Sighting the Concentric Ring Sight using a Mirror

[quade 4]

Long overdue because I promised somebody I'd tell them about this -weeks- ago here is my method for sighting in using a mirror.

This will ONLY work if you have a CONCENTRIC ring sight. Further, if you really want to make it easy, you'll need the luminance key function on a Sony camera with a Memory Stick.

First things first -- download the "reticule.jpg" below and upload it to your Memory Stick. Read your camera manual and find the luminance key function and use this image as the overlay.

If you don't have the luminance key or Memory Stick, you can try to find the center of the picture by simply drawing a lines from the corners of the picture and they -should- meet in the center of the screen.

In either case, you may want to hook your camera to a TV monitor via the A/V cables to make things even easier to see.

Since the CONCENTRIC ring sight is not dependant on exactly where your eyeball is, you don't actually have to be wearing the helmet to sight it in which means you can do the enitre procedure yourself.

Just use a mirror!

Just check out the photos and you'll see what I mean. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture the rings and the target I was shooting because I just didn't have that much depth of field at the macro setting, but I think you'll still get the idea. It's very easy to see in reality, but dificult to capture in a photo for some reason.

Remember, if your right sight isn't the type that makes concentric rings, then this just isn't going to work at all.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Deuce 1]

Quade. You are so cool.

Really, you should put all this stuff together and publish it for all the newbies who would rather buy it all at once than search for it.

Thank you so much for all you do to increase the professionalism and performance of video fliers everywhere.

Edit; Why would the cross sight be so different? I have both, and both sight independent of the eye placement. The cross is just an area, where the concentric is a point.

[quade 4]

As accurate as the cross sight is, I personally believe there's quite a bit of wiggle room in even the best of them. The concentric rings stay on axis and aligned, but the cross doesn't -- at least not enough for my satisfaction for this trick.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Deuce 1]

I agree wholeheartedly. The cross is OK for video. I actually like it for that application.

But for photography, the ring site is the only way to go.

[Krishan 0]

Hey Quade thanks for doing this. I just thought of something. Say you completely loosen your sight. Using this method, how do you know if the sight will even end up in front of your eye, if you're not wearing the helmet?
I'm guessing this if more for precision sighting once it has already been tightened down or for checking the accuracy of the sight, no?

Dont f#%k up......

[BETO74 0]

Thanks Quade I been very interested on the subject, I have one question and it's maybe a litle stupid one. I fly an N-Vertig helmet with a PC 101 I do not have a ring sight but I line up the camera making an horizontal line on the wall right where the lens is wich is a couple inches higher than my eyes, I have litle under a hundred jumps on this set up and works for me, my camera records what my dominand eyes is watching pretty good quality.

Not so long ago I got this helmet (pictures attach) to start with stills and video, the camera sits a litle higher than my old set up, now there is a place (hole) already come with the helmet to fit the ring sight, now the question: Do you have to see the subject you're recording thru the ring site, or you off set a litle because of the parallax to keep subject in the midle frame, what's the distance that you have set up your ring sight and camera, assuming that the farther less you have to compense this distance the closest more you have to.

That one of the reason why I got the helmet with a side mount, first because I'm used to, seconly because I think is litle less like to get a line, center of gravity and my neck.

hope you can see the picture I'm trying to make.

Thanks, in advance.

Carlos

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[quade 4]

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Say you completely loosen your sight. Using this method, how do you know if the sight will even end up in front of your eye, if you're not wearing the helmet?

You're right, you sort of have to already have the sight roughed in and know it is going to end up about where the eye is.

You can easily do this yourself though, just put the helmet on, place the sight about where it needs to be over the eye and finger tighten it down.

After you have everything sighted in, you'll want to put the helmet back on and make sure everything is where it needs to be and take some sample shots too.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[quade 4]

Quote

Thanks Quade I been very interested on the subject, I have one question and it's maybe a litle stupid one. I fly an N-Vertig helmet with a PC 101 I do not have a ring sight but I line up the camera making an horizontal line on the wall right where the lens is wich is a couple inches higher than my eyes, I have litle under a hundred jumps on this set up and works for me, my camera records what my dominand eyes is watching pretty good quality.

There's about a jillion ways of dealing with sighting issues -- including not using one at all. I find that I have to use a sight in order to keep stuff centered and steady. If you're getting good results without using a sight then more power to you man!

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Not so long ago I got this helmet (pictures attach) to start with stills and video, the camera sits a litle higher than my old set up, now there is a place (hole) already come with the helmet to fit the ring sight, now the question: Do you have to see the subject you're recording thru the ring site, or you off set a litle because of the parallax to keep subject in the midle frame, what's the distance that you have set up your ring sight and camera, assuming that the farther less you have to compense this distance the closest more you have to.

Who makes that? I don't think I'd ever seen that configuration before.

Anyway. I aim my camera and sight at a point as far away as possible. I'm trying to get the axis of both the camera and sight parallel (as opposed to parallax). See THIS

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That one of the reason why I got the helmet with a side mount, first because I'm used to, seconly because I think is litle less like to get a line, center of gravity and my neck.

It's a personal preference and all depends on how you want you neck tweeked when you have a bad opening. There really is no good solution for a real slammer.

I like top mounts because;
Less chance of riser strike.
On normal openings the weight is in-line with my head and spine and I believe it's easier on the neck.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[BETO74 0]

Thanks a lot very usefull.
here is the info.[[url]
http://www.bladecamerahelmets.co.nz/

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[ltdiver 3]

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On normal openings the weight is in-line with my head and spine and I believe it's easier on the neck.

True.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[andy2 0]

I thought placing the camera on the top moved the CG higher and further away from your head? Wouldnt that create more of a whiplash effect?

---------------------------------------------
let my inspiration flow,
in token rhyme suggesting rhythm...

[ltdiver 3]

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I thought placing the camera on the top moved the CG higher and further away from your head? Wouldnt that create more of a whiplash effect?

That would seem to be the case, however the way the cervical spine is made it bends forward and backward alot more readily, without the stress on the spine. If it gets jerked sideways it damages alot more structures.

Believe me, I've had hard openings with my camera gear on and all I've gotten was a sore neck for a few hours...but when I got T-boned in my car my neck got a direct sideways whiplash and I'm -still- paying the price for it. The skeletal popping is unnerving. I -now- have ulnar nerve damage that was caused directly from this motor vehicle accident.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon