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I love DIY photography, if I can make an equivalent item and save some money doing it, then I'll make it, and throughly enjoy doing it.
The Olympus EE-1 Dot Finder in the UK is close on £100, an utter rip-off....IMVHO.
So I made an equivalent, and yes, functionally it is an equivalent.
The lens I built this for is the Olympus M4/3, 75-300mm.....EQUIVALENT TO 150-600mm IN FULL FRAME.
Camera..E-M1, Lens...Oly 75-300mm Mk ll.
For use with other focal lengths see below.
The dot sight was calibrated with the lens set to 300mm using a distant subject.
With the camera on a tripod It's brilliant.
The subject to be shot can be seen crystal clear under the chosen reticule and coincides with the AF rectangle precisely in the EVF or Touch Screen (TS)
Focus and framing can be confirmed in the EVF or TS before the shutter is released.
The minimum distance for achieving this is a learning process, too close and it is accurate, framing and AF positioning is off.
This improves as the subject is moved further away.
HOWEVER, and here's the however.
I not convinced as to it's use hand-held.
Hand-held proceedure.
I identified and positioned the subject under the reticule, then what, the camera/lens is 'wobbly' in my hands.
There are two choices.
1......Do I take the shot.
Trusting my calibration, but not knowing precisely what is focused upon.
A bird in a tree for instance, focus could be on a branch or twig.
2......Do I move my eye to the EVF or TS to confirm focus, my camera is wobbly in my hands remember.
In moving my eye to the EVF or TS the subject was no longer shown where I thought it was, due to camera movement.
I therefore I could not confirm that I'd framed or focused on the correct subject.
This is due to small camera movement being magnified, this is a 600mm lens remember in FF.
My findings after such short trials are therefore.
When mounted on a tripod, as I said to begin with, it's brilliant.
The subject can be located precisely with the reticle, framing and focus confirmed either using the EVF or TS.
Hand-held, I'm not sure it has any use....unless one relies on a 'beep'...see below.
As previously mentioned.....
In moving my eye to the EVF or TS the subject was no longer shown where I thought it was.
I therefore I could not confirm that I'd framed or focused on the correct subject.
The only way I could get it work was to have complete faith in my calibration.
I selected an isolated subject, with a background unlikely to confuse the AF and using just the reticule, I took the shot using the 'BEEP' as indication of correct AF.
I was in fact using the dot sight as an optical view finder.
It worked quite well, although framing was imprecise at times, moving my eye slightly moved the reticule relative to the subject a little.
Use with other focal lengths.
I tried the dot site out, without re-calibration on my range of lenses...75-300mm, 12-40mm and 60mm Macro.
Though why one would want it for the shorter focal lengths I don't know.
The dot sight worked through all the focal lengths without re-calibration, pretty much as one would expect really, as the lens axis is common for ALL lenses….Dahhhhhh.
'MY' conclusions.
I have no reason to believe that the Oly Finder will behave any differently to my DIY version.
Would I pay a 100 quid for an Oly EE-1 Dot Finder....NO WAY.
Would I make another one, probably, I did enjoyed it.
Will I use it.......I'm doubtful, hand-held being such a pain-in-the-****, hit-and-hope method.
If one were determined to get a dot finder/sight....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380845102...html?ssPageName=GSTL&_nkw=380845102201&_rdc=1
IMG_0206 copy by Dave in Wales, on Flickr
IMG_0203 copy by Dave in Wales, on Flickr
IMG_0202 copy by Dave in Wales, on Flickr
The folllowing two shots were taken without repositioning the camera, the reticule and AF target are in alignment you will notice.
Focal length was 300mm, equivalent to 600mm in FF.
IMG_0193 copy by Dave in Wales, on Flickr
IMG_0196 copy by Dave in Wales, on Flickr
The Olympus EE-1 Dot Finder in the UK is close on £100, an utter rip-off....IMVHO.
So I made an equivalent, and yes, functionally it is an equivalent.
The lens I built this for is the Olympus M4/3, 75-300mm.....EQUIVALENT TO 150-600mm IN FULL FRAME.
Camera..E-M1, Lens...Oly 75-300mm Mk ll.
For use with other focal lengths see below.
The dot sight was calibrated with the lens set to 300mm using a distant subject.
With the camera on a tripod It's brilliant.
The subject to be shot can be seen crystal clear under the chosen reticule and coincides with the AF rectangle precisely in the EVF or Touch Screen (TS)
Focus and framing can be confirmed in the EVF or TS before the shutter is released.
The minimum distance for achieving this is a learning process, too close and it is accurate, framing and AF positioning is off.
This improves as the subject is moved further away.
HOWEVER, and here's the however.
I not convinced as to it's use hand-held.
Hand-held proceedure.
I identified and positioned the subject under the reticule, then what, the camera/lens is 'wobbly' in my hands.
There are two choices.
1......Do I take the shot.
Trusting my calibration, but not knowing precisely what is focused upon.
A bird in a tree for instance, focus could be on a branch or twig.
2......Do I move my eye to the EVF or TS to confirm focus, my camera is wobbly in my hands remember.
In moving my eye to the EVF or TS the subject was no longer shown where I thought it was, due to camera movement.
I therefore I could not confirm that I'd framed or focused on the correct subject.
This is due to small camera movement being magnified, this is a 600mm lens remember in FF.
My findings after such short trials are therefore.
When mounted on a tripod, as I said to begin with, it's brilliant.
The subject can be located precisely with the reticle, framing and focus confirmed either using the EVF or TS.
Hand-held, I'm not sure it has any use....unless one relies on a 'beep'...see below.
As previously mentioned.....
In moving my eye to the EVF or TS the subject was no longer shown where I thought it was.
I therefore I could not confirm that I'd framed or focused on the correct subject.
The only way I could get it work was to have complete faith in my calibration.
I selected an isolated subject, with a background unlikely to confuse the AF and using just the reticule, I took the shot using the 'BEEP' as indication of correct AF.
I was in fact using the dot sight as an optical view finder.
It worked quite well, although framing was imprecise at times, moving my eye slightly moved the reticule relative to the subject a little.
Use with other focal lengths.
I tried the dot site out, without re-calibration on my range of lenses...75-300mm, 12-40mm and 60mm Macro.
Though why one would want it for the shorter focal lengths I don't know.
The dot sight worked through all the focal lengths without re-calibration, pretty much as one would expect really, as the lens axis is common for ALL lenses….Dahhhhhh.
'MY' conclusions.
I have no reason to believe that the Oly Finder will behave any differently to my DIY version.
Would I pay a 100 quid for an Oly EE-1 Dot Finder....NO WAY.
Would I make another one, probably, I did enjoyed it.
Will I use it.......I'm doubtful, hand-held being such a pain-in-the-****, hit-and-hope method.
If one were determined to get a dot finder/sight....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380845102...html?ssPageName=GSTL&_nkw=380845102201&_rdc=1
IMG_0206 copy by Dave in Wales, on FlickrIMG_0203 copy by Dave in Wales, on FlickrIMG_0202 copy by Dave in Wales, on FlickrThe folllowing two shots were taken without repositioning the camera, the reticule and AF target are in alignment you will notice.
Focal length was 300mm, equivalent to 600mm in FF.
IMG_0193 copy by Dave in Wales, on FlickrIMG_0196 copy by Dave in Wales, on Flickr
