Home made/budget ring sight

[DobbelD 0]

Hey guys. I am in the process of getting a camera setup and ambitions to start filming tandems this coming season.

i have got the helmet and camera and are looking at sights. What i realize is that they are expensive as f#%$!

i was thinking that some of you have some tips or advice for a entry level sight, maby something home made? Please sjare with me youre solution

[IJskonijn 45]

When I bought a secondhand camera helmet, it had a poor man's sight on it. A round piece of coloured plastic with a hole in the middle, on a peg bolted on the helmet. No articulation or other fancy stuff, something like this: http://www.chutingstar.com/camera/skydive-video-gear/ringsights/tinted-eyesight-assembly

At least a lot cheaper than all the newton ring or otherwise fancy optics, and it worked perfectly fine for me.

[pchapman 279]

What is acceptable probably depends a lot on the DZ's conventions.

Lowest step:    I and others filmed for years with no sight without issues.
At first one has to check how the cameras are pointing relative to the helmet and one's eye gaze up or down, with some checking of video to make sure one isn't consistently low or high. But after a while it becomes natural to fix one's gaze at the right angle. I even did some 4-way video that way, although if one is filming at narrower zoom angles a better sight might be useful.

Next step up:     Others used a mark on their goggles. Commonly used was a stick-on ring of paper -- one of those reinforcements for 3-hole punched paper holes. It is out of focus being close to the eye but that provides a good "see through" ring. 

Next step up:     The cheapie ring-sight as suggested above by IJskonijn.

 

[DougH 270]

It all depends on your use of the camera helmet. Is it going to be used only for outside video? Leave the ring sight on the ground for inside video.

Is it going to be used to film fun jumpers, or are there paying customers? You are a pro if you are getting paid, and my thought processes is professional jumps deserve a professional setup.

Video and still? What are you using for video? What size lense on the still camera?

[kallend 2,026]

A ring sight that shows concentric rings (usually and incorrectly called Newton rings) that move with the wearer's head to stay centered on the target is a complex piece of optical engineering, involving multiple layers of polarizing media ("polaroid") and optically anisotropic media (such as calcite) cut perpendicular to its optic axis.  The thickness of the layers is critically important.  I doubt that it's an easy do-it-yourself project.

(I used to teach this stuff) 

Edited January 10, 2020 by kallend

[evh 22]

A black dot on your goggles or visor works perfectly well for anything from tandems to bigways.

I really do not understand the reason for ringsights. All I hear is "if you are a professional, you should have one". I could be wrong, but so far I have not heard of any real benefits.

 

[DougH 270]

23 hours ago, evh said:

A black dot on your goggles or visor works perfectly well for anything from tandems to bigways.

I really do not understand the reason for ringsights. All I hear is "if you are a professional, you should have one". I could be wrong, but so far I have not heard of any real benefits.

 

You are able to compose shots better. They allow to you properly aim the helmet regardless of how the helmet might shift on your head, and how you are angled. That is compared to the orange plastic lolipops.

Compared to a dot on a visor or goggles they do all of the above, plus it doesn't ever shift which can't be said about goggles.

And I agree, you don't need it, especially in the age of people shooting with two super wide gopros, but I think if you give a good flier the option it will bring out the best in their product for tandem videos. 

For outside still photos of formations it is night and day. It takes you from just pointing at the formation and holding down the tongue switch to being able to precisely compose the shots.

Edited January 11, 2020 by DougH

[gowlerk 2,190]

I've been watching this and seeing a lot of good answers. Good sights are expensive. The good news is that there are hundreds of them out there not being used that come up for sale frequently. At a fraction of the original price. Often never mounted. Watch the classifieds patiently or maybe even place a wanted to buy ad.