Red Dots & Holo for airsoft

Their function is to project a given pattern (dot, cross, etc.) onto a semi-transparent windscreen. This point replaces the mechanical sights. Thanks to this simple principle, it is possible to aim quickly and accurately at the target.
Collimators most often project a dot, but there are also models where there is a choice of multiple patterns/shapes.

The colour of the illumination (dot) is most often green and red. Red is the most common and is highly visible. As a disadvantage, it is less visible in bright sunlight and for example for an astigmatic this colour is not suitable (an astigmatic sees for example a red dot double or blurred).
For an astigmatic, the green backlight is the best option. But as with the previous one, there are a few disadvantages. The biggest one is that this color is hard to see on a green background, and if night vision is used, this dot will also be hard to see.
Below we will describe the different types of collimator that we may encounter while playing.

Types of aiming points in collimators

Open collimators

Open collimators, whether red or green illuminated, also known as HUD or reflective sights, offer a larger field of view when shooting. This makes these collimators ideal, for example, for CQB. While this open design is better at locating targets, an open collimator is also susceptible to external factors. This means that they can be affected by environmental conditions such as fog, breath condensation, rain, snow and dirt. Any of these debris can get on the lens and impair the view through the collimator. For these reasons, it is important to take extra care of these collimators. From our range we can offer, for example, cleaning solution for collimators and goggles.

What is the field of view of a collimator?

The field of view is the peripheral area above and to either side of the image of the collimator.

Tubular collimators

A tube sight can be thought of exactly as it sounds. The red dot is projected onto a tube-shaped optic. Tubes provide a mostly round sight picture. Closed sights have a sealed lens and are generally more durable than open style sights, but they are also bulkier. You can also add various covers, such as dust covers, anti-fog, anti-glare, and important to us, covers to prevent damage from bullets. In general, most shooters prefer tube collimators for shooting at longer distances that are longer than 50 yards and when used on longer guns such as rifles.

Pistol

Pistol collimators are primarily designed for use with pistols due to their small size and light weight. These collimators are mounted on pistols on mounting plates that are designed for specific collimators. They are mounted in place of rear sights or in a prepared milled area on the muzzle of the pistol. Like the classic large variants, they allow to increase and decrease the intensity of the illumination, some of them have features such as automatic shutdown when idle, automatic brightness adjustment according to ambient light, solar power, etc. 

Our Tip:
Some models of gas pistols from Vorsk or Raven have pistol collimators already in the basic package. 

Holographic collimators

Holographic collimators are another popular option among gun collimators. Unlike traditional options, holographic collimators use a holographic outline that offers a more complex sighting pattern. These collimators were originally developed for military use, but have since found their way into the civilian market as well. Holographic sights provide a clear and distinct aiming point, which improves accuracy when aiming at a target.
Holographic collimators work by using a laser to project a holographic outline onto a glass lens that has a holographic film on it. This warp appears to float in the sight window, providing the shooter with a three-dimensional image. A holographic sight is usually more complex than a simple sight and offers additional features such as bullet/ball drop compensation and multiple aiming points.

Magnifier module

This module is used in conjunction with a collimator. It allows us to shoot at longer distances. The most common zooms are 3x, 4x or 5x. The disadvantage is that it is necessary to use the right module for the specific collimator. Otherwise, the module will not work properly. In addition, it is an additional weight on the gun. 
Anyway, by being able to offset the fore-end out of the collimator, the shooter can choose to use the zoom or just the collimator as needed. 

Our Tip:
If you are considering the option of using a collimator and also having the ability to zoom, we might consider purchasing an LPVO rifle scope. We will explain what LPVO is below.

What is a prismatic collimator?

Unlike the classic version, the prismatic collimator does not project a sighting pattern through the lens. Instead, the pattern is etched into the lens of the collimator itself. This brings one huge advantage: you can use a prismatic collimator without a battery (although many of them also come with a battery that illuminates the sight in lower light conditions).
One feature that sets prismatic sights apart from conventional sights is magnification. As already written for the zoom modules, if you want to magnify the red dot, you will need a separate magnifier. This is not the case with prismatic scopes. Prismatic sights can have built-in magnification, but only at one fixed value. This means that with a prismatic collimator, you won't be able to increase and decrease the magnification intensity like you can with an LPVO. Some common magnification levels are 1X, 3X, and 5X. Some models, such as those from Vector Optics, also allow you to attach a small pistol collimator.
Prisms are not perfect, however, and on several counts. Unlike classic red dots, prismatic variants do not have unlimited eye relief. In addition, some of them are not truly parallax-free. And because there are more lenses in them, they are noticeably heavier than the classic variants. Still, prisms can be very effective sights for rifles and shotguns, for example, when used properly.

Which collimator manufacturer to choose for airsoft?

We offer a large number of different types of collimators from various manufacturers such as ACM, ASG, WADSN, Combat Zone Tactical and others. No less if you are looking for a really good quality collimator or optics, definitely reach for Vector optics or the cheaper VictOptics. 
Vector Optic, is a Chinese company that manufactures these accessories for real weapons. The collimators and optics we offer from the mentioned Vector Optics are very popular due to their price and quality among sharp shooters, so for airsoft they are really oversized, and for example a trip in the car, vibrations during shooting, or even dropping the replica on the ground, will not decide the aiming point setting.

VicOptics is a subsidiary of Vector optics, but focused more on airsoft use. 

The cheapest collimators like WADSN, Theta optics, ASG, and the like are really just airsoft replicas, and should be treated as such. Their durability and variation of setup will never be the same as the aforementioned Vector optics.