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Red Dot Laser for Birds in Flight
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Oct 8, 2017 10:53:07   #
AK Grandpa Loc: Anchorage, AK
 
OK . . . Now you guys got me thinking . . . I think the red dot sight would really work well . . . I'm pretty sure I have a couple out in the gun safe, so I'm gonna try and adapt one to fit in the camera hot shoe . . .

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Oct 8, 2017 11:52:13   #
DaveO Loc: Northeast CT
 
Just a note,guys, the red dot has been around the forum for a while and provides a viable function for some. The SEARCH function may help.

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Oct 8, 2017 11:59:00   #
JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA
 
Rongnongno wrote:
And have a target sight on the bird will not be visible? This reads and sounds really weird. Why would anyone a laser to find a bird that when you can simply look through the range finder?


A red dot finder does not project any laser light. The red dot is contained within the finder. The advantage being that you are able to see a much wider FOV while following a moving bird.

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Oct 8, 2017 18:36:02   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
The Red Dot sights and similar other brands do not project a beam, the image is projected on the glass of the sight, like a Heads Up Display on an airplanes cockpit glass or a teleprompter.
The advantage is that you can look through the glass with one eye and the other is open to see the rest of the scene. This gives you much better situational awareness and it is a lot faster to acquire the bird/subject (some Astrophotographers use Red Dots also) and track it as it changes position. You do need to calibrate it so the dot and your center focus point are both on the same thing at some useful distance. This gets very easy to do with practice, even after knocking out of alignment with a bump. Then with practice you learn to "hold over", "hold under" and "lead" the subject/target like a shooter does with a gun.

Top picture - Red Dot sight on my 7DII
Lower picture - Red Dot and Flash mounted on a hot shoe splitter

I have used both rigs with a pistol grip for hand holding and on a gimbal head.

You can buy the cheap ones, it doesn't have to stand up to the recoil of a shotgun or hunting rifle. My 7DII has very little recoil.

Red Dot sight alone
Red Dot sight alone...
(Download)

splitter with sight and flash
splitter with sight and flash...
(Download)

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Oct 8, 2017 18:51:12   #
troutbum Loc: north central pennsylvania
 
Learned something new today thank you for your detailed picture of your setup, may have give it a try.

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Oct 8, 2017 19:14:23   #
bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA
 
Above I posted about the Olympus version made for cameras. An advantage is that it folds to a compact size when not in use. Here is a picture with it mounted on a Panasonic GX8 with a Lumix 100-400 lens. Note that it is in the use mode and is expanded to full size. The GX8 is a relatively small camera by DSLR standards so the sight looks larger than it really is.


(Download)

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Oct 8, 2017 19:39:41   #
BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA
 
Haydon wrote:
I have heard many using a Red Dot sight for this purpose but that isn't a laser.

👍👍👍

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Oct 8, 2017 20:05:50   #
Earworms Loc: Sacramento, California
 
turp77 wrote:
Just a knowledge type question. I have read that some Birders have used the red dot laser on their DSLR. I see there are many made to fit on the hot shoe starting around $30 and going up above $500. My question is, is this a true workable sight for birding or is it just a cool thing to have. It seems to me that trying to keep that dot on the bird could be just as hard as through the viewfinder. Never really been into birding and never used a red dot laser, is this practical and is there other uses for it. (I have also seen a single beed on the end of a long lens that you line up to your hot shoe. Now that to me seems a good way to follow the bird)
Just a knowledge type question. I have read that ... (show quote)

Not really necessary, of questionable value. Red dot sights and laser sights are used for targeting the object destined for the kill.

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Oct 8, 2017 20:16:00   #
martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida
 
This Might work for Sitting Birds, but not in flight unless they are well off in the distance, which equals a crap shot to start with.. At close distance for flying birds you would only have time to locate and shoot through the view finder. I only use a single point to focus and shoot. Just takes practice. Learning to shot with both eyes open so you can follow whats up ahead, like in driving defensively is the best option, which takes practice as well.....
turp77 wrote:
I agree with you on the laser sight “why”. To me it seems like trying to catch a mouse by its tail in a furnished room.😳 I have no interest in Birding but I have read here on the UUH of others using the Red dot sights and just wondered how practical they were. I watched a YouTube of a well known Birder and he mentioned the beed on the end of his lens for when he looses the bird in flight in his viewfinder and when he is back on the bird he just drops down to the viewfinder. I now there are a lot of birders out there that have a good reason for the red dot sight.
I agree with you on the laser sight “why”. To me i... (show quote)

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Oct 8, 2017 20:23:13   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
You two must be right and I am dreaming that it works for me. I will remove them, trash them and delete all those BIF and airplanes I didn't get pictures of because it is of questionable value and doesn't work.

Next time the Canon people are doing an exhibit at my local store I will tell the two who tried my rig and took down the info on where to get the sight and mount adapter to not bother or get rid of it because it doesn't work.

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Oct 8, 2017 20:26:29   #
AK Grandpa Loc: Anchorage, AK
 
robertjerl wrote:
You two must be right and I am dreaming that it works for me. I will remove them, trash them and delete all those BIF and airplanes I didn't get pictures of because it is of questionable value and doesn't work.

Next time the Canon people are doing an exhibit at my local store I will tell the two who tried my rig and took down the info on where to get the sight and mount adapter to not bother or get rid of it because it doesn't work.


Hey ! I'd sure like to find out where to get a hot shoe mount adapter . . . I already have a couple of the holographic type red dots . . .

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Oct 8, 2017 20:31:09   #
martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida
 
Airplane equals bird???????????? Read my statement........ Works for sitting Bird or Bird in flight at Long Distance. Show me a Close in shot with Bird in Flight, and I don't mean one that was perched and then took off and you captured it.
robertjerl wrote:
You two must be right and I am dreaming that it works for me. I will remove them, trash them and delete all those BIF and airplanes I didn't get pictures of because it is of questionable value and doesn't work.

Next time the Canon people are doing an exhibit at my local store I will tell the two who tried my rig and took down the info on where to get the sight and mount adapter to not bother or get rid of it because it doesn't work.

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Oct 8, 2017 20:38:21   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
AK Grandpa wrote:
Hey ! I'd sure like to find out where to get a hot shoe mount adapter . . . I already have a couple of the holographic type red dots . . .


MT Shooter has one available on his "Carter's Camera Cottage" web site, high end $29.95. http://www.cameracottage.com/apps/webstore/products/show/6655934

Amazon and E-bay have them from $9.95* up, but they come and go in the listings. Amazon also sells the same one as MT Shooter-for the same price and the Olympus sight mentioned $129. Both sites also have the hot shoe splitter.

* http://www.amazon.com/Higoo-Univesal-Camera-Picatinny-Adapter/dp/B01MSMG1PK/ref=pd_cp_421_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01MSMG1PK&pd_rd_r=NW62ZAH8SXQMRBJHBY2Z&pd_rd_w=QK5zC&pd_rd_wg=uc3Cw&psc=1&refRID=NW62ZAH8SXQMRBJHBY2Z

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Oct 8, 2017 20:48:35   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
martinfisherphoto wrote:
Airplane equals bird???????????? Read my statement........ Works for sitting Bird or Bird in flight at Long Distance. Show me a Close in shot with Bird in Flight, and I don't mean one that was perched and then took off and you captured it.

Moving object in air or other wise, hard to find through that narrow field of view of a camera view finder. Well a wide or ultra wide lens it can be done, but most likely you get a bird shaped dot-out of focus to boot. I once heard an expert BIF photographer say something on the order of: "Be prepared to take lots of shoots, and have lots of fails and almosts."

Show me some you got, of small birds moving close,* oh, and what is the failure rate of finding them in the view finder. Except hummers, they will get curious, hover and look right at you. What do you consider close? Do Egrets and ducks at 5 yards or so count?

*Or do you have the reflexes of a hungry raptor?

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Oct 8, 2017 21:45:18   #
CyberDave Loc: Pennsylvania
 
Well Done!:> "Spot-on" and 'played', as it should been!
Warmest regards~CyberDave
robertjerl wrote:
Moving object in air or other wise, hard to find through that narrow field of view of a camera view finder. Well a wide or ultra wide lens it can be done, but most likely you get a bird shaped dot-out of focus to boot. I once heard an expert BIF photographer say something on the order of: "Be prepared to take lots of shoots, and have lots of fails and almosts."

Show me some you got, of small birds moving close,* oh, and what is the failure rate of finding them in the view finder. Except hummers, they will get curious, hover and look right at you. What do you consider close? Do Egrets and ducks at 5 yards or so count?

*Or do you have the reflexes of a hungry raptor?
Moving object in air or other wise, hard to find t... (show quote)

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