running around with a 200-500mm or a 300-800mm and would you consider using that instead of a spotter.

My 100-400L cost around that new, but is no comparison to my vortex spotter when distance is an issue. I have heard good things about 150-600 Tamron though.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Pretty dang close. If you just bought all the parts it would be $66 for the phoneskope setup and about $100 for a used or refurbed Hero5 Black (has back viewfinder and can be controlled via phone app).

Yeah I forgot the second piece of the adapter. Intriguing...

 

[bigsky2]

You can get a good point and shoot for the same price as a fancy long lens. Then make an adapter to fit your spotter. I have a Phone Skope for my iPhone, but I get better results with my point and shoot camera and adapter on my spotting scope.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

You can get a good point and shoot for the same price as a fancy long lens.

Agreed... but I don't have a spotter so this is purely spotter versus lens.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Agreed... but I don't have a spotter so this is purely spotter versus lens.

I guess to answer your real question. I would buy a good spotter. I don't think a camera/lense is going to perform the way you need if finding/judging game is the priority.

 

[bigsky2]

Agreed... but I don't have a spotter so this is purely spotter versus lens.

My bad, didn't catch the "BIL" and "FIL" in your post. I'd go with the spotter then, I don't think a camera lens will give you the reach that you are going to want.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Thanks fellas... now I just need to find someone who wants to give me 50% off a swaro...

 

[TLowell02]

This is a bit of a tangent, but has been beneficial for me.

A few years ago I spent less than $200 on a refurbished super zoom point and shoot, that can be controlled via WIFI from your phone. It does 20x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom. Once you get our to 60x the clarity obviously suffers, but you can shoot pics and videos very easily off a tripod, and trigger it from your phone to reduce shake. Taking video is really handy for judging bears, IMO....

As for digiscoping through the spotter; which I will be doing a lot of this summer, I have been considering getting a used GoPro and making it a dedicated digiscoping setup that can be controlled from my phone.

Are you willing to divulge what camera you purchased?

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I don't remember the specific model # I have, as it is discontinued, but its current counterpart is the Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS70. I misspoke about the optical zoom, it is 30x, and the digital is 60x.