![[Pasted image 20250908214059.png]] ![[Pasted image 20250908214102.jpg]] We were approached by a customer that specializes in paintball photography. He needed a way to find and focus on quick moving subjects in a dynamic environment. This was difficult because his face mask prevented him from using the viewfinder on his camera. I combined the extreme durability of firearms optics with the standardized mounting interface of camera hot shoes to make a red dot mount. This perfectly fit the requirements and environment for the customer, but more importantly solved a bigger problem: With optics, there is an unavoidable tradeoff between magnification power and speed of target acquisition. - If you are zoomed in, it's hard to find your target but you can see it well when you do. - If you are zoomed out, it's easy to find your target but you can't see it well This uniquely affects both markets I design for- firearms and photography. In Precision Rifle Series and National Rifle League Hunter matches, mounting a red dot to your scope is somewhat common for the same reason. ![[Pasted image 20250908214124.png]] ![[Pasted image 20250908214133.png]] ![[Pasted image 20250908214137.png]] ![[Pasted image 20250908214141.png]] My original design consisted of a top plate that matches the standardized RMR red dot foot print. A rotary broached quick-release lever would turn a timing nut that would clamp the assembly firmly to a camera shoe against the force of a stack of bellville springs. The bellville springs, with their very high spring rate given their compact foot print, made for a very secure hold regardless of any tolerance stack up between camera manufacturers. The timing nut was made of phosphor bronze to minimize friction, allowing it to translate up and down while still transmitting the torque of the lever. ![[Pasted image 20250908214157.jpg]] In the end, we decided that a simple screw knob clamp (pictured above) was sufficient. I used the prototype to shoot objects in motion like cars and airplanes and it works fantasitcally! ![[_E9A6369 (1).jpg|500]] ![[_E9A6314 (1).jpg|500]] ![[_E9A6317.jpg|500]]