Thread: Spotting scope or camera?

Anyone using or looking at the Panasonic FZ80? Compared it with the SX60 in Harvey Norman today and think I'd look at the FZ80. Might be too new of a model to have many reviews.

Originally Posted by Snowgrass

Anyone using or looking at the Panasonic FZ80? Compared it with the SX60 in Harvey Norman today and think I'd look at the FZ80. Might be too new of a model to have many reviews.

I'm not a photographer but I'm guessing Sony has better glass than the Panasonic, happy to be proved wrong

Great thread, SX60HS it is... May try find a second hand one. Should save me $4500 on a spotter haha

Originally Posted by 223nut

I'm not a photographer but I'm guessing Sony has better glass than the Panasonic, happy to be proved wrong

Panasonic use Leica lenses in a lot of their cameras (my TZ80 being one) but apparently not the FZ80.

I'm changing my ideas on this after my last trip. Had sx50 and Leupold 60x spotter with a phone. Phone through scope was getting WAY better shots than my camera @silentscope could chuck up a pic of that chamoi and I'll find the one I took

I don't think people are suggesting you will get better results with a zoom camera, just that you can use one instead of carting around a huge spotter in your pack. And the cost is a lot less.

Interested in this as am currently looking at getting a swaro spotter


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Originally Posted by Shearer

I don't think people are suggesting you will get better results with a zoom camera, just that you can use one instead of carting around a huge spotter in your pack. And the cost is a lot less.

My thinking is binos are for glassing then super zoom camera or spotting scope to assess
Plus is some of the super-zooms have more zoom that the spotter but not waterproof or robust but you can take video or stills
spotting scopes cost silly money generally robust as hell, have better optical performance but you still need to take a camera or video

I along with a mate have been doing a heap of both lately.

Sx60 camera and swaro 20-60 spotting scopes.

You really need to have the camera steady as possible to get a good enough pic at distance to determine if you are looking at a shooter. Not all the time but it helps. (Also taking in to account I suck at photography)

We have found a Spotter is way easier and faster to assess an animal. Especially when they're moving around.
If you have to zoom in on a pic to assess a trophy you are only looking at one frame and angle.
Depending on animal your hunting it can take a while to make a D.

I try to score the animal when looking at it thru the scope.
Usually get it within a couple points on reds. Thar and chams within an inch.

I don't do as well looking at pics for some reason.

Fallow I usually get within 5-10 as I find them the hardest due to body size varying in the herd we normally hunt, length and width can be deceiving.

Both work but I prefer the scope.
Especially on a cold damp misty morning and you're in a hurry.


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Quite a price difference between a Swaro spotter and a Canon SX60 though. I may be wrong but would imagine a spotter of similar price to a SX60 would not give any better image than the camera video.

Originally Posted by Shearer

Quite a price difference between a Swaro spotter and a Canon SX60 though. I may be wrong but would imagine a spotter of similar price to a SX60 would not give any better image than the camera video.

You're right there. And if you're not genuinely after trophy animals a camera like the Sx60 would be perfect.



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