sight, optics, reticleI recently purchased a holographic sight. But I’m told that only one manufacturer (EOTech) makes a true holographic sight. What is the difference between the EOTech sight and the other sights that project a reticle pattern on a glass lense?
The EOTech uses a different projection mechanism than most other non-magnified red dot sights. The EOTech uses a laser to create the sight reticle. Most red dot sights are reflex sights, which use an LED to project a dot on the glass of the sight. These are basically two different ways of accomplishing pretty much the same thing. The main difference is that reflex sights generally have a much simpler reticle (usually a single dot) while an EOTech can have a much more complex reticle design (the standard is a small dot centered inside a larger circle).
Right now the only holographic sights on the market that I know of are the EOTech and the Bushnell branded sights that EOTech manufactures.
Reflex sights (Aimpoint and knockoffs) use a reflective coating on the objective lens (the lens in the front of the tube) to reflect a single wavelength of light from an LED back toward the shooter’s eye. A reflex sight contains no laser.
A holographic sight (EOTech) uses a reticle is projected on your view of the target with a laser transmission hologram. The hologram is sandwiched between two panes of glass, which forms the window you look through. There is a laser in a holographic sight.
For a much more detailed explanation on the difference between the two sights, you can view this extremely thorough document.
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