Hot Shoe Sight

[PhilCook]

A friend of mine just bought one of these recently and swears it's the best thing he's bought in particular for birds in flight....I'm not convinced, but wonder if anyone else has had experience with these hot shoe sights

http://gadget.brando.com/wildlife-photography-with-tactical-four-reticle-sight_p1341c73d3.html

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/05/13/tactical-red-dot-sight-for-camera/

[Doug West]

I don't see how it could be useful. For one thing, after you've captured the bird in the site,
you still have to find it in the viewfinder. If anything, I would think it would be tougher,
especially if you're going from that scope to the magnification of a 600, which would be
kind of like looking thru a hula hoop to the size of a pin.

Plus, I'm not to crazy about shooting lasers at birds.

Doug

[PhilCook]

I don't see how it could be useful. For one thing, after you've captured the bird in the site,
you still have to find it in the viewfinder. If anything, I would think it would be tougher,
especially if you're going from that scope to the magnification of a 600, which would be
kind of like looking thru a hula hoop to the size of a pin.

Plus, I'm not to crazy about shooting lasers at birds.

Doug


It doesn't project a laser away from the sight, no disturbance to birds or anything, just displays a central red dot on the items sight screen. I think from what I can gather you dont go from the sight to viewfinder but essentially you use just the red dot sight instead of the viewfinder as it is easier to track the bird. I guess it certainly means there may be no distinct focus point on the subject, but allowing the camera AF servo to keep focusing on the subject.

[Doug West]

Just sounds weird. I'd probably end up cross-eyed or something :)

Doug

[Daniel Cadieux]

Some people swear by the "bushhawk"...with that one you look through your viewfinder but hold the camera (and contraption) "kinda" like a rifle braced to your shoulder. I personally prefer the good'ol fashioned way though...one less gadget to haul.

http://bushhawk.com/bushhawk/bushhawk-shoulder-mounts

[John McNamara]

I have seen a few folks use this technique. You have to totally trust the autofocus because you won't be looking through the viewfinder. It might take some 'zeroing in' to get the red-dot to align with the center-focus. $40 at risk, go for it! If it doesn't work, sell the sight on Craigslist, but wait until hunting season.

[Ulli Hoeger]

Could be useful to get a subject into the viewfinder when a long lens with high magnification/narrow viewfield makes it hard to home in on the "needle in the haystack". Once in the viewfinder tracking the actual image should be easier as long as one manages to keep it in the viewfinder.......
See more use for it on a spotting scope ....

[BobbyPerkins]

I think that's a hilarious gadget, would be even funnier with a Bushhawk, all decked out in camo and "real stealthy like". May scare some folks, Ok, Ok, forgive my sarcasm.
For birds in flight I think pre-focusing and good Acquisition Skills is critical. It may take alot of practice but through development can be done instantly. Like Daniel, I like to keep things simplified with as little gadgets (and weight) as possible.

[PhilCook]

Have to agree through the viewfinder should achieve a better focus point, that's if you can track the bird with that small field of view using long focal lengths lenses. The fellow I know who now uses this device is 72 years old and I have just been sent another 5 images done with this gadget and must say I'm impressed with every bird in flight placed nicely in the frame of both large and small species. He uses a Nikon D300 and old model Nikon 80-400. This is something this elderly fellow struggled with all the time until he started using the scope sight so perhaps there may be something good about it.

[Don Railton]

Phil, I have one of those laser sighting thingos I bought in the states if you want to try it. Wont cost much to send it from Perth.. All you will need is a bracket or the like to mount it on your camera lens Been down the Laser sight path and give up pretty quickly. Bottom line is you still need the precision in your tracking/panning to keep the bird on the focus point to give the camera time to focus and track, adding a wider view using a laser sight does not negate the need for the precision panning.

DON

[PhilCook]

Phil, I have one of those laser sighting thingos I bought in the states if you want to try it. Wont cost much to send it from Perth.. All you will need is a bracket or the like to mount it on your camera lens Been down the Laser sight path and give up pretty quickly. Bottom line is you still need the precision in your tracking/panning to keep the bird on the focus point to give the camera time to focus and track, adding a wider view using a laser sight does not negate the need for the precision panning.

DON

Cheers Don, I wont really bother too much, just thought it was an intriguing idea