Reflex/Holograph sights: Question; Does anyone own or has anyone used/experience in using a holograph/reflex sight attached to the hot shoe for BIF's? I've seen a few articles on the...

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Question; Does anyone own or has anyone used/experience in using a holograph/reflex sight attached to the hot shoe for BIF's? I've seen a few articles on the net where some of the photographers are using the subjects sights for BIF's. Understanding the sight would have to be calibrated before any photographic session but that seems a very minor nuisance. Curious.....Pro/Con's, gimmick, useful, I would appreciate any input.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

They work wonders on a rifle for sure but I am having a hard time understanding how they are used on a camera. It seems like it would need all the data from the camera's OVF/EVF/Liveview to be fully effective.

Bison Bud

There have been previous posts on this subject and apparently these sights have been used by quite a few for BIF photography. However, this sort of thing is generally a custom installation and I know of no commercially available "Red Dot" type sight made for photography. However, if your a good tinkerer, it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out a suitable mount and calibrate the sight on the camera. I would think that the results would be worth the effort and also think some enterprising company will soon decide to market such an accessory and make some money. Good luck and good shooting to all.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

johngault007 wrote:

They work wonders on a rifle for sure but I am having a hard time understanding how they are used on a camera. It seems like it would need all the data from the camera's OVF/EVF/Liveview to be fully effective.

Thanks John, I have them on some my rifles and handguns, red dot reflex sights, they work great. I understand the hot shoe would be nothing but a 'cold shoe' for attachment with no connection to the camera since the sight would be totally independent of the camera. Just using it as a sight to follow the birds or targets using the red dot instead of the eye planted in the OVF/EVF.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Blaster34, I think their use might be limited. Much like a rifle sight, they would have to be adjusted to a preset distance in order for the bird to be exactly where one wants it in the field of view of the lens when the dot is on the bird. Sure a little bit off might still work, but with telephoto lenses, the field of view is pretty narrow.
--Bob

Blaster34 wrote:

Question; Does anyone own or has anyone used/experience in using a holograph/reflex sight attached to the hot shoe for BIF's? I've seen a few articles on the net where some of the photographers are using the subjects sights for BIF's. Understanding the sight would have to be calibrated before any photographic session but that seems a very minor nuisance. Curious.....Pro/Con's, gimmick, useful, I would appreciate any input.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Nikon makes a DF M1 photo specific sight to mixed reviews and with limited camera compatibility - olympus apparently makes one as well. Red Dots are effective for rifle and certain types of pistol shooting - once sighted in, no re calibration is required, so I'm at a bit of a loss on the re calibration issue.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Bison Bud wrote:

There have been previous posts on this subject and... (show quote)

Thanks Bud, since many the reflex sights are relatively inexpensive I guess it could be a good exercise. Thinking 'any' open reflex sight (red or green dot) might work by attaching a picatinny rail, small one of course, to the shoe via an Arca-Swiss adapter.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

rmalarz wrote:

Blaster34, I think their use might be limited. Much like a rifle sight, they would have to be adjusted to a preset distance in order for the bird to be exactly where one wants it in the field of view of the lens when the dot is on the bird. Sure a little bit off might still work, but with telephoto lenses, the field of view is pretty narrow.
--Bob

Thanks Bob, surely understand that and calibration of the sight to the focal point of the camera would have to be done each time it is either removed/installed and used. I was wondering if the subject is anywhere within the focal area, the A/F would pick it up. Looking 'through' a reflex sight seems to be an easier way to try and follow birds than through the OVF (limited viewing). For me, using my rifles and handguns with a holographic/reflex sight is much easier than looking through a narrow fov of a scope. And I also know it takes practice, practice, practice...

Cheers, be safe

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

quixdraw wrote:

Nikon makes a DF M1 photo specific sight to mixed reviews and with limited camera compatibility - olympus apparently makes one as well. Red Dots are effective for rifle and certain types of pistol shooting - once sighted in, no re calibration is required, so I'm at a bit of a loss on the re calibration issue.

Thanks quixdraw, I would presume if you remove/replace the sight from the shoe then next time the sight is mounted, a calibration would be in order to ensure the reticle is consistent with the focal point of the camera.....since it would only involve simply moving the reticle to the focal point of the camera just to ensure calibration.

rcarol

Bison Bud wrote:

There have been previous posts on this subject and... (show quote)

Olympus and Nikon both make dot sights that can be used on any camera with a hotshoe.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

rcarol wrote:

Olympus and Nikon both make dot sights that can be used on any camera with a hotshoe.

Thanks rcarol…..thinking most any reflex sight (cheaper than Oly or Nikon) could be used. Seen some really good sights for ~$50 versus the more expensive sights.

promfh Loc: Redwood City, CA, USA

The problem with the reflex site on a camera is that your eye doesn’t stay in the same place relative to the site and the front of the camera. When the site is mounted on a rifle you have a spot weld that you keep your head on the stock of the rifle at the same place so that it’s in line with the rest of the the site line. With the camera I found I would move my head from side to side because there was no fixed position to place my head. Putting the camera on a shoulder stock would help with this problem.

promfh Loc: Redwood City, CA, USA

The problem with the reflex site on a camera is that your eye doesn’t stay in the same place relative to the site and the front of the camera. When the site is mounted on a rifle you have a spot weld that you keep your head on the stock of the rifle at the same place so that it’s in line with the rest of the the site line. With the camera I found I would move my head from side to side because there was no fixed position to place my head. Putting the camera on a shoulder stock would help with this problem.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

As someone who actually uses a red dot sight (the olympus EE-1, on my FUji X-T3 with 200MM f2 lens and TC as well as 100-400 lens with TC) I can tell you it has definitely increased the number of "keepers".

Yes, it's a (rather trivial) matter to center the sight. Mr Malarz is completely wrong when he posits (obviously not for experience) that a red dot sight would need to be calibrated based on distance. Note to Bob - the difference is that, unlike a slug of lead whistling towards a target, photons are not affected by gravity - once you center the red dot sight then it is centered regardless of how far away the subject may be.

Here's that sight listed on B&H's website:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1116753-REG/olympus_ee_1_dot_sight_for.html

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

promfh wrote:

The problem with the reflex site on a camera is th... (show quote)

A Shoulder Stock.....now that would be interesting...