Camera restoration? and Focus?

["Paul A. Lehman" <PALEHMAN@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings from a newbie:

I have been receiving the digest now for a couple months and find it =
very=20
informative! I have also been reading the digest archives (3-4 a day)=
 and have=20
learned tons of useful bits and pieces.

Although I am not new to photography (amateur since 1972). I purchase=
d my first=20
Realist 3.5 last November. The first set of slides has hooked me into=
 this new=20
dimension. Yesterday, I found a Realist 45 and a Kodak Stereo in an A=
ntique shop and=20
bought them both. When the weather warms up I will be comparing all t=
hree and will=20
let ya=92ll know my opinion of each. My current plan is to keep two a=
nd sell the third=20
(mostly to keep my better half happy).

On the current thread on the digest structure, I strongly feel it sho=
uld be kept in=20
its current format. The variety of ideas and approaches to 3D provide=
 insight not=20
available via separate lists. Even if a question asked last year reap=
pears, new=20
digest readers may be able to provide new insight, and the old reader=
s may have=20
formed different opinions since the previous observations. Yes, there=
 are probably a=20
lot of readers who do not contribute to the list, however, some may n=
ot have had=20
anything to say, some may have seen what they would have said already=
 written by=20
others, some may be too shy, and some may be newbies still in the pro=
cess of=20
learning.

I have two topics for discussion which I have yet to encounter in the=
 archives, and=20
would like your collect opinions:

1. As a large number of the available stereo cameras pre-date 1955, a=
re there ideas /=20
suggestions / caveats for restoring their appearance and functions? F=
or example, how=20
best to clean the camera body=92s vinyl/leather? If one replaces the =
vinyl, does this=20
diminish its value as a collectable even though only the cosmetics ha=
ve changed? Can=20
the metal surfaces, that have lost their brilliance, be restored? How=
 best to remove=20
that =93green-stuff=94 which accumulates around some of the cracks an=
d crevices? What=20
would be the best choice of paint to use to touch-up the scratches an=
d nicks along=20
the edges of the body (and within the body with flat-black)? Are ther=
e any=20
suggestions on how to and what to use to lubricate the shutters and g=
ears within the=20
camera (or is this best left to the professionals?). The goal is to n=
ot only restore=20
the original appearance and functionality of the camera, but also pro=
vide preventive=20
maintenance so that the camera will last another 50+ years of product=
ive use (for me,=20
then by my daughter, then maybe even my (way) future grandchildren).

2. I have quickly learned that 3D photos with maximum depth of field =
provide great=20
visual distance within the photograph. This is accomplished, of cours=
e, by adjusting=20
the focus to accommodate the depth of field from infinity to close-di=
stance via the=20
f-stops. Here is my question(s): is the value of 3D lost if too much =
of the=20
foreground or background are set out of focus? This is a typical 2D a=
pproach for=20
portraits, etc, to prevent distracting backgrounds. However, if one w=
ere within a=20
confined area (ie indoors), is it better to focus on the primary obje=
ct of the photo=20
knowing that the room dimension limits the background distance, or wi=
ll there still=20
be an advantage to infinity setting of focus on the f-stop?

Thank you for your time and comments.

Paul A. Lehman.






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