Whey you’re looking through the viewfinder, especially when zoomed in a bit, it can be really hard to find and/or follow a moving object because the field of view is so restricted.
This would allow quick acquisition and if it’s zeroed correctly, would enable a photographer to get action shots of rapidly moving targets while zoomed in quite close.
It looks and sounds a bit silly, but it’s actually a pretty good idea.
We used to use crosshairs type deals, like on the old WW2 AA guns. On TV cameras, we just keep both eyes open, but you can’t do that with a still camera.
Pistol grips and shoulder stocks are also common addons, along with holsters like this:
Phelps: You can if your viewfinder and lens combo are 1x… which is uncommon, but not unheard of (and achieved with a magnifier adapter on Leicas, for instance, or an external viewfinder for fixed-length lenses).
One of the things I most like about my PowerShot is that the viewfinder is close enough to 1x to not matter when it’s at maximum wideness.
(Now, when’s someone going to sell a hot-shoe adapter that just has a rail on it?)
Actually, the only reason you can’t keep both eyes open with a still camera is that the camera is in front of the other eye. Otherwise, I would be able to do it fine. Zoom is rarely a problem once you’ve trained your brain for some eye independence. (I’ve also trained my brain to not automatically compensate for color temperature, which was terrific when I was in RFTV, and sucks now that I’m mainly doing law.)
May 12th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
You know, that’s actually not a bad idea.
Whey you’re looking through the viewfinder, especially when zoomed in a bit, it can be really hard to find and/or follow a moving object because the field of view is so restricted.
This would allow quick acquisition and if it’s zeroed correctly, would enable a photographer to get action shots of rapidly moving targets while zoomed in quite close.
It looks and sounds a bit silly, but it’s actually a pretty good idea.
May 12th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
We used to use crosshairs type deals, like on the old WW2 AA guns. On TV cameras, we just keep both eyes open, but you can’t do that with a still camera.
Pistol grips and shoulder stocks are also common addons, along with holsters like this:
http://gadget.brando.com/camera-dv-waist-belt-lock_p01220c073d003.html
May 12th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Phelps: You can if your viewfinder and lens combo are 1x… which is uncommon, but not unheard of (and achieved with a magnifier adapter on Leicas, for instance, or an external viewfinder for fixed-length lenses).
One of the things I most like about my PowerShot is that the viewfinder is close enough to 1x to not matter when it’s at maximum wideness.
(Now, when’s someone going to sell a hot-shoe adapter that just has a rail on it?)
May 12th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
What, no laser or bayonet?
Pikers.
May 12th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Actually, the only reason you can’t keep both eyes open with a still camera is that the camera is in front of the other eye. Otherwise, I would be able to do it fine. Zoom is rarely a problem once you’ve trained your brain for some eye independence. (I’ve also trained my brain to not automatically compensate for color temperature, which was terrific when I was in RFTV, and sucks now that I’m mainly doing law.)
May 12th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
I could really use that for fast moving stuff… a hot shoe rail would be pretty cool too.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Hmmm, I bet it could be transmogrified to fit a Marlin. Mod. 60, mebbe?