Photo Gear Designs PGD Tracker User manual

PGD Tracker ™ Kit
Instructions
Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the PGD Tracker Kit. All of the components in your kit are
precision devices and have been carefully inspected prior to shipping. To insure that using your PGD
Tracker provides the benefits to your action photography it was designed for please read through the
following instructions completely.
Your kit includes the following:
1) The PGD Tracker pre-mounted to the PGD External Sight Mount (ESM-1)
2) One replacement CR2032 battery. (A battery is pre-installed in the Tracker)
3) Two hex wrenches large (3mm) and small (1.5mm)
4) Cleaning cloth
5) Kit storage pouch
Starting in 2020 we are now including a “Quick Setup” method for those who are in a hurry to
use the PGD Tracker which starts just below. You are encouraged to read through this entire
document however so you have a full understanding of how the Tracker works and alternative
setups. The original instructions will start with “Step 1: Turn on the Tracker”.
PGD Tracker Quick Setup
You will need your camera and telephoto lens the Tracker and the included 3mm allen key and a tripod.
Find a place where you have a line of sight to a distant small object like a sign or any object that stands
out that is approximately 6-12 inches in size. It could be a ‘no parking’ sign part of a tree a bird house a
mailbox etc.. It should be a great distance away (hundreds to thousands of feet depending on your
lens) so that your cameras center focus point nearly covers the object.
Remove the rubber lens cover and slide the PGD Tracker into the flash socket of your camera until it
stops. Firmly tighten the clamp screw knob. The Tracker should be securely in place with no perceived
looseness.
Turn the PGD Tracker on by rotating the top dial to the green or red #5 (1 is least bright 5 is the
brightest).
Set the Tracker reticle to the “dot” style using the toggle switch moved fully left.
With the tripod set to a height that will allow you to easily see through the tracker focus and center on
the target object with your lens zoomed to maximum focal length. Lock the ball head.
With the camera center focal point on the object raise your eye to look over the top of the Tracker and
through the center of the Tracker lens to locate the reticle and see where it is relative to your target
object. Turn the up/down and right/left adjusters with the supplied 3mm ‘L’ wrench so that the reticle dot
is the on the same spot as your camera center focal point. Use one hand to gently hold the Tracker while
you are making adjustments. Tracker set up is complete!
Set your camera focus system to continuous mode and a multiple focus point array. 9-25 points usually
works best but consult your camera manual as every camera has similar but different settings for action
photography.
Don’t forget to turn the PGD Tracker off when you are not using it or to store it in your gear bag. Turn the
dial to the letter G or R.

Practice on stationary and slow moving targets close and far to get used to shooting with the PGD
Tracker. Keep both eyes open! You can see more and it is easier to follow moving targets.
This completes the Quick Setup. Please continue reading the original more detailed instructions that
follow. The descriptions of the parallel and fixed point setups are alternatives that may be useful to you.
The quick set up above is a blend of these two approaches and is the method we personally use to set
up our Trackers.
Step 1: Turn on the Tracker.
1. Turn the dial to either the Green 5 or Red 5. 5 is the brightest
setting for the reticle. You may choose any brightness or color
based on personal preferences later.
2. At the back of the sight just above the ESM-1 rail is a toggle
switch showing four reticle options. Again the choice is a matter of
personal preference but for the calibration process described later
in these instructions we suggest using either the “cross hair: +”
reticle (the second choice from the left) or the “single dot” (on the
far right).
3. Hold the Tracker out in front of you approximately 4” from your
nose and look over the back of the sight and through the lens. You
should not be able to see the battery cover. Gently move the sight
up or down with slight changes to the attitude of the sight until you can
see the reticle on the lens. Try the other reticle styles and the
intensities 1-5 in both colors. We suggest doing this in a softly lit
location. The lower brightness values may be hard to see in bright
light. Contact us if any of the reticle styles or colors are not functioning.
4. Always turn the Tracker off when you are not using it. Rotate the
Intensity dial to align with the R or G over the small white dot on the
side of the tracker. These are the “off” positions. The battery can
provide 60-80 hours of service.
Step 2: Mount the ESM-1 with the Tracker on our camera hot shoe.
Remove the rubber lens cover. Back the ESM-1 clamp screw out a few turns before sliding the ESM –
Tracker assembly into your camera hot shoe. It should not require more than very modest force at most
for the ESM to slide fully forward into the hot shoe. It may slide easily. There are variations in hot shoe
geometries across brands and models. While gently holding the ESM forward against the front of the hot
shoe turn the clamp screw until it is firmly seated. Use no tools! The clamp screw is tight enough when
any perceived looseness of the Tracker in the hot shoe disappears and the Tracker cannot slide out of
the hot shoe due to its own weight if pointed upward.
Step 3: Calibrate the PGD Tracker to our camera.
The PGD Tracker must be calibrated to your camera before use. Calibration is best done with your
preferred telephoto lens and a sturdy tripod. This method describes a simplified “parallel offset”
calibration and is based on the fact that on the typical DSLR the Tracker is positioned above the lens
center line by a little less than 5” the same height as a 12 oz soda can. If you have a smaller or a
mirrorless camera the offset is less and you need an object matching your offset or just use a ruler.

1. Turn your Tracker on and confirm that it is functioning.
2. Place a 12 oz can of soda about 50-100 feet away and at the approximate height
of your supported camera. The distance is not critical but you want to be able to
see the can easily in your view finder. Either set your Auto Focus to “single point
center” or enable any view grid your camera may offer that indicates the center
of your view frame. This can be done in “live view” if your camera has that
feature. Use the 3X3 + Diagonal display if your camera offers it. You need to
see the true center of the frame. Consult your camera manual.
3. Focus on the soda can and place the view finder center point on the bottom of
the can centered.
4. Use the small hex wrench to turn the vertical calibration lock screw (see below)
until it is just snug then back off 1/16 of a turn. Now using the large hex wrench
in the screw labeled “Up” adjust the reticle up or down as required until the
reticle is on the top of the soda can.
5. Using the side adjust screw labeled “R” move the reticle until it is centered on
the can directly above the center in live view.
6. Snug the vertical calibration lock screw when you are satisfied. Recheck the right -
left adjustment. (Tightening the locking screw will nudge the reticle a small
amount).
7. You are done!
8. (Remember to relax the Vertical calibration lock screw if you wish to change the
vertical calibration)!
Non DSLR Cameras and “Parallel vs Distance” calibration.
The Tracker mounted on your hot shoe is nominally 4 to 5” above the centerline of the
camera lens depending on your camera. Measure your own for reference. The nearest
1/8–1/4” is accurate enough. On the Canon 7D shown the measurement is 4 7/8”.
Parallel Method: With parallel calibration you must estimate the offset of the reticle
relative to your subject both close and far. This becomes easy with a little practice. The
reticle is adjusted so that it is always 4-5.5” above the center of your lens centerline
(measure and use your camera offset dimension). Your optical line of sight and the lens
centerline are then parallel when the reticle is the same height above the target close and far say 25'
and 100'. Propping a ruler or tape measure and using that as a target will aid the adjustment process.
Remember the offset is less of an issue for targets that are quite far off but very important for close
targets that might fill the frame.
Distance Method: The reticle is adjusted to be exactly on your target at a distance you choose. Center the frame at
a specific distance perhaps the distance that your subjects might most often be (e.g. 50' for small birds using a
400-600mm telephoto). With the distance calibration the reticle will appear below the true center of your frame at
greater distance and above true center for a shorter distance. For long subject distances (hundreds of feet) the
offset compensation can be considerable.
Parallel Offset
Lens Axis
Lens Axis
Target at Fixed Distance
Sight Line Axis
Sight Line Axis

Both methods will require some practice in the field to achieve consistent results. Use the approach that best fits
your shooting mission. Try it both ways. Re-calibration is easy.
Changing the Tracker batter
Removing the battery cover is easier with the rubber lens cover off but try to avoid touching the glass.
Place the Tracker on the edge of a flat surface with the ESM-1 hanging off the edge so the tracker sits
flat. Remove the battery cover situated on the color – intensity dial behind the lens using a small coin. A
nickel is perfect. Grip the dial with a thumb and finger with one hand and use the coin to loosen the
cover turning counter clockwise. It may feel snug as there is a sealing O Ring under the cover. After a
quarter turn it will spin freely.
Place a fresh CR2032 battery into the battery cavity with the battery printing
facing up. Center the battery cover over the battery. Place the tip of a forefinger
on the cover center and press down against the springs. With your other hand
use a thumb and forefinger to grip and rotate the edge of the cover until the
threads engage. If the cover feels stuck and the dial itself turns reverse the
cover a quarter turn and retry. The procedure requires a little patience. Once
the treads are engaged continue to turn the cover now using a coin and
gripping the dial until the cover is snug. Be gentle. The screw thread on the
cover and body are very fine. Forcing the cap when the threads are not
properly engaged will damage them.
WARNING!!!
Don't leave the PGD Tracker on our camera when ou are not using it!
Rough handling of the ESM-1 and Tracker or contact with other objects while
mounted to your camera can affect the calibration or potentially damage your hot
shoe the Tracker or both. The ESM-1 is designed for easy mounting with
repeatable positioning thus maintaining calibration to your camera and it is
structurally strong. PhotoGearDesigns accepts no responsibility for damage to
PGD Tracker the ESM-1 or the camera to which it is mounted.
If you suspect the ESM-1 and Tracker may have been impacted due to a drop or
other incident carefully inspect the camera and Tracker. Recheck the calibration.
Tips
To reduce unnecessary stress on the camera hot shoe remove the lens cover before mounting
the Tracker. Remove the Tracker from the camera to put the lens cover back on.
Turn off your sight when you are not using it! The batteries typically provide 60-80 hours of use.
But if left on when stored the battery may be drained the next time you want to use it. Always

keep spares in your Tracker pouch or gear bag. The CR2032 battery is readily available wherever
batteries are sold. One spare is included in your kit.
Pick an AF pattern on your camera that best fits your subject matter. We suggest a 6×6 or 12×12
or similar centered matrix. Be aware of your background. A featureless sky is more forgiving than
trees and other objects which might confuse the AF if the pattern is too large.
The usual rules for action photography are... fast shutter speeds (1/1000–1/2500) an F-stop to
provide DOF as desired and auto ISO are typical configurations. Continuous AF is typically used.
Consider enabling back button focus. Experiment and find the settings that give you the best
results with your equipment.
Confirm sight calibration at the start of each shoot. In the field simply pick any small object using
single-point AF (or your live view) and confirm that the reticle is vertically aligned and has the
proper offset. If you don’t have a tripod with you take a shot using the optical sight and confirm
that the image is framed as you expected. Keep the hex L wrenches that come with your sight in
your kit bag in case you need to tweak the calibration.
Seagulls make excellent subjects for practicing visual tracking while controlling the shutter and
AF.
FAQs
Can I use my ESM-1 and PGD Tracker on multiple cameras?
Yes but the Tracker will need to be re-calibrated every time you change camera bodies. Small
differences in the hot shoe geometries and the position of the hot shoe relative to the camera body
translate to large errors of the reticle position relative to the lens axis. You may get lucky but confirm
proper calibration with a different camera before shooting. Recalibration is easy and can be done in the
field (just in case your buddy wants to try it!). Keep the hex wrenches that come with your Tracker in your
gear bag.
Do I have to recalibrate for different lenses on the same camera body?
No. There may be very small reticle position errors for different lenses but recalibration
is typically not required.
What are the pros and cons of calibrating the sight for “parallel” versus “distance”?
The “parallel” calibration only requires that you learn to place the reticle above the center of your subject
composition by your offset amount say 5” for the typical DSLR. With some practice it becomes easy to
estimate the offset for close or far subjects.
Calibrating for a fixed distance “on target” might be preferable in a situation where you are shooting from
a blind or other fixed location with your subjects always at a fixed distance say at a feeder. Then
shooting with the reticle directly on your target especially for small birds and a long lens might require
less mental calculation while shooting.
Does it matter if I use a zoom telephoto versus a prime lens?
No. Fast prime lenses usually have the best AF performance but zooms are more flexible for subjects
close and far and are typically less expensive.
Can I leave the ESM-1 and PGD Tracker on my camera?

Yes BUT DON’T DO IT! The ESM-1 is designed to repeat its calibrated position and is easy to remove
and mount. The ESM-1 can potentially exert more force on the hot shoe than it is designed to sustain if
you drop the camera or lay it down so that the ESM-1 or Tracker touches other objects. Mount the
Tracker when you are about to start shooting and remove it when the shoot is over. Put the protective
rubber cover over the Tracker lens. Store it in the kit pouch to keep it clean and easy to find in your gear
bag.
The hot shoe is making small grooves in my ESM-1 mount adapter. Is that a problem?
No. The metal edges of the hot shoe will initially make small grooves in the high-performance
engineering plastic used in the ESM-1 design. This increases the contact area of the adapter to the hot
shoe and the rate of wear will stop. The thumb screw allows for the small changes in fit to maintain
tightness while in use.
The ESM-1 and PGD Tracker are not warranted for accidental damage
and we accept no responsibility for camera damage of any kind. If you do
not agree to this return the PGD Tracker Kit unused and we will gladly
refund the purchase price. Return shipping is the buyer’s responsibility.
Visit www.photogeardesigns.com for more warranty information.
Visit PhotoGearDesigns.com for updates, new products and user photo galler !
Email an questions to either Paul English or Paul Yarnall
[email protected]
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