Ideal Integrated Stereo? Wait a bit...

[P3D <BD3D@xxxxxxxxxx>]

George wrote:

>Bob, what I am looking for now is a camera that has a lens spacing
>smaller than eye spacing, ideally between 40 to 50 mm.  This will be
>for the close range shots which I enjoy so much.  I want this
>camera to have an image size at least as wide as the Realist and,
>if possible, a close focusing range of 0.5 m.  Am I asking too much?

Maybe for film cameras, where the minimum and maximum interlens
distance must generally be fixed.

But imagine if you will a day in the not-too-distant future,  when ultra-
high resolution digital cameras become affordable.  An integrated stereo
version could be very similar to an existing one-lens camera.  One would
only need an additional lens/board on a sliding mount, wired back to the
disk.  This would give adjustable interocular, which along with a choice
of lenses (or well-matched and synched zooms) would allow full-frame
stereos of anything from macros with only 20 mm or so interocular to
tele-hyperstereos with 10" (up to four feet with the optional HyperMaxx
kit  :-) ). The camera would need a slight software change to allow
simultaneous storage of the two files and a left/right tagging system.
Switchable too, to allow flat shots for efficient disk use.

Of course it would have the dual LCD panels on the back of the camera
to allow you to preview/freeview your shot, regardless of interocular.

A stereo camera for everybody! (yeah, right).

Bill Davis 


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