OpenTube

Bird Photography with a Dot Sight OM System EE1

Ralph Goldsmith

6,068 views

In this week's video I'm out at El Fondo to try out some bird photography with a dot sight, specifically the OM-System EE1.

I decided to buy one of these to see if it really makes it easier to capture birds in flight and action shots and I thought I'd share my experience with you.

Hopefully some nice bird shots and even a couple of insect images

I hope you'll enjoy the video

Likes and comments always welcome.

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Music:
Title theme - Far Away (Sting) by MK2 - Youtube Audio Library
Other music - Night Snow by Asher Fulero - Youtube Audio Library

18 Comments

@woodswaterwild 1 month ago

Super helpful. Thx!

@ExpatinMazarrón 1 month ago

Interesting video Ralph and never heard of this before - got some great shots and thanks for sharing your work - have a great week! :hand-pink-waving:

@wilfs1196 1 month ago

Thank you Ralph, excellent instructional video rather than a vendor version.

@wadih_moussa 1 month ago

That looks like an amazing piece of equipment. Thank you for sharing.

@videograph 1 month ago

El Hondo is a very calm place to shot. Always stopping here for couple of hours when driving to Torrevieja

@marcystarnes5511 1 month ago

it takes some practice but works well - used it to catch tufted puffins at Canon Beach Oregon

@DanielBennettphotographyuk 1 month ago

Some great shots there Ralph, iv only ever seen one other video on thaws red dot gadgets, very “sniper style” ha

@DanOpdal 1 month ago

Great video, Ralph! I really enjoyed this video, and I really liked the shot at 13:11 time stamp. You got so many stunning shots. See you on the next one. Cheers!

@DuaneHJardine 1 month ago

I have a dot sight and calibrated it to be on at 30 yards. When I take pictures of hummingbirds at my water fountain I have to aim above the bird to get the camera to find the bird. With a little bit of practice I could figure out how much to hold over for the close subjects.

@comeraczy2483 1 month ago

Some nice shots. Thanks for sharing.
The dot sight definitely has some use, despite all its limitations, particularly the tedious alignment that must be done for a specific distance and needs to be redone every time the thing moves. I think that for action wildlife video it is a fantastic tool.
Personally, I think that the design of this one is flawed because the frame hides a big chunk of the field of view. Those for handguns often have just the clear piece, which I really prefer. Also, the EE-1 is outrageously expensive - paying $200 then I can get a better product for just $20 isn't for me.

@StevenForster-o7y 3 weeks ago

Hi Ralph another excellent video. As I'm getting older my reaction times are getting slower and hunting for the bird through the viewfinder is taxing, so I might just look for a dot sight soon

@colinfoyle1856 1 month ago

Hi Ralph. I knew the dot sight would be a winner. When I used mine recently, it was very useful, however, I did somehow change the calibration, and was slightly off. But I'll have to play with mine a little more too. I might go to a local ecology park and see if I can get some of the butterflies there. They will be closer than when I used it before, so will have to calibrate accordingly. I believe closer and far distances will have an impact on the calibration. If you think about it, the dot sight is a few centimetres above the lens, so there's a triangle between subject, middle of the lens, and the dot sight, which will change based on distance. Long distances, I don't think will have so much impact, but the closer you are, then the dot sight becomes more difficult to use, I believe.

@Lawnmoaman 1 month ago (edited)

Great video 👍🏻
Calibration is range dependant.
Imagine a triangle formed by a line from the centre of the sensor, to the dot sight, out to the subject, and back to the sensor.
Moving closer to (or further away from) the subject changes the shape of the triangle, so your calibration is no longer accurate.
Still a great bit of kit. I'm looking forward to mine arriving in the post soon.

@wouterx333 1 month ago

I wonder if telephoto lenses will ever come with picatinny rails in the future haha

@PeteBuxton 1 month ago

Some nice images Ralph. Any aid that helps to take better photo's has to be a consideration and i am pleased you think it will help your photography. Do you know what Autumn and Spring migration is like at El Fondo? I'm betting it's excellent. Have a great week and stay safe.

@jimcooke5590 1 month ago

Brilliant Ralph, it seems a very handy tool to help out with distant shots, but do you think the calibration is a bit to faffy, then lead to disappointments, or you will just keep practising until your happy with it. Great images though, have a great week and see you next Saturday.

@VCJewelry 1 month ago

Just keep both eyes open and use te markers in your viewfinder, no need for extra gear. Cheers.

@johnsammonds 1 month ago

I have a dot sight it's lose in the hotshoe it moves when clamped down the dot will alter on it's own and I have never had a good picture with one a waste of time and money. they need to be improved greatly to be any good.