RBT S1 - final report

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

Just got back my 8th RBT S1 roll from the chemist ;) No pictures from
Germany this time, just Cleveland.

The RBT S1 uses this unique format of a pair of full-frame 35 mm pictures
with a separation of 4-perf film that is wasted in-between.  This results
in only 15 pairs (instead of 18 if the entire roll is utilized.)  Good news
for Nimslo fans: you can get 30 half-frame pairs! ;).  

The user that can afford this special camera will certainly not mind a bit
of film waste, especially since this configuration allows him/her to take
advantage of the resulting shorter interocular spacing (59 mm) for very
effective close-ups.  One extra advantage of this format is that it makes
it very convenient to separate the pairs (since they do not interlock) and
mount only the ones that appear more interesting if pressed for time.

I mounted all my slide film pairs in 7-p mounts.  I do not mind wasting
some image space.  In return, I have the freedom of placing the chips in
the stereo mount for more effective composition, etc.  Since I did not have
to cut the chips, I can always remount them later in 8p mounts or separate
2x2, if this is desired. (It is not desired at present.)

Working with this camera is a pleasure.  I used it mostly in the automatic
mode where I select the aperture and the camera picks the shutter speed.  I
also used the autofocusing feature.  This allowed me to capture many candid
shots without any thinking.  One of my favorite pictures (sorry, I cannot
show it to you ;)) is a picture of my daughter in a hay-ride which I shot
from about 1 m (3 feet).  She looks really cute with all this hay in her
hair!

Sharpness, as expected, is excellent even in wide apertures (I did use
f/2.0!)  Automatic exposure worked fine most of the time.  The only problem
when using the camera in autofocus mode are the occasional soft
backgrounds.  In most cases these pictures are close-ups and the main
subject is perfectly sharp so I did not mind the soft background.  All the
controls can be set manually (this includes both exposure and focusing) via
a few buttons at the top of the camera.  The instruction manual is written
for the single camera but it is easy to follow and to understand the
different options.  After that, it is only a matter of practice.  I used
the camera mostly in automatic mode to see how such mode works in 3d. (No,
I am kidding!  I used it in automatic mode because I am lazy.)  I am happy
with what I got.

The 7p-mounted images look great in my viewer and projected very well in a
local (Cleveland Photographic Society) presentation.  The downtown
Cleveland pictures will be the backbone for a slide show on Cleveland.

Now, the big question: Is the camera worth its money and am I ready to drop
my 2.8 and Belplasca to get one of those?  Would I recommend that others do
the same?  

Well, everything is relative.  If I had most of the $x,xyz that is required
to purchase the camera, YES, I would buy it.  It is a very portable, fully
automatic (with manual overrides in everything), full-frame 3d camera with
sharp lenses.  Given my financial situation, I cannot buy this camera
today.  But, I am willing to beg, and pay a fair amount, to rent the camera
for my upcoming two week vacation to Greece next summer!

This concludes the  unofficial  review of the camera.  A formal review will
follow in various stereo publications.  I will be happy to answer any
questions regarding my experience.  For questions regarding prices, etc.,
Jon Golden is your man.

I would like to thank Jon for giving me the unique opportunity to test this
marvel of Japanese and German engineering.  Now, if I can only make my own
web page I would die a happy man! ;)

Regards -- George Themelis, fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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