Re: Stereo Cable Release wanted (was Re: photo-3d email)

[P3D Brian Reynolds <reynolds@xxxxxxxxx>]

Tom wrote:
> 
> Does anyone know if a stereo cable release is available?  I'm not sure
> if that's the correct name.  I'm trying to sync two SLR cameras together
> 
> (press one button so both cameras go off at "reasonablly" the same time)
> 

When I was putting together my twinbar Lubtiel setup I was also
looking for a Y cable release (one plunger that splits to two cables).
These types of cable releases are often used on macro bellows
extensions where you want the camera body shutter and the lens
diaphragm (which is no longer directly connected to the camera body)
to be fired simultaneously.  I found one by Hama at Pro Foto for $90
(more than the cost of both my cameras).  I was surprised that I
couldn't find a Y cable release at any of the other big name NYC
camera stores (Adorama, B&H, Calumet, Lens&Repro).  I guess the move
to electronic autofocus cameras and the introduction of automatic
macro bellows (which pass the connection from the camera body through
to the lens mount) have made these releases a rare item.

There are a couple of things you can do.  First you can get two cable
releases, hold them both in one hand and press them together with your
thumb.  This is what I do and it works, most of the time.

The second way to do this is to mechanically link the two cable
releases.  Take a block of wood and drill two holes to pass the cables
through.  Seat the fixed part of the cable release against the block
of wood.  Attatch a second piece of wood to both of the plungers.  You
may want to connect the two blocks of wood with a couple of pieces of
telescoping brass tubing from a hobby store so that everything will
stay in alignment.  Now you can press against the second piece of wood
to trip both shutters.  If you want you can add another piece of brass
tubing and some sheet brass to the second piece of wood to form a
single plunger for this device.  It was fairly obvious from looking at
the Hama Y cable release that it was construct this way (although they
used plastic and metal and enclosed all the workings).

A third way to do this would be to get two air bulb releases (like
cable releases, but you squeeze an air bulb to trigger the shutter)
and connect them together.  Cut the ends (and a bit of the tubing) off
both of the air bulbs and save one of the bulbs and both of the ends.
Be sure that you give yourself enough slack so that when you connect
all the parts you can reach both shutter releases.  Get a fuel line T
fitting from a hobby shop (look in the R/C airplane section).  Connect
both ends to the one bulb with the T fitting.  Wrap a piece of wire
around each of the ends of the tubing to secure them to the T fitting.
Do not tighten the wire too much or you will cut the tubing.  You
could use a fuel squeeze bulb and some fuel line (from the hobby shop)
instead of the air bulb releases, but I haven't figured out an easy
and reliable way to make the little gizmo at the end of the air
release that trips the shutter.

A fourth was to do this is to mechanically connect the shutters of the
two cameras.  This will probably only work if the cameras positions
are fixed relative to one another.  You can see various ways of doing
this on the web pages of Allan Lewis (the Stereo wedding photographer,
and print viewer manufacturer) and Sam Smith the 3D Hacker.  I believe
there are pointers to their pages at the 3D Web.
<URL:http://www.3d-web.com/>

As soon as I get some spare time I plan on trying either the second or
fourth methods with my Lubitels.

-- 
Brian Reynolds                  | "Humans explore the Universe with five
reynolds@xxxxxxxxx              |   senses and call the adventure science."
http://www.panix.com/~reynolds/ | - Edwin P. Hubble


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