jonjacobik Loc: Quincy, MA

I've been looking at Nikon's Dot Sight DF-M1 to use with my D7500 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.
Anyone have experience with this?
It seems like Nikon designed this to use with the P1000, but claim it works with any camera/super telephoto lens.

Tom DePuy Loc: Waxhaw, N.C.

The DF-M1 Dot Sight is designed to be used with SELECT Nikon cameras. Is what I just saw on the Nikon site....
But the only camera I saw specified for it was the P1000.

rcarol

Take a look at this site for the Olympus dot sight. It will tell you all you need to know about dot sights.

https://www.camerastuffreview.com/en/accessories/review-olympus-ee-1-dot-sight

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Long before Nikon has come out with this I have been using a Red Dot sight when I use my 500mm (plus tel-extender) for shooting small fast moving birds in the trees. It works. And it improved my keepers greatly.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

The Nikon and others made for cameras are very expensive.
One made for a gun and an adapter to fit the hot shoe can be had for much less and work fine.
I have two, almost identical but different names (same factory in China???), one was $35 and the other $39, others go up to several hundred dollars but the inexpensive ones work and don't need to take the recoil punishment on a shotgun or rifle.
The two adapters were $10 (company out of business) and a precision one for $30 from MT Shooter's store. The $30 one holds position better and wiggles less when mounted. I shimmed both of them with electrician tape to fit the hot shoe better stop shifting/wiggle.
I also have hot shoe splitters ($10) so I can use the red dot and still use flash at the same time - that rig is a bit awkward and easy to knock out of line but works with care.
I clamp the camera on a tripod and use something for a target at least 50 feet away and adjust until the sight points at the same place as the center AF point then clamp everything down.
With practice you learn how much to hold off or above and below just like target shooters do. I can also do a "good enough" realignment if I knock it off center while out shooting by having the focus point show in live view.
You can keep both eyes open for "situational awareness" tracking and finding subject etc much faster than looking through the lens. I do open the zoom up a bit to compensate for me failing to aim precisely
See shots of the rig below:

(Download)


(Download)

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

That's my setup too, only with a Nikon.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

The only two I know of that are for cameras are the Olympus and Nikon. I have the Olympus and can say it would work on any camera with a hot shoe.

There are benefits of the camera specific versions. The Olympus is light, compact and folds up. The adapted versions need a hot shoe to gun sight rail adapter. The last time this topic came up the only ones on the planet were in MT Shooter's store, Carter's Camera in Billings, MT.

Nikon's statement about "select cameras" might mean they have to have hot shoe sockets and the sockets might need to be high enough for the sight to see over the lens if the lens is a big one.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

[quote=bsprague]The only two I know of that are for cameras are the Olympus and Nikon. I have the Olympus and can say it would work on any camera with a hot shoe.

There are benefits of the camera specific versions. The Olympus is light, compact and folds up. The adapted versions need a hot shoe to gun sight rail adapter. The last time this topic came up the only ones on the planet were in MT Shooter's store, Carter's Camera in Billings, MT.???????????? They are all over Amazon, the net in general and E Bay and have been since I bought my first one over 5 years ago. And since I got the idea from someone on UHH who had been using them for a while they were around before then also.

Nikon's statement about "select cameras" might mean they have to have hot shoe sockets and the sockets might need to be high enough for the sight to see over the lens if the lens is a big one.[/quote

Look here, 30 seconds to Google it: https://www.google.com/search?q=red+dot+to+hot+shoe+adapter&oq=red+dot+to+hot+shoe+adapter&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.8361j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

And on E Bay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=red+dot+to+hotshoe+adapter&_sacat=0

And I just went to Amazon and did a search for "Red Dot sight for camera" and among the sights that popped up were some paired with an adapter, on the first line are two $29.99 and $32.99. The dealers have caught on to the camera market and now do sight and adapter bundles.

Astronomy types have contributed to this better availability since they use them on their telescopes and cameras for night sky photography.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I certainly stand corrected Robert. My only excuse is that when I did it a couple years ago, I was less than successful. So, I bought the Olympus. I'm still glad I spent the extra money because it is light and stores easily when not mounted on the camera.

TomV Loc: Annapolis, Maryland

I use a U bracket mounted on the camera tripod mount that wraps over the camera top and supports the red-dot assembly. That way I am not using the hot shoe. I use this when shooting with my gimbal.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

If you like it and got your value that is all that matters - I do note that the price is down from the first time I saw it advertised. That fold into a flat box shape does seem a good thing, esp for storage.

As to finding stuff like this, lots of research practice looking up stuff for lesson plans etc the last 10+ years I was teaching. It is amazing what a change of one or two words will do to on line search results.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

So, reading this thread, it would seem that these sights can be used for virtually any camera - the Olympus site on the Fuji X-T3 for instance would work - right?

Revet Loc: Fairview Park, Ohio

I have the olympus model on a D500 with a Sigma 150-600 and it works great.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Yes. It should be well suited to a lens like the Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 The Olympus EE-1 has a plastic base. None of the contacts in the hot shoe are connected to anything. The EE-1 uses it's own small battery that is only "on" when the sight is opened for use.

lhardister Loc: Brownsville, TN

I think the Olympus model looks promising for use on my Canon 7dii and 100-400mii lens. Does your Olympus model require the use of a tool or tools such as a screwdriver or allen wrenches to get it re-aligned each time it is mounted onto the camera? If re-alignment is required each time it is mounted, how much of a problem is it? Does it practically require mounting the camera on a tripod, or can one get it close by hand-holding and making small adjustments until it is pretty much on target?