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Hot Shoe Adapter for Red Dot Sight
Apr 1, 2018 13:38:50   #
Dennis48 Loc: SF Bay Area
 
I purchased a sight and hot shoe adapter from Amazon. I am very happy with the sight. The hot shoe adapter is a real disappointment. It won't lock down snugly and allows the sight to move when touched. Does anyone have a suggestion for an adapter that does the job?

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Apr 1, 2018 14:16:53   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
The problem is that the hot shoes themselves are not to fine tolerances. (if you notice flashes usually shift a lot also)
And some adapters are not well made. But the best one I have found so far I got from MT Shooter (member on UHH). His store is "Carter's Camera Cottage" http://www.cameracottage.com/ look under "Web Store".

I am also trying different things to make the fit snugger. Current experiment is Pipe thread sealing tape, no adhesive to gum things up when I remove it. Now to find a way to allow the contacts to work also because I use splitters to mount the Red Dot and a flash at the same time. Maybe something on the top and sides of the shoe only.

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Apr 1, 2018 15:30:29   #
Dennis48 Loc: SF Bay Area
 
Are you using the white thread sealing tape? That sounds like a good solution to try out.

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Apr 1, 2018 15:51:05   #
Dennis48 Loc: SF Bay Area
 
You started me thinking. It's a tolerance issue with the hot shoe fit. I thought a piece of engine gasket material cut to make a bed on the hot shoe might work. It seems to be working great. The gasket material allows the adapter to seat and make a solid fit. Thanks all for making me think.

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Apr 1, 2018 16:55:32   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
Dennis48 wrote:
Are you using the white thread sealing tape? That sounds like a good solution to try out.
yes

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Apr 1, 2018 18:11:39   #
Dennis48 Loc: SF Bay Area
 
Robert,
I have been using the gasket material all day shooting birds in the backyard. It's been working great. The sight hasn't moved once. Maybe you could try it with slots cut out for the contacts.

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Apr 1, 2018 21:40:20   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
Dennis48 wrote:
I have been using the gasket material all day shooting birds in the backyard. It's been working great. The sight hasn't moved once. Maybe you could try it with slots cut out for the contacts.
OK, first I have to get some.

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Apr 2, 2018 13:37:46   #
Geegee Loc: Peterborough, Ont.
 
Yes I had the same problem. I previously reported here on UHH on how I solved the problem. I will repeat it here FYI.

In a perfect world the foot of the red dot sight would fit snuggly in the hotshoe of camera with no noticeable clearance but this is not a perfect world. Here is how I overcame the problem of my red dot sight's sloppy fit in the camera's hotshoe.

First, you have to be able to really tighten the sight in your hotshoe. There will be a knurled knob which you tighten down on the rails of your hotshoe but you can't tighten it enough with your fingers.

Remove the knurled knob and clamp it in a small vise which you can put on the table of your drill press. Drill a 7/64 dia. hole radially right through the center of the knob through to the other side. Rotate it ninety degrees and drill another hole right through. You can firstly screw a 1/4-20 screw into the knob to eliminate burrs in the ID or you will have to use a 14/20 tap to clear the burrs out of the inside of the threaded hole.
You will need a 3/32 Allen key to fit in the holes which you have just drilled.
Re-assemble the knob but put a thin plastic washer under the knob to protect the rails of the hotshoe of your camera when you cinch down the knurled knob.

Push the assembly all the way into the shotshoe on the camera and rotate it all the way clockwise to place all the clearance in one direction. (forward and clockwise) Do this very positively. Now insert the allen key in one of the drilled holes and tighten it snugly. With the leverage of the Allen key It will be tight enough to not move, even if it is bumped.

Now mount your camera with your long lens on a tripod and sight in the red dot sight using the adjusting screws for horizontal and vertical corrections. The red dot should be in the center of your frame.

Note: You don't use the red dot sight to frame your picture, you just use it to locate your subject in the center.
You will have to estimate the distance where your subject will be so that you can adjust the zoom of your lens accordingly. Ideally, the bird should fill the frame leaving a little background all around it. You can "lead" the bird just like your would when shooting skeet and your bird will be leading into your frame. I have found that with this red dot sight I have more pictures of the bird's heads leading into the frame rather than their tails leaving the frame because I can be faster. You can look with both eyes open to get the broadest view. (but only one eye on the red dot)
Parallax should not be a problem for the distances which you will be using the sight.

The next time you want to use your red dot sight just insert it fully into the hotshoe, rotate it fully clockwise and tighten it. It should still be aligned or very close. The whole secret here is to carry out this procedure the same way every time so that the result is always the same. I found that I had to do this repeatedly until I found how to consistently do it the same way every time.

PS If you don't have a vise and drill press get a handy friend to do it or take it to a machine shop.

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Apr 3, 2018 09:03:26   #
Dennis48 Loc: SF Bay Area
 
Thanks, Geegee I have a machinist friend who will help me out.

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May 12, 2019 09:41:59   #
tommy2 Loc: Fort Worth, Texas
 
Nikon unit seems like a very good addition to my "other brand" camera rig.
Hope the store will put it into a plain brown sack after purchase just like the Honda dealer does their proprietary brand cleaner/polish when a Harley driver buys some...

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