Re: Medium Format 3d

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

>When shooting with my Realist, I find that close-up portraiture (which I
>find marvelous in 3d) seems to have too much depth. 

Yes, that is correct.

>It seems that when I'm 3-4 feet away from my subject, the nose comes out 
>too much and the depth is exaggerated. 

Correct, again!

>So now I'm thinking about shooting close up portraits in MF and I wonder 
>if the lens spacing should be a bit shorter than my eyes. 

Nope!  Not necessarily!  It all depends on the camera.  But you don't need
medium format to get the smaller lens' separation.  You can get smaller
separation with the following cameras:  Nimslo, ISO Duplex (there is your
"medium format"! - this camera uses 120 film), RBT S1 or custom-made cameras.

>the perfect 3d camera would have adjustable interocular
>spacing--but that sounds like a mechanical nightmare. So maybe two
>cameras is the way to go--but can you ever get them close enough?

No, not off the self.  Even if you put them bottom to bottom you still have
them further apart that the distance between the eyes.  However, I think
the combination of cameras bottom to bottom and longer lenses (in the 80 to
100 mm FL - 135 mm tends to be too long) will give you the effect you want.
I would personally like to have two stereo cameras, one is my Realist and
another one with a shorter lens' distance like the ISO Duplex or RBT S1.

>Another question: I have just begun projecting my Realist slides with a
>TDC 716. I'm getting exaggerated depth. What's wrong?

The distance from you to the screen.  If you are sitting by the projector
even if you are using 4" lenses you are still more than twice away from
the "ortho" seat (located approximately at a distance equal to the diagonal
of the image from the screen).  You are experiencing what is known as
"stretch".  Only the z-axis is stretched.  This leads to the impression of
increased depth and results in terrible Realist portraits, as I am sure you
know already.  Since most people sit far behind the ortho seat, one
solution is to use longer FL lenses when you take the picture. 

George Themelis


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