Thread: Spotting Scope vs High Zoom Camera

x zoom is not an indication of max magnification as there is no fixed starting point accross different platforms. Its simply the lowest focal length divided into the largest. Case in point the cannon sx6o claims x65 zoom, the Nikon B700 claims 60x zoom but the cannon has wider (lower) starting point so in terms of focal length the Nikon has more reach or top end, around 1365mm in the cannon compared to 1440mm in the Nikon IIRC. The same applies to spotting scopes, a 20x60 spotting scope will Be around 3000mm, substantially better. I havnt looked at big high zoom cams like the P1000 as they weigh as much as a good spotter so no real gain.
My advice has generally been if you can run to a really good spotter then buy one but a good camera will be better than a cheap spotter.