If you had to pick between the two what would you go with? This will be used mostly for surveillance so size needs to be considered.

I'd go with binoculars. Just seems quicker and easier in my mind. More handy than even a compact spotter.

I used a Leupold Gold Ring 12-40x60 on a Trophy Tools clamp for surveillance and sent a ton of dirt bags to prison with it.

I have a Razor 11-33 and love it. Had it for about 10 years and it's never let me down.

There are cameras that zoom way more than a spotter. I think most time out if you dont take a pic so may not be practical. Depending on the surveillance you are doing you may need a camera anyway.

^^^This is what I used for hunting until I just started using my camera since I had it with me anyway.

The problem with a camera is having a stable platform so that at a great distance, a tiny bag of dope can be differentiated between it and another small object being handed off like a piece of gum. A camera needs a tripod and a spotter can work fine with a clamp. Either is fine outside or in a building looking through a window but most surveillance takes place in a vehicle. I tried the camera route and it was not as usable as a spotter.

I trust you know your stuff but a camera can be quick attached to anything just like a spotter so Im not sure the difference.

Window clamps are pretty obvious so top of the door clamps are better. In that configuration it would put the camera upside down so it’s not very easy to use. Things happen fast and change quickly so grabbing it and tossing it in the passenger seat happens frequently. Most cameras don’t like to be thrown around.

sig image stabilizing bino’s via LEO program

It all comes down to what you're going to use it for. Knocking off moving plates at 200 yards, a high power bino will work. To say for sure if it's a pecker or a thumb at 300, you need a spotter.

I think the pecker lookers are going with a spotter

I got several folks registered as sex offenders because of careless pecker use where they thought nobody could see them.

These days they probably lock you up for trying to catch em. Or at least question you for trying. The direction we are headed, what a world lol

Whatever the solution, it will need to be stabilized via a tripod or something. I think most people are shocked how good the visual quality becomes in even 10X binos with a good tripod. Going up to 12X or 15X binos, some sort of stabilizing method is almost an absolute if you want to see detail. Getting optics out of the hand becomes even more a concern the higher the heart beats and the adrenaline gets flowing.

So whatever you choose, make sure and get a solid base for it to rest on

I've got the 16X and really like them. The image stabilization is amazing and very compact.