The Perfect Spotting Scope

[jdege]

I've been into photography for I don't know how long.

I bought my first professional 35mm camera as a sophomore in high school. Every five or ten years since, I'd pick up a new camera body, just to play with the new toys - generally sticking to the Canon EOS line.

Among the various accessories for this I've collected is a 90mm aperture, 1000mm focal length, f/11 lens. Or, really, it's more of a compact reflecting telescope. After I bought it (out of the trunk of some guy's car in the parking lot of a bar), I ended up paying a bunch of money for a decent Manfrotto tripod - because the cheap tripods I had been using wouldn't work with it. When I had everything lined up and tried to lock the tripod down so it would stay in position the very act of tightening things down would shift the point of aim.

The thing is that this 90mm lens, with an eyepiece instead of a camera, on a decent full-sized tripod, makes an astounding spotting scope. More than once I've set it up behind the bench at OGC's 200m range, The only problem is you have to get up from your shooting position to look through scope. Of course, you pretty much have to do the same with a regular spotting scope, Still, it bugged me.

I've mused, from time-to-time, of building a little digital device that would fit to the lens, capture the image, and broadcast it to an Android app, so I could display the image on my tablet, without having to get up from the bench.

Of course, I knew I'd never build it.

So, the other day I bought an Canon EOS 90D body - an upgrade for the 20D I bought in 2005.

The 90D does video, which is why I bought it. But it also can connect to a network via WiFi or Bluetooth.

And Canon has an Android app that will connect to the camera.

And the app will display a live feed of what the camera is seeing.

Which makes this whole kit - camera, lens, tripod, an Android tablet, an almost perfect spotting scope.

Except for the price. The 90D by itself runs $1200, with the rest of the kit we're over $2000.

Of course, they're all pieces I bought for other purposes, being able to combine them to make a remote-view spotting scope is simply a happy extra. So I suppose you could say it was free.

[yukonjasper]

Sounds like a win to me.

[LarryFlew]

GOPRO from version 5 on does bluetooth to your phone and LOTS cheaper

[jdege]

GOPRO from version 5 on does bluetooth to your phone and LOTS cheaper

How far away from the target can the GOPRO be, and still produce a clear image of the target?

How far away will that be from your phone, when you're on the 200m range?

What was the max range of Bluetooth, again?

[xd ED]

A drone would accomplish what you want to do; many models for much less money.

[jdege]

A drone would accomplish what you want to do; many models for much less money.

Given that these are all pieces that I bought for other purposes, and thought were the money for what I bought them for, that I can combine them to create a remote spotting scope is free - as in no extra cost.

[Scratch]

A drone would accomplish what you want to do; many models for much less money.

If the drone only has a wide angle lens like most of them... It won't really work very well. I've tried it. You need to get right in front of the target to see the holes, and now you have the chance of hitting the drone.

Most drones are designed to have a nice big wide angle lens for big views.

[Erud]

But can you read mirage with it? If not, it is definitely not perfect.

[crbutler]

I’m all for the multipurposing, and a 1000 mm lens would be neat for photographing close ups of waterfowl (my 400 does a lot better than the old 135 did) .

But if you need WiFi or Bluetooth, don’t you have a bit of an issue with distance anyhow?

Not to mention battery life isn’t great...

It isn’t a spotting scope if you can’t manipulate focus while using it, but it would work for checking impacts...

On the other hand, I can see the bullet strikes with my rifles at 200 in the scopes I’m using mostly. That’s dual use as well!

[jdege]

But if you need WiFi or Bluetooth, don’t you have a bit of an issue with distance anyhow?

With my setup, the camera is set up directly behind the bench, maybe six feet from my tablet.

The GoPro would be just in front of the target, almost 600 feet from the tablet. Unless you put it on a scope, and GoPros don't have interchangeable lenses.

I expect most of the high-end camera bodies could do what my 90D is doing - but none of them are cheap.

[Ironbear]

FWIW recently Raspberry Pi released a higher resolution camera with a C-mount. I think the Pi has Bluetooth. If so, a bit of nerding should get you there.

[Holland&Holland]

A drone would accomplish what you want to do; many models for much less money.

Are drones allowed at OGC?

[jdege]

FWIW recently Raspberry Pi released a higher resolution camera with a C-mount. I think the Pi has Bluetooth. If so, a bit of nerding should get you there.

That was what I had been musing about, before I bought this camera.

[xd ED]

A drone would accomplish what you want to do; many models for much less money.

Are drones allowed at OGC?

I don't know; but I've think they would be a good way to capture a practical pistol match. When I first bought a Bulls Eye Target Camera, I took it to Oakdale several times to learn set up, and use. Other than some curiosity, I was pretty much ignored.
If rules prohibit flying a drone, it could be carried down to the target and perched there to photograph bullet holes. Without having to power the motors, the batteries should last quite a while, and the range on even the cheap ones is more than adequate.

[Rip Van Winkle]

If all you're doing with your spotting scope is range/target work, there are cheaper alternatives.


https://shotmarker.myshopify.com


https://silvermountaintargetsusa.com/individual-shooters-ezp-29.html