APS Format Stereo Camera

[P3D <JValaVIDI@xxxxxxx>]

George Writes :  

"I am willing to send you a Realist camera and viewer.  (that's an offer I
reserve for good friends only...or Greeks ;)... or semi-Greeks ;) ;))" 

   I was in a Fraternity in college,.... does that count?!!  I know the Greek
alphabet!  I may take you up on that offer sometime with the camera.  What I
would really like to "borrow" sometime is someone's RBT!  Surely there must
be one that's not being used all of the time, couldn't one of you go without
it for a week or so??!!

   Other discussions going around are about formats and popularity of stereo
photography.  The way I see it, a few of us should be able to get together
(John B. & others) and design a new camera and viewer system around the new
APS film system.  I can see a system where an APS film canister is dropped
into a stereo camera with the appropriate lens focal length and
center-to-center spacing (average human IPD).  The camera optics are designed
to NOT invert the images as they land on the film (this CAN be done) and the
film advance is designed to move the film only as much as it has to make
efficient use of the material.  The processed positive film (an option Kodak
has considered) can be dropped into a stereoviewer designed to accept the APS
canister and with the push of a button the film will be dispensed from the
canister as dictated by the encoded information on the film presenting a
perfectly aligned orthostereo image!  NO fuss, no muss, no alignment, no
mounting, it's all there.  You could even design the viewer for folks like
George T. and I who throw away most of our images by making it skip images we
do not want to show up on subsequent viewings.

   I would like to get some feedback from those of you who can "think outside
of the envelope".  As you see, there are only really two significant hurdles
here (as I see it), specifically the positive APS film and the equipment
designed to process it.  Kodak indicates that both positive and Black and
White film are possibilities in the format but present market conditions do
not allow for its' current release.  I know it would take a pretty good shove
to get someone like Kodak to produce this material but they are not the only
players licensed to manufacture this.  Fuji and a couple others are
"co-inventors" of the APS system as I understand it so there may be
possibilities there.

   I've always respected the opinions expressed by those who have contributed
to this group.  So if you could please find the time to give your input on
this it would be appreciated.  The patent for the camera, viewer, and use of
the film have been already applied for so we have that part out of the way
and can get right into the design of the first Alpha Build!  Again, all
comments, Pro and Con, are greatly appreciated.


Respectfully Submitted,


John D. Vala
Virtual Imaging Devices, Inc.



------------------------------