Re: Stereo Cameras...

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A few comments on Greg Wageman's most interesting posting:
 
1. Regarding the Realist Custom, there is a very detailed and informative
   article in Stereo World, May/June 1992 issue (vo. 19/2).  Mark Wilke
   won an award for best SW article for this one...  The 16 page long
   article is accompanied by stereo pictures, copies of engineering
   diagrams, the works...  The Custom is also pictured in the cover of
   this issue.  Mark discusses in detail the problem of "authentic" vs.
   "knock-offs" with plenty of advice on how to get make sure that your
   hard-earned money are invested to buy the Real thing.
 
2. Regarding records of ownership, such thing does not exist but Ron
   Zakowski (the well-known Realist repairman who has been working for
   the David White company since he was 15) has detailed production
   records and he will be able to tell you when a specific camera was
   produced, based on the serial number.
 
3. Greg says: "I discovered that each of these cameras has a different 
   method of marking the left and right images of the stereo pair.  The 
   3.5 Realist's method is not to mark either image. :-)"
   You are very observant, but wrong in generalizing the conclusion.
   Only the very first Realists do not have a mark.  When the SN was a
   few thousand the Realists started carrying such mark.  For a detailed
   table on the markins of all stereo cameras, see Charles Piper's "The
   Technical Page", a great reference in all things stereo.
 
4. "The Custom requires you to pull out a small pin to defeat the anti-
   double-exposure mechanism."  This is a standard feature in all late
   Realists not just the Custom.  Your very early Realist does not have
   this feature but at about SN 70 to 80,000 all Realists started carrying
   the double-exposure prevention mechanism and the DOF scale next to 
   the focusing wheel.  Many older cameras were retrofitted since Realist
   offered this as an option (I don't know if there was a charge involved
   in having this conversion done).  Many earlier cameras also carry these
   features which were not in the original design.
   
Now that Greg took all this time to describe his experience with stereo
cameras, perhaps he can talk a little bit about viewers.  I have felt
that there is a very little emphasis in viewers, especially considering 
their importance in the enjoyment of stereo photography.  For example,
Charles Piper talks about cameras, projectors, techniques, in great detail
but there is no mention (not even a single one) of viewers.  I guess
I made it my mission to change this...
 
George Themelis


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