Is there a such thing as a digital spotting scope?

I've seen videos of shooters at benches viewing their targets on a tablet or phone, so there is definitely systems out there. The only system I've shot with was at an indoor range while vacationing in Florida.

I have an old (roughly 10 years) Bushnell that has a built in camera. The camera quality is par for that old of a setup. I also have a gizmo that attaches to the scope that is blue tooth enabled and will link to the phone or tablet. I really like this setup as you don't have to get up to look, you can just glance over to the screen and see. It is very nice.

When I get home if I remember I will look it up.

Has anyone used a DSLR camera with a telephoto lens? I've thought about using for 100 yard shooting. May not work great at really extended ranges unless using a good telephoto and a tele-converter on top

I would think a digital spotting scope would be horrible for long range due to pixilation. Adding one of those cameras to an existing spotting scope would probably be your best bet.

Mars5l said:

Has anyone used a DSLR camera with a telephoto lens? I've thought about using for 100 yard shooting. May not work great at really extended ranges unless using a good telephoto and a tele-converter on top

Click to expand...

"Good" lenses would be more expensive over a spotting scope. Years ago I bought a new D1S (that should tell you how long ago it was) and a somewhat good camera and lens setup was over 10k.

I took photos for a while as a money making hobby......if it makes money is it a hobby?

How far away? Glass can only do so much before mirage gets either your eye ball or another device, looking through it.

I do have video/audio TX that send the signal back to a camera at the bench.

Originally bought for my RC aircraft, they work very far but it has to be line of sight. Not a problem if you are trying to control something or shoot at it though.

This is it but I generally use just the camera/TX down by the target.

I know of some Zeiss and Swarovski models with dedicated "Digiscoping" adapters.

I imagine one can use a WiFi - enabled DSLR to transmit the images to your smartphone in real time (my older Panasonic video camera does this).

They make "target cameras" which you drop near the target, then "wifi" back to the line. These have a range of self-contained wifi, or relying on your ability to "hotspot."

I have some acquaintances you have taken no-longer-flying drones and repurposed those, to varying results.

I'm still using an adapter that straps my phone to the eyepiece of the spotter. The screen image can be finger pinched to suit needs.

This is very much an "emergent" are of accessories.

The image on this phone is being send by the drone that will no longer fly, sitting in front of the target.

The RX/TX in #7 will do that, I tested it to 2000ft.

The camera and TX is the little black cube and 9v in the center.



On the left is a deer feeder battery (12v) RX and directional antenna. RCA jacks to a broken DVD player. If you are in the sun you will need something better to view from.

Gun4Fun90 said:

Wait when you say tested at 2k feet, do you mean it zooms in that far or you put it down range?

because the range I go to is generally very busy and I would not feel comfortable putting something down range that I am not okay losing to a stray round.

Click to expand...

It likely has that range.

I also flew using what the model airplane world calls "first person". Then the FAA started calling styrofoam "toy" airplanes "real" airplanes and is really giving the ATF a run for its money in being the king of jerks. All brought on by "drone" flyers, these are the fools that came into the model flying hobby and ruined it for all the rest of us. It is not the guy in his basement that spends the winter building that perfect scale P-51 that is the issue, the issue is that total moron that wrote a check, has a computer and GPS to "fly" his air fidget spinner that does flat stupid things with it....trust me it is not that model BF-109 that cost $600 and 1000 hours to build that is the issue, it is also not the B-17 foam park flyer that is the problem, and really it is not the "drone" itself that is the problem. It is the person behind the controls. For you see to fly a model airplane it has a large learning curve, to fly a drone it takes nothing but a push of the button.

Sorry for the rant.

Who knows you might find a real model pilot that has been chased away from something that he really loved (sound anything like shooting anyone) by a few people being idiots.

See how that is gun related....some might not and this post will be nuked by the fun police.

Gun4Fun90 said:

Wait when you say tested at 2k feet, do you mean it zooms in that far or you put it down range?

because the range I go to is generally very busy and I would not feel comfortable putting something down range that I am not okay losing to a stray round.

Click to expand...

Down range. I am not sure what the conditions would have to be like to see a say 6mm bullet hole viewed from that distance but I haven’t ever had them that well.

I guess you can in the desert at the crack of dawn.

https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2019/06/seeing-bullet-holes-at-1000-yards-yes-it-is-possible/

Remington1911 said:

I also flew using what the model airplane world calls "first person". Then the FAA started calling styrofoam "toy" airplanes "real" airplanes and is really giving the ATF a run for its money in being the king of jerks. All brought on by "drone" flyers, these are the fools that came into the model flying hobby and ruined it for all the rest of us. It is not the guy in his basement that spends the winter building that perfect scale P-51 that is the issue, the issue is that total moron that wrote a check, has a computer and GPS to "fly" his air fidget spinner that does flat stupid things with it....trust me it is not that model BF-109 that cost $600 and 1000 hours to build that is the issue, it is also not the B-17 foam park flyer that is the problem, and really it is not the "drone" itself that is the problem. It is the person behind the controls. For you see to fly a model airplane it has a large learning curve, to fly a drone it takes nothing but a push of the button.

Click to expand...

As it goes with most things.

In our case, firearms ownership.

The Glockodile said:

As it goes with most things.

In our case, firearms ownership.

Click to expand...

So true, I included that story because it relates to our forum here so much. Stay under the radar and have .gov leave you alone and as long as people are not stupid you are good. Get idiots behind the controls of anything and the .gov gets its nose in there nothing good ever comes of it.

Gun4Fun90 said:

So I know products like the Tactacam Spotter LR exist that you can attach to the eyepiece on a spotting scope but I was wonder If there is a such thing as a spotting scope with a digital camera built right in that I could just link up with my phone or tablet at the range?

Click to expand...

Your best choice for something like this would be to buy something like a Sightmark Wraith 4K rifle scope and link to your phone...if you wanted a digital scope that would link up from the bench.

Otherwise, folks have already mentioned several options.

Gun4Fun90 said:

while 24x is great magnification for a rifle scope it falls into the same issue as my current rifle scope powerful enough to make the shot not powerful enough to see the target clearly enough to fine tune zero.

this is why I use a spotting scope it’s much more powerful at 60x . My issue is I hate having to use a spotting scope solo at the range when sighting in.

Click to expand...

Okay, here you go. Be happy.
https://theammosource.com/atn-x-spotter-smart-hd-spotting-scope-20-80x-day-night-digital/

CapnMac said:

They make "target cameras" which you drop near the target, then "wifi" back to the line. These have a range of self-contained wifi, or relying on your ability to "hotspot."
...snip...

Click to expand...

I still take my spotting scope out with me when I go, but I now rely almost exclusively on one of those WiFi cameras that sits up close to the targets. Mine is a Longshot, basic, shorter range, but I know they offer longer range units. I connect it to an iPad and mark shots sequentially. Saves photo images with the shot markings. Very happy with it and don't miss having to change positions to look thru the scope.

Rick

Gun4Fun90 said:

while 24x is great magnification for a rifle scope it falls into the same issue as my current rifle scope powerful enough to make the shot not powerful enough to see the target clearly enough to fine tune zero.

this is why I use a spotting scope it’s much more powerful at 60x . My issue is I hate having to use a spotting scope solo at the range when sighting in.

Click to expand...

This is where the digital aspect comes in so handy, you can lay your phone or tablet on the table and just glance over and see what is what. No more getting up bumping the stupid thing, spending a half a minute at best getting it to find your target again, look, go hmmmm, sit back down, settle in and ready for the next shot......then again you think ok where did that one hit....back up to do the entire mess all over again.

Gun4Fun90 said:

Get to everyone while I love a good rant about “government bad” as much as the next person this really isn’t the thread for it this is about spotting scopes.

Click to expand...

Gotta love the ignore feature, I use it more and more, oddly enough I now will not see your reply.

If I were still shooting BPCR and F class, I would own a target camera for practice and load selection.
Still have to have a spotting scope for matches... unless the range has the increasingly popular electronic targets.
And even then, to watch the mirage for wind corrections.