Ever use a spotting camera?

[Jimi Jah]

I saw an ad for one of these spotting cameras with a video feed to a small laptop or tablet at the shooting rest. It was set up below the target a couple of yards back and below (you wouldn't want a flyer to hit it).

The image on the screen was brite and sharp, better than most optical spotting scopes.

It sells for $300, anyone ever use one? Looks tempting.

[TurboChrisB]

Yeah, I've seen a couple now online and at the gunshow.....they look amazing...exactly what I need for desert shooting. I just wish I went enough to justify the cost!!!

[ditchdigger]

We have one at the Santa Margarita Gun Club that we are testing.

We tested the range of the camera around the canyons where I live. It was over a mile.

We took the camera to a range and used it at 100 yards. This was so that we could easily verify shot holes on the computer screen with a spotting scope.

Shots in the white were easily visible on the screen, but shots in the black were difficult to see.

The camera is 'line of sight'. We set it up last weekend at SMGC. The berm at the targets is about 1' higher than the lid over the pits. We thought this would give the camera some protection. We put the camera on the lid and checking the picture there, we were good.

When we were back at the 600 yard line, we no longer had 'line of sight'. That 1' of dirt at the top of the berm was all it took to block the signal.

We are going to do more testing to see what we can do to protect the camera without blocking the signal.

Glare on your laptop screen is also a problem. I will be getting an anti-glare screen.

[kcstott]

Would be nice at an established range but I won't get one for what I do.
Just two more pieces of electronics to fail in the field.

[waggie]

Have a look at Nikon's P900. it's got 83x zoom with Vibration reduction. if you pair that with a good tripod, I bet it will beat the $300 spotting camera. Street price for the nikon is $600 dollars, granted it's spendy... but it's not a one trick pony, it is also a very nice camera. here's a zoom test

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oScEo5aRek

[Jimi Jah]

More glass spotting scopes should have image stablization, Cannon does it on their lower cost camera lenses too.

I expect the prices on these spotting cameras to come down over the next few years, the first is always the most costly. I like the idea of having the screen next to you so you don't have to put down the rifle and move over to the scope. Faster feedback that way.

[LynnJr]

Look for camera post by Shakey and Diver.
They are building units that work at 2000 yards for less than $200

[RobertMW]

Have a look at Nikon's P900. it's got 83x zoom with Vibration reduction. if you pair that with a good tripod, I bet it will beat the $300 spotting camera. Street price for the nikon is $600 dollars, granted it's spendy... but it's not a one trick pony, it is also a very nice camera. here's a zoom test

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oScEo5aRek

The thing is, as much zoom as you can get out of that camera, you can never get rid of the mirage between the target and the camera. There will be conditions that you just won't be able to see the target with that. A camera up close, transmitting the image, will get a much better picture every time.

Look for camera post by Shakey and Diver.
They are building units that work at 2000 yards for less than $200

I like what they did, they have long range target cameras for the absolute minimum. But, it is an analog system and you only have the one monitor.

I want to see what it would take to get a versatile digital system to do the same. If I can just get my head wrapped around multicasting, it is just a matter of buying a little hardware. Then, everyone at the shooting area could log into a local wi-fi and see the target on their own devices. And since it would be running on a server, you could use it as a dvr to record the shooting, rewind it, save it off to anyone.

I know how to get an IP camera onto wi-fi, a couple higher power access points, a pair of 20db antenna, a server, a router. I just need to get the multicasting to work.

[Jimi Jah]

I'm convinced this is the future. There are so many benefits with one drawback, shooting your expensive camera.

I suspect later designs will come with plate steel protection while still transmitting a clear signal. The mirage problem is bad out in the desert with scopes.

[ditchdigger]

The Bullseye Camera Systems has an insurance policy for shooting your camera.

It is very affordable. I think it is $29.

[Richt]

They work great and I am a local dealer for them in San jose. I will also include a 2 year replacement warranty for any unit purchased from me if they mention they saw this on the Calguns forum.

2-year Downrange Protection Plan Limited Warranty will replace
or repair any of the Bullseye Camera System down range equipment even
if the equipment is damaged during use, even if the damage is caused
by a projectile, for a period of 24 months after the date of your purchase.

Contact me at info@tekline.com

[Aeonstar]

ummm pretty simple to build one yourself. you can get all the parts from EVIL Drone places like http://readymaderc.com or http://www.getfpv.com/

1.3mhz transmitter at 300mW will go farther than you can shoot. I fly my helicopter out past a mile all the time. Only hard part is you have to have a ham lic for 1.3. add this to the list of projects i need to build.

[Jimi Jah]

Tell us more about setting that up, I'm an engineer so I can deal with specifics.

[Aeonstar]

watch the video on this page.

http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_319&products_id=3658

[chromatica]

A new wrinkle

Just wanted to comment about an alternative. I have a Panasonic mirrorless camera mounted on my Pentax spotting scope. The Pentax spotting scope uses standard astronomic eyepieces and I picked up an adapter that connects my eyepiece to the lens socket which uses the Lumix micro 4:3 standard. No lens is required on the camera - the eyepiece of the spotting scope takes on that function. The camera body I am using does not support Bluetooth or WiFi but newer ones do. My plan is to eventually get a newer body (GX-7, GX-8) so that I can stream wireless video to a tablet on the bench next to me.