Re: current Kodak mounting

[P3D Gregory J. Wageman <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Peter Davis writes:

>I think the confusion here is over the word "aligned."  Dr. T points
>out, correctly, that the slide pairs within a properly function stereo
>camera will always be aligned relative to each other.  That is, both
>slides will have their vertical directions parallel, etc.  This does
>NOT, however, mean that the slides are guaranteed to be aligned
>relative to the horizon, the subject, or anything else in the view.
>That's what the levels are for.

What I don't see is why this is any more or less important in a stereo
camera than in a single-lens camera.  When I tilt my head from the
vertical, I don't suddenly stop being able to fuse reality into a stereo
image.  I would expect that tilting the camera would have exactly the same
effect.  Yes, the horizon line would not be parallel to the top and bottom
of the frame, but so what?  I'm sure I've read somewhere, stated as
gospel truth, that such rotation is absolutely forbidden.   I think it
ain't so!

(My wife's stereoview collection includes a card that has the
images offset vertically from each other, making it impossible to fuse,
so I do know what the effect of improper mounting looks like.  That's
not what I'm talking about.)

If I were shooting with two separate cameras, or shooting a "cha cha"
with one camera, a level would be very useful to avoid rotation errors,
but in a stereo I just don't see the need.

	-Greg


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