Using flash and red dot sight together on E-M1 III

[zm123]

The Olympus FL-LM3 Flash attaches to a camera's hot shoe. The Olympus Dot Sight EE-1 similarly attaches to a camera's hot shoe.

However, most (all?) cameras have only one hot shoe. Does this mean that the flash and the dot sight cannot be used at the same time? Is there a DIY or third-party solution that would allow the use of flash and red dot sight at the same time? This could be useful for nighttime photography of wildlife.

I am interested in a solution for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 III, but I am aware that any solution would likely be applicable to most other cameras, especially those in the E-M1, E-M5, or E-M10 series.

 

[Martin Ocando]

The Olympus FL-LM3 Flash attaches to a camera's hot shoe. The Olympus Dot Sight EE-1 similarly attaches to a camera's hot shoe.

However, most (all?) cameras have only one hot shoe. Does this mean that the flash and the dot sight cannot be used at the same time? Is there a DIY or third-party solution that would allow the use of flash and red dot sight at the same time? This could be useful for nighttime photography of wildlife.

I am interested in a solution for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 III, but I am aware that any solution would likely be applicable to most other cameras, especially those in the E-M1, E-M5, or E-M10 series.

Some triggers, like this godox have a hot shoe on top of it.





So what I would do is to use the trigger to fire the flash, and put on top the red dot sight. Then use a bracket and put the flash at the side of the camera, like old-fashion photojournalists.

Of course that'll work with a Godox flash, not sure how to do something similar with the FL-LM3, which is a pretty limited flash unit.



--
Martin
"One of the biggest mistakes a photographer can make is to look at the real world and cling to the vain hope that next time his film will somehow bear a closer resemblance to it" - Galen Rowell

 

[David5833]

look into a hot shoe splitter for Canon, it should work

 

[Photongraphy]

the flm3 is great but has a (very) limited range, while afaik red dot sight is usually used for shooting moving subjects with long telelenses (sports/wildlife). Wont you need a bigger or remote flash?

 

[Skeeterbytes]

The Olympus FL-LM3 Flash attaches to a camera's hot shoe. The Olympus Dot Sight EE-1 similarly attaches to a camera's hot shoe.

However, most (all?) cameras have only one hot shoe. Does this mean that the flash and the dot sight cannot be used at the same time? Is there a DIY or third-party solution that would allow the use of flash and red dot sight at the same time? This could be useful for nighttime photography of wildlife.

I am interested in a solution for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 III, but I am aware that any solution would likely be applicable to most other cameras, especially those in the E-M1, E-M5, or E-M10 series.

Some triggers, like this godox have a hot shoe on top of it.



So what I would do is to use the trigger to fire the flash, and put on top the red dot sight. Then use a bracket and put the flash at the side of the camera, like old-fashion photojournalists.

Of course that'll work with a Godox flash, not sure how to do something similar with the FL-LM3, which is a pretty limited flash unit.

Have and use a (Vello) bracket for flash because it 1. moves the flash off-axis a bit and 2. takes strain off the hotshoe, especially important shooting portrait orientation. Attach via a coiled cord. The Vello cord has a second live hotshoe on top that can host a red dot.

Shockingly inexpensive.

Cheers,

Rick

 

[john isaacs]

The Olympus FL-LM3 Flash attaches to a camera's hot shoe. The Olympus Dot Sight EE-1 similarly attaches to a camera's hot shoe.

However, most (all?) cameras have only one hot shoe. Does this mean that the flash and the dot sight cannot be used at the same time? Is there a DIY or third-party solution that would allow the use of flash and red dot sight at the same time? This could be useful for nighttime photography of wildlife.

I am interested in a solution for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 III, but I am aware that any solution would likely be applicable to most other cameras, especially those in the E-M1, E-M5, or E-M10 series.

Look up Dual Hot Shoe Splitter.



I also use a cold shoe mount on an l-bracket and the flash on the hot shoe Usually put an LED light on the cold shoe, but it could work for red dot sight as well

Normally, you want the dot dight close to the optical axis to reduce parallax, and a flash further away to reduce red eye and provide more pleasing shadows

 

[drj3]

I am having difficulty thinking of any situation where a dot sight would be useful for nighttime photography. I use one regularly with my MC20+300mm when attempting to photograph very fast-moving targets which appears too quickly for me to raise the camera to my eye to obtain framing. For any moving target when there is enough time to use the EVF (even flying swallows), the EVF is a far better for framing and focus accuracy.

The dot sight is very useful for things that appear quickly and require very fast acquisition before they disappear.

The dot sight is mounted of the flash bracket to be as close as possible to the lens in order to avoid serious Parallex problems. Framing of the target will always be much better through the EVF or rear screen and it will be much easier to see the target by either of these. The dot sight is not particular useful for stationary targets even in good light and would require adjustment for framing for any targets close enough for the FL-LM3 to be of any value.

The bear in the attached image (taken a little before nightfall) was difficult to see and would have been impossible to frame without the EVF. At full darkness a light would have been necessary to see or photograph the bear, so there would be sufficient time to frame the bear with the EVF.







--
drj3

 

[jjbinx]

I am having difficulty thinking of any situation where a dot sight would be useful for nighttime photography.

I’ve used one for Astro photography.

When I have two cameras mounted (via lens feet) on my Astro mount there’s no room for my illuminated reticulate finder scope so I put my birding dot-sight on one of the cameras.

When I don’t have my Astro mount properly aligned, or I’m using an ordinary tripod I need a finder scope to help bring the subject/target stars into view.

jj

I use one regularly with my MC20+300mm when attempting to photograph very fast-moving targets which appears too quickly for me to raise the camera to my eye to obtain framing. For any moving target when there is enough time to use the EVF (even flying swallows), the EVF is a far better for framing and focus accuracy.

The dot sight is very useful for things that appear quickly and require very fast acquisition before they disappear.

The dot sight is mounted of the flash bracket to be as close as possible to the lens in order to avoid serious Parallex problems. Framing of the target will always be much better through the EVF or rear screen and it will be much easier to see the target by either of these. The dot sight is not particular useful for stationary targets even in good light and would require adjustment for framing for any targets close enough for the FL-LM3 to be of any value.

The bear in the attached image (taken a little before nightfall) was difficult to see and would have been impossible to frame without the EVF. At full darkness a light would have been necessary to see or photograph the bear, so there would be sufficient time to frame the bear with the EVF.

Black bears at night . . . I can see why that might be difficult

 

[Jeff Wahaus]

Your camera also has a PC connector for triggering flash. A PC to hotshoe adapter can be purchased for your flash if it doesn't have a PC trigger input. You'll loose any TTL settings the flash may have, however. The flash should work fine in Auto or Manual modes.

 

[drj3]

I am having difficulty thinking of any situation where a dot sight would be useful for nighttime photography.

I’ve used one for Astro photography.

When I have two cameras mounted (via lens feet) on my Astro mount there’s no room for my illuminated reticulate finder scope so I put my birding dot-sight on one of the cameras.

When I don’t have my Astro mount properly aligned, or I’m using an ordinary tripod I need a finder scope to help bring the subject/target stars into view.

jj

Okay that is a nighttime use where it could be very useful. You certainly will not have the parallax problem the OP would have with the small flash which would only be useful for very close wildlife.

 

[drj3]

Your camera also has a PC connector for triggering flash. A PC to hotshoe adapter can be purchased for your flash if it doesn't have a PC trigger input. You'll loose any TTL settings the flash may have, however. The flash should work fine in Auto or Manual modes.

The adapter would have to have the connection for powering the FL-LM3 from the camera battery as it does not have its own battery.

 

[jjbinx]

I am having difficulty thinking of any situation where a dot sight would be useful for nighttime photography.

I’ve used one for Astro photography.

When I have two cameras mounted (via lens feet) on my Astro mount there’s no room for my illuminated reticulate finder scope so I put my birding dot-sight on one of the cameras.

When I don’t have my Astro mount properly aligned, or I’m using an ordinary tripod I need a finder scope to help bring the subject/target stars into view.

jj

Okay that is a nighttime use where it could be very useful.

You certainly will not have the parallax problem the OP would have with the small flash which would only be useful for very close wildlife.

true

And the FL-LM3 isn’t of much use in illuminating my subjects. Even if it was bright enough I’d be waiting millions of years for the light to hit my targets and millions more to see the results :-D

jj

 

[David5833]

The greatest drawback of a reticle dot sight is that the calibration of the dot with the camera's point of focus has to be close to perfect. That is, the dot does not determine where the camera focuses...that is only determined by where the camera's focus point is and the user has to be sure they coincide nearly perfectly. The dot just helps you point the lens to the right area. It is possible to estimate the amount of offset to account for parallax error, but that is usually a guessing game. IMHO, cameras with subject recognition like the OM-1 are much better to use with a dot sight because the alignment can be slightly off and the camera will still have a good chance of focusing on the subject regardless of where the dot is. In that case, the dot serves to quickly get you into the ballpark where subject recognition can be effective, even if the dot isn't exactly on the subject. That is not to say that dot sights are useless if you don't have subject recognition because they can be time savers to get the subject into the viewfinder, but they are only as accurate as their alignment for a specific distance. If the alignment is perfect, then they are wonderful.

In the use case you describe, it is possible that a dot sight will be helpful if it is hard to find the subject in the camera's viewfinder in the dark. If you are shooting from the same spot to a feeder and the distance is always the same, then that would be the best case. Another option is to use the camera's Live View Boost feature...you might not even need a dot sight in the hot shoe. Anyway, if you are shooting within the distance that your flash is effective, then it might all work.

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/143821723@N06/