Investing in camera lens instead of spotter?

[MinnesotaHunter]

https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Vario-ELMAR-DMC-ZS60S-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B0747TKQQZ/ref=sr_1_18?crid=36RQVNV3JD2HW&keywords=panasonic+lumix+zs70&qid=1558553551&s=gateway&sprefix=panasonic+lumix+zs,aps,569&sr=8-18

 

[bcar]

I have a Sigma 150-600mm contemporary. It is huge and heavy, and I would say a lot less rugged when compared to a spotter. My Canon 7d and lens weigh something like 9 pounds, and the lens takes a 95mm filter for reference to whatever size spotter you'd be looking at. Because the mid range lenses like this only have an aperture of 6.3 at 600mm they still seem to lose light before legal shooting hours end and before my Cabelas Krotos 15-45x65 spotter. I also have a Panasonic HC-V770 handheld video camera, it has 20x optical zoom and 50x intelligent zoom. It way out performs the Sigma in terms of zoom, but loses light well before the Sigma. At the price point of swaro spotter's it might be worth a look to see what the market has for high zoom video cameras, but I have a hard time believing anything will outperform a spotter in terms of light transmission at long ranges.

 

[rwc101]

@wllm1313 I'm going through this dilemma now. Did you choose any of the above options?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

@wllm1313 I'm going through this dilemma now. Did you choose any of the above options?

Decided the next upgrade will be a lens. Was scouting with my BIL last summer and now I feel that if I was on a sheep hunt and needed to count annuli it would be way easier with a good lens.