Re: Beam Splitter

[michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx (Michael Kersenbrock)]

> Using Beam splitter with camera in horizontal position, result is vertical
> pictures, but if camera is in vertical position, result is horizontal
> pictures. 
> Can those horizontal pictures then be used with the over/under unit that 
> I saw at Atlanta 3d convention?   I forgot the company name, but sure 
> I have their literature in the box of stuff I brought home?  Vertical is
> great
> for trees and buildings and people, or for cropping to square.  Horizontal
> is just needed sometimes.  


One can't just turn the camera (and splitter) sideways.  Doesn't work.  Truely.
When I first got it, I tried that just for fun.  Result is that when you
look at it in the viewer, you just turn your head sideways.  Worth doing once
for a "conversational" piece and a bit of fun watching people turn their heads.
The splitter needs to be oriented the same way a person's eyes would be looking
at the subject "in person".

One could, I suspect, turn the camera but leave the splitter horizontal, however
this makes the aspect ratio even worse (assuming the optics don't mind).  The
tall and skinny aspect ratio becomes even taller and skinnier.  Not what one
wants unless perhaps photographing stretched out snakes or live Unagi.

That viewer you talk about has the photos top-and-bottom, but the images in
those photos are seen by the eyes (when looked at in the viewer) as left-right.
The top-bottomness is a mechanical advantage only. 

In other words, the beamsplitters really need to be used in their traditional
method, regardless of the viewing mechanism.  Has to do with eye orientation
to the world more than anything.  If people were born with eyes one over the
other rather than side to side, then it'd probably work fine.  But then, then
the question would have been posed the opposite way.  :-)


Mike K.


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