Re: Bill Ewald's talk

[P3D Bill Davis <bd3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rick Inzero wrote (edited for brevity):
>
>I went to the Bill Ewald talk at the Brighton Town Hall here in Rochester,
NY that
>Bill Davis mentioned here in the list.
>It was *great*!  Bill E. was a great speaker .... 
>and brought some >stored-in-the-basement 
>goodies, including the prototype Kodak Realist format projector (which Bill D. 
>described a few weeks ago-....  This prototype looks GREAT- ....it looks
production
>quality.  Bill D. has done a great job cleaning it up/fixing it.

Thanks. I enjoyed all 200 hours of that job!

>Bill E. also brought a Kodak camera with a working *rangefinder focus* in it-
>again, production quality (including lithographed artwork "Kodak
Rangefinder"), 
>and an interesting camera that looked like a macro 35mm camera (2 tiny, close 
>lenses).  BUT it was intended for NORMAL 3D photography because he had a 
>matching Carousel projector with modified lens that would project these single 
>35mm 8 perf 2x2 slides.  The projector lens and condenser were modified to
have 2 
>small independent lenses, matching the camera that took the slides.  It worked 
>AMAZINGLY well. 

I agree.  I had previously seen some of these slides projected on a cookie
sheet in Bill's basement and was impressed at that time with the depth from
a 30mm lens separation, but seeing them on a 60" screen was especially
impressive! You'd swear these pictures were shot with a normal-base camera.
I *think* Bill had mentioned that he had hoped the Apollo moon missions
would use this type of camera design, but I could be mistaken.  
  
>He described his prototype Kodak table viewer (no glasses needed), but
indicated the 
>George Eastman House has it in their collection, and won't let him touch or 
>borrow it- 

I think they want to lose track of it again.  Before the convention, no one
there had any idea where it was, or even if it was there at all!  The former
Director of Technology, retired for several years, had to come down and show
them where it was.  (This is the one you liked so well, Dalia) I guess I'll
have to get Bill to help me build another one.

>
>There also were some old co-workers and associates of Bill E. in the crowd 
>(some famous 3D guys whose names escape me) that added to the discussions.

Let's see, the few names I knew were Rudy Kingslake, Kodak's Optics guru,
sitting by Al Sieg, (by far the top Stereo Exhibitor in the world, with
about a gazillion acceptances in salons), then Bill Fujimura, a former
student of Bill E's, Optical Designer at Kodak, now retired and working as
an assistant Curator of the Eastman House's Technology Archives. Also Bud
Taylor of Kodak's Depth oops! Dynamic Imaging Group (lents) was there. A
special treat for me was the arrival of Ed Kindig, who was the guy who took
the design specs and built the Kodak Stereo Camera.  I had wanted to meet
him since I first heard of him during NSA '96 planning last year.  Ed is
understandably proud of "his" camera, remarking that it captured 50% of the
stereo camera market the first year out. I had a nice but too-brief
conversation with him after the talk.
 
>There were many 3D "guests" there; 

Among them Dick Twichell, Bill Triblehorn and myself; 75% of the NSA '96
local planning committee, the only one missing was Marty Abramson, who was
too busy earning money to come.  I guess we know where his priorities are. :--)

>It seems there's a somewhat large contingent in Webster, NY (at least 4 of us).

Don't get any ideas, Rick, I'm too busy! :--)
>
>I witnessed as another viewer lost the battle to Bill D.'s nose.  What's the 
>score now?  Bill's nose: 5   Realist-format viewers: 0?       :-) :-) :-)

Gee whiz, this was the TDC viewer, too!  Looks like it's either facial
reconstruction surgery or build it myself if I want to see all five p.  Good
thing I don't use a Verascope Camera.

>Rick Inzero                                     
>
>I free-view lenticulars for a 6-D effect!!
>
Have you tried free-viewing View-Magic prints for the Marty Feldman effect?

Best regards,
Bill Davis


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