Kwik Aim Red Dot Camera/Photography sight

[drobie]

tafugate wrote:

i'm a little hazy on howto follow the planes with the scope, yet still manage to focus and achieve the correct exposure. right eye on the scope, left eye on the evf, or vice-versa?

When using the Kwik Aim scope, you don't use the EVF or LCD of your camera at all. Youonly usethe scope for viewing the airplane or bird or whatever. I always use auto focus andusually bracket my shotsfor exposure. As jotajota said, it takes some practice but it's not difficult to use at all. He sells hisstandard model on Ebay but also has a largermodel that you can order only from him. Do a Ebay search for Kwik Aim and you should be able to find it.

[bayourebel]

I have the Kwik-Aim also. When using the scope, you keep both eyes focused on the moving object and red dot centered in the scope. But first, be sure you have set everything up on a tripod. To do this, with scope on camera mounted on tripod, using the camera viewfinder, focus on a distant object, then align the red dot on the same object. Note: as Genece stated, if you position the scope the same each time you put it on the camera, in most cases you will not need to re-align everytime.

By holding the camera out in front of you somewhat, you should be able to see the red dot and follow the moving object, bird, plane, etc. Takes some practice.

[tafugate]

drobie wrote:

tafugate wrote:

When using the Kwik Aim scope, you don't use the EVF or LCD of your camera at all. You only use the scope for viewing the airplane or bird or whatever. I always use auto focus and usually bracket my shots for exposure.

thanks very much for that, drobie. i have not attempted bracketing shots, but that's an excellent suggestion. i will definitely try it my next time out.

i'm not sure using a tripod or focusing/exposuring (word?) is feasible for airshows, but i suppose anything is possible. i can see where setting up for bird shots might be a benefit. but i think for action/fast-moving sports, it greatly limits the type of shots you can take.

[rebelpcb]

The tripod is only for setting up the RDS the first time.

[Telecorder]

Actually, it appears as though you haven't grasped the concept of the RDS, as yet.

One doesn't have to use a tripod for the initial alignment between the Red Dot and the distant target but it helps. In use, once the Red Dot's position on the RDS-sight's lens is aligned with the image's center on a distant target, where ever you aim the Red Dot, the image's center will be aligned... no tripod is needed (or really desired) in use.

Try this analogy, take your palm with all four fingers extended and touching each other; now fold the two middle fingers into your palm leaving only your index and pinkie extended but still parallel. This approximates what the Red Dot and the image's center alignment affords you. Wherever you point your index finger (Red Dot), the pinkie finger (image center) is also pointing at the same distant subject.

Once you have the RDS aligned with the image's center, you use only the RDS to sight and track the moving target -- be it bird-in-flight, racing vehicle, running sports playeror BBIF (planes are 'Big Birds') without the need for viewing/tracking with the digi's EVF/LCD.

A lot of us have also found that setting the camera to High Speed Spot AF [] and to give an audiblebeep when AF is locked as well aslistening for itassists greatly in ensuring we have AF lock upon half depress of the shutter. The use of the RDS will greatly increase the %'s of a subject being somewhere within the image frame and, thus, increase the %'s of the subject being within the metered areas for achieving AF lock and proper exposure.

Likewise, I've found that using high speed burst and () center weighted exposure is better for BIF rather than bracketed exposures but that's a personal technique that I've developed for my BIF. The center weighted exposure does a fairly good job for exposing for the undersides of the BIF except when shooting towards a strongly backlit subject... see my avatar for an example of using a RDS andthese settings...

[drobie]

tafugate wrote:

i'm not sure using a tripod or focusing/exposuring (word?) is feasible for airshows, but i suppose anything is possible. i can see where setting up for bird shots might be a benefit. but i think for action/fast-moving sports, it greatly limits the type of shots you can take.

You don't needto use atripod after the sight is calibrated with your camera lens.Calibration takes only a couple of minutes and is a littleeasierif you use a tripod but even duringcalibrationa tripod is not absolutely necessary. Once calibrated, when the red dot is on your target, the target will be "automatically" centered in your camera lens. And like genece said, as long as the sight is installed the same way each time after it's first calibrated, no further calibration should be needed.

[bayourebel]

Guess, I didn't make it clear that the tripod was only for calibration, and not used when tracking a moving target. I also use the burst mode and auto focus, and image stabilization on mode 2.

Sorry, that I was clear about the tripod's purpose was only for iniatial calibration.

[tafugate]

no, no disconnect with your explanation, bayourebel. i understand the possible need for using a tripod with the initial calibration between a scope and your camera. however, in the case of the airshow saturday, there were light and dark clouds, near and far objects, and many opportunities to capture low-flying or landing skydivers. many times disappearing behind tents, crowd, or other objects, just before i wanted to snap the shot.

i still think drobie's suggestion of bracketing shots for exposure would have worked better for my situation. of which i will definitely start practicing for future opportunities.

[KennJ]

Might you post his e-mail address for those of us who do not use and are not members of e-bay for contacting about the better unit ?My thanks
KennJ

[bkrownd]

I'm guessing this is powered by its own battery, not through the hotshoe mounting?