APS Format Stereo Camera

[P3D Larry Berlin <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

>John D. Vala Writes:
>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.

Hey, as long as we are dreaming of better or ideal cameras here, let's take
into account that not all subjects are at the ideal distance for *normal*
lens FL or stereo-base. That means that the ideal stereo camera has to be
able to shift the lenses apart to variable distances, change to longer or
shorter lenses, etc. Maybe the solution is to package a separate film
cartridge for each lens without forcing the lenses to be too far apart (as
in the case of side-by-side SLR's). I can see where this would be easier
with digital cameras but it should be possible with film cameras too. It
just takes acknowledging that flexible options are useful and needful for
the stereophotographer. A lot of new cameras already have a smaller
dimension to the film mechanism than exists in older cameras.

This means an electronically synchronized film advance and shutter
operation, plus (ideally and perhaps not as practical) a stereo viewfinder
and through the lens metering (needed only through one lens?). Using
separate rolls of film for each lens eliminates the problem of wasted film
since standard cameras do a really good job of sequencing the frames close
together. Mounting is then the photographer's choice. This doesn't lend
itself to the *ideal* viewer John Vala describes but it sure has all the
adaptability that fixed base cameras don't have. If it's a designed system,
it would be real convenient to use. 

As to a viewer, I would guess that it's really more convenient to have
separate images anyway since you may not want to stick 100% of your shots
into the viewer for anyone other than yourself. Full control of editing and
sequencing of shots for a viewer is then possible. You may want to put shots
from completly different sessions together for viewing.

John did say:
> I would like to get some feedback from those of you who can "think outside
>of the envelope".

Then he says:
> 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!

Sounds like maybe you're too far along already for thinking *outside the
envelope*?

Larry Berlin

Email: lberlin@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.sonic.net/~lberlin/


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