Nowadays, it seems like everybody that hunts wants to record everything. Some do it for the memories, while others are trying to get content for their social media. No matter your reasons, you need to ensure you have quality equipment to capture exactly what you want.
Living in Idaho, I have the opportunity to hunt on a vast array of open public land. It’s not uncommon during an elk hunt to get on top of a hill and spend hours looking over the countryside for game. Much of the time is spent staring at a mountain a couple of miles away, trying to figure out if that speck you see on the hillside is an elk or a stump and some sagebrush.
Now, about everybody that hunts big game has a spotting scope in their arsenal of hunting tools. Unfortunately, you can only spend so much time looking through it until you have to take a break.
If you’re looking for something to make watching the hills more manageable or need to know where you are hitting on a long-distance target at the range. The Spotter LR from Tactacam is a fantastic addition to your collection of hunting equipment.
It comes with multiple sizing shims to ensure that no matter what spotting scope you own, it will fit every time. The quick-snap adapter ensures it’s not going anywhere until you are ready. Some of you will say, “I have an attachment to hook my phone to my spotting scope,” and that’s fine if you’re okay with poor quality and enjoy constantly adjusting your phone to keep the picture lined up.
You might think at first sight that this camera looks bulky, and it’s probably heavy, but weighing in at only 9 ounces, I don’t notice a difference when I’m carrying my spotting scope. I was more worried about it coming off during a walk, and much to my surprise, it stayed right in place thanks to the perfect fit of the shims and a locking feature that keeps the camera snugged in place.
The adjustable flip-up LCD screen is a lifesaver on the eyes when you’re spending a long time watching that once-in-a-lifetime muley buck tucked back into a sagebrush draw.
Once done, you can lower the screen back down or turn it around for easy storage during transport. No matter which way you have the screen, you can go into the setting and adjust the picture, so it is always right-side up.
You also don’t have to worry about your battery dying in the middle of filming that long-range shot of a lifetime. The lithium-ion battery has an average life of 2 ½ hours of run time during use.
I have two batteries and a charger that can charge two batteries at once. That is a definite addition I would recommend getting on top of the camera.
I recommend carrying an extra battery for those long, all-day excursions in the backwoods to ensure you never miss out on any opportunities. I wanted to test the Battery life, and just as advertised, both batteries ran past the 2 ½ spans while recording the entire time.
The zoom option will complement what your spotting scope is already doing. The 4X digital zoom allows your picture to look closer without sacrificing clarity. I prefer to keep it on max zoom to fill the entire screen with the image. If you have it zoomed out, you get a round picture in the middle of the camera screen.
For all you tech guys out there, you have the option of utilizing Wi-Fi for easy sharing to your cell phone, so you can run everything right from the palm of your hand. This is an excellent feature for starting and stopping the film, so you aren’t bumping the camera around trying to hit the record button.
The Tactacam Spotter LR is a fantastic piece of equipment for everybody from the weekend hunter to the outfitter to the content creators you see on the outdoor channel. With a retail price under $300, I highly recommend this product.
Even if a recording is not your thing. Take a look at it; this may just change your mind.