Re: To Buy Or Not To Buy

[P3D <MarkKernes@xxxxxxx>]

     If I can just add my two cents to the question of whether a beginner
stereo-phile should try a Realist (and I DO mean "Realist 3.5") or not, I've
been taking Nimslo/Nishika lenticulars pretty much since the Nimslo was first
released, and while many of the shots I got were good, I really learned very
little about cameras and photography in general with them. About the only
thing the lenticulars taught me was how to frame; i.e., getting all of your
subject in frame whenever possible, and making sure there's a foreground and
a background for maximum stereo effect. 
     Then I bought a Realist at a camera show, and frankly was pretty much
lost as to what to do. 
     But I did have a pretty much fully automatic Canon EOS, and I was aware
that there was some relationship between the amount of available light and
the aperature setting, so I started paying more attention to the little
settings display that appeared at the bottom of the viewfinder every time I
took a photo. That helped a little - and then someone told me (or perhaps I
even saw it in this digest) that the little red dots someone had painted on
my aperature and exposure wheels on the Realist were the proper settings for
flash photography, so I was off and running.
     Fortunately, I also have some photographer friends, and while they
weren't familiar with stereo, they did (DO!) know how to take a good picture,
so I asked for some pointers - but I'm still learning; at the moment, it's
how to use a light meter. 
     I guess my point is, anyone with the ability to learn and a decent eye
for framing can take a good stereo pair if their equipment is working
properly. (BTW, thanks to Charlie Piper for giving my baby a terrific
overhaul - even if it cost more than the camera originally did!) (I'm
certainly blaming Charlie for THAT. Good work is always worth the price.) And
being forced to learn about light and subject and spatial relationships and
all that stuff is nearly as much of a treat as being able to take 3D
pictures.
     Bottom line: If you're not brain-dead, don't hesitate to buy that
"Realist-format" camera. And if you've got friends that take pictures
regularly (preferably using manual settings, etc.), ask them about how to use
your camera. Chances are, they'll be fascinated by the concept of stereo, so
it will be a learning exchange. I take a lot of pictures for my magazine
using the Canon, but they're rarely as fulfilling as the stereos I do.
     Just me rambling...

Mark Kernes <markkernes@xxxxxxx>


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