Re: Stereo panoramas

[Michel Dusariez <dusariez@xxxxxxxxx>]

>Merci beaucoup Michel,
>Ou est que je trouve d'autre information d'un 360 degree panoptic camera?
>Now were getting to the meat on the bone. 360 degree panoramas! How do you
>view them?I believe that I have been to your site but can't find the
>pointers now.
>Many thanks
>
>Craig Woods
>PO Box 91
>Honeydew 2040
>South Africa
>cwoods@xxxxxxxxxxx
>http://www.phtographers.co.za/
>Mobile: 082-322-2851


Dear Craig,

Find hereunder a little more about what I have done in stereo and panoptic
photography.

Feel free to ask more if you need.


Panoramic Conversation
or 25 years of turning around.

Michel Dusariez: Since 1986, I have been interested in photographs taken
with Cirkut cameras, which are large format panoramic cameras dating back
to the beginning of the century, of which many are still in service,
especially in the United States.

I started my own exploits in panoptic photography with a transformed Rollei
35 ( April 1987) the reasonable results of which encouraged me to
persevere. The way the technical inventor's mind works, means that he  is
in constant need of efficient tools and materials and has to do with the
available means

And the constant doubt as to whether he will succeed often means that he
reluctant to invest - an cruel dilemma.

A trip to Japan in 1989 with a view to demonstrate the advantages in the
use of kites for aerial photography, (1979) and the fact that I met Hideaki
Sato, amateur builder of panoramic cameras confirmed me in my intentions.

The first results gave me negatives of 250 mm x 24 mm which I thought were
far too long, and I decided to go on to build a prototype based on a single
use Fuji with a 25 mm lens which gives me negatives of 157 mm x 24 mm. The
length/height ratio was improved, but still too long for my taste. This
camera was named "Rubbish" (1989) because it was made from scrap parts only
and it works quite well.

I then came upon the ides of a non-definitive transformation of a modern
SLR camera.

Cameras with an interchangeable back make it possible to construct a
panoptical interchangeable back system with two interchangeable motors for
two different speeds.

The focal length chosen, was deliberately very short with a view to
reducing the negative length. This gives a negative of 106 mm x 24 mm. We
reduce the length/height ratio. The camera body itself undergoes no changes
and can still be used normally.

At this point in time, I meet the Dane Lars R. Larsen who had already been
exploring panoptical photography ( 1970).

Lars R Larsen: I had built my first almost panoptical camera (350°) in 1970
with the intention to make panoramas of buildings and interiors. The
prototype was built from an alarm clock casing with an internal diameter of
90 mm (2 x the focal length of the lens 45 mm) which gave me negatives of
the very unhandy length of abt 270 mm with a height of
24 mm. after a few successful takes, I abandoned the project, but luckily,
I kept the camera.

When twenty years later, I met Michel, his system appealed to me, but at
the time, I had neither a camera with interchangeable back, nor did I have
a 17 mm lens. I wanted to use a 21 mm which I have, and I came upon the
idea to let the camera turn around a fixed rubber disc the diameter of
which is twice the focal length of the lens. I built the system around a
6x6 Zeiss Ikon Nettar body, so that I could benefit from the #120 format
with a film of 60 mm.

Four points are worth mentioning here:

1:      a lens for a 24x36 SLR, the focal length of which is shorter than
the depth of the camera body is constructed as a retrofocus lens. - the
distance between the lens and film is longer than the focal length - which
in our case gives us room enough for the abovementionned rubber disc.

2:      that the picture circle covered by 24x36 lenses is at least equal
to the diagonal of that format, i.e.43 mm. Often it is more and may thus
attain twice the height of the 24 mm of a 35 mm film.

3:      that the use of a 17 mm lens gives negatives of 106 mm ( 2 x 17 x
pi) when covering 360°. With a negative height of 48 mm the vertical angle
covered exceeds 100°.

4:      that this length of negative makes it possible to use enlargers for
the 9 x 12 cm or 4 x 5".

In the spring of 1991, I built a prototype which I first called
"Rundhorisontkamera" and later renamed "Larscan" (1991) which after a few
improvements gave results that were so convincing that Michel decided to do
at least as well. Using the same system, he very quickly built a very
pretty camera with a 17 mm lens.

Michel Dusariez:        Since 1979, I had been doing aerial photography by
kite, so I came upon the idea to make an aerial photography by kite (1992 )
covering 360°. The French seaside town of LE TOUQUET was chosen for this
"World's first" on the 25th April 1992.

As the risk of a crash can never be totally excluded, and as the camera
used could not easily have been replaced, nerves were strained during the
experiment, but fortunately nothing untoward happened.

As the camera for the 120 format  takes up quite a lot of space, I got the
idea of creating a smaller, pocket sized model. A further Rollei 35 meets
the hacksaw and the vice and with a 12.5 mm lens (taken from a Kodak Disc)
it gives negatives of 76 x 18 mm, an acceptable length/height ratio. (1994).

This prototype comes with an accessory which makes it possible to change
the rotation ratio (to compensate for the change in refraction index under
water) and a submarine body which permits underwater takes of 360° at any
depth. (1994).

Lars R. Larsen: It was after having seen Michel's "pocket" prototype that I
decided to make something neater in a Praktica point and shoot body using
the motorised film advance system of the camera itself. This lightweight
camera can easily be carried by kite and with radio remote control, it
gives excellent aerial photographs.

Michel Dusariez: I simply had to make a further conversion. This time of an
Olympus Mµ. (1994) using the original motor drive of the camera. The
outside dimensions corresponding to those of the original camera making it
truly pocketable.

The construction of a 360° camera which simultaneously takes the same scene
from two different points (stereoscopic views) took place, first for the 35
mm format ( 1993) and finally format 120 (1994). The stereoscopic vision is
reestablished with the View Magic viewer from Dimension Press of USA using
the over/under system.

Michel DUSARIEZ
Laureate of the Royal Academy of Belgium -  Sciences class
Prize  DE BOELPAEPE - 34th  biennal period :
 January 1st, 1994 - December 31st, 1995.

For a new process combination  to produce panoramic photographic images
cover  360°  horizontaly and  110° verticaly, on the same film, in one and
single take, with a special prototype camera, allowed to restitue the
complete stereoscopic relief on 360° with the help of a special viewer.

About the exhibition of LARSCAN CAMERAS with pictures made with, from Lars
and me, at the MUSEE DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE in Charleroi -Belgium - Exibition
from February 14 to April 20, 1997.
 Michel DUSARIEZ - Brussel - Belgium March 1997.


The latest camera of the series, a camera using a Polaroid 4" x 5"  film
holder saw the light of the day towards the end of 1996. It makes it
possible to take instantaneous 360° views with a re-useable negative.

Michel Dusariez

+++++++++++++++

Find hereunder information about our books .

360° PANOPTIC  PHOTOGRAPHY  EXPERIMENTS
Michel DUSARIEZ, Ludovic PIERROUX & Lars R. LARSEN.
ISBN 2-9600048-1-7

New technical approaches to panoptic photography and the three inventors
have been sporting enough to present their findings to the public. Not only
do they fairly divide the merits, but they also reveal their invention
totally unselfishly, not covering up any of the details. They even add the
instructions which enable skilfull amateurs to construct their own panoptic
materials, using elements which are simple and inexpensive.

The last English version, revised and extended on 166 pages is now again
available. It examines in details different 360° panoptic system which are
easy to built, with diagrams and advice. Additional article,about stereo 3D
panoptic photography on 360°, Polaroid 4x5 Panoptic 360°  and panoptic 360°
underwater experiments, and with report on the First EUROMEETING held in
Brussels in 1996.  ISBN 2-9600048-1-7.

Price : 900 BF (about U.S.$ 25.00 at Dec 97 exchange rate), package and
airmail postage include everywhere.

Only credit cards VISA, MASTERCARD accepted. Sorry bank cheque can not be
accepted.

How to pay : Only credits cards VISA or MASTERCARD, send by fax or postal
your order, with number and expiration date to  - Michel DUSARIEZ, 14
avenue Capitaine PIRET - B-1150 BRUSSELS - BELGIUM fax 32 2 512 68 29.
Sorry, bank cheques can not be accepted.

To purchase email, fax, or mail the following information:

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Send to:
Michel DUSARIEZ
14 avenue Capitaine PIRET - B-1150
BRUSSELS
BELGIUM

Fax 32 2 512 68 29.

*****************

Michel DUSARIEZ
UNLIMITED FIELDS RESEARCH PANOPTIC IMAGING
KITE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORDWIDE ASSOCIATION - FOUNDATION
14, Avenue Capitaine PIRET
B-1150 BRUXELLES - BELGIUM
Fax 32 2 512 68 29