Re: Honeywell Repronar and the Realist

[P3D <PgWhacker@xxxxxxx>]

>Well, I just picked up a Honeywell Repronar and am ready to dupe realist
>format slides in cardboard mounts.  Any tips before I run my test roll? 
>Also, does anyone have a copy of the instructions they could photocopy
>for me.  I've figured out most of it, but maybe the instructions would
>have things I haven't thought of.
>
>Todd Eifert


Todd,

     I've just spent a couple months trying to get a similar system to 
work;  here are some hints:


** Print size:

     For most Holmes style stereo cards you'll want your processor to 
make 3.5 by 5 size prints.  But for relative close ups -- expecially 
indoor shots, with a subject closer than the Realists built in 7 foot 
stereo window -- 4 x 6 inch prints are better suited to letting you trim 
the print for mounting to the stereo window.  (A technical point that 
APEC members discussed offline some time back.  An example of the 
benefits of being a part of our excellent stereo exchange club.)


** Film:  

   Slide film is more contrasty than print film, so your 
prints-from-slides will have more contrast than you expect.  Your local 
pro lab can suggest brands of print film that are relatively 'flat' --  
that tone down the contrast.  In practice, with my family snapshots, I 
don't find this a big enough problem to worry about, so I just use 
whatever print film I have around.


** Color/Film:  

 Of course if you use daylight print film (several reliable pro shops 
tell me there is _NO_ tungsten 35 mm print film made nowdays) you'll need 
a light source other than a Safeway 100 watt bulb.  You can try sunlight 
on a white piece of paper, or sunlight on an 18% gray card, or a TTL 
flash directly at the end of your Repronar.

     Another option is to use a color balanced tungsten bulb (a 250 watt 
bulb sells for about $3) and a blue 80A (I think that's the number) 
filter.  Pro labs tend to use some variation of this scheme -- they can't 
count on daylight being always available.  I myself shine a color 
balanced tungsten bulb at a grey card and hold a blue filter in front of 
my dupe-tube.

     Tip:  if your Repronar has a light diffuser on the front, especially 
if it's plastic and old, be aware that even white appearing plastic can 
affect the color of your final print.  I spent $100+ on film and 
processing figruing this out on my own.  Everything I did turned out way 
yellow.  Like everyone had jaundice.  I varied light sources, exposure 
times, filters, films.  Always way yellow or, with a filter, Barny 
purple.  Frustrating.  I'd read that the diffuser was _important!_, so I 
always used it, though in the back of my mind I wondered if it might be 
the problem.  Finally I tried a roll without the diffuser:  the color was 
perfect.


** Exposure:   

      I use an Olympus OM2, which will do auto exposures up to 2 minutes 
long.  This is a handy feature, because most exposures end up being 
several seconds long.

       Even with auto exposure, you'll need to do some adjusting.  Start 
out with a test roll, bracketing exposures.  With my camera the correct 
exposure turns out to be reliably  _overexposed by 2 stops_ from what the 
auto exposure meter thinks.  Now that I know that, I don't bother with a 
bracketing test roll anymore.


**  Processing/expense:

    Semi-Pro one-hour labs can process your prints but, at least for my 
purposes, they are too expensive.  A roll of 36, single prints, runs 
about $18;  reprints 50 cents a piece.  This get's expensive.  For 
example, for shots of the twins my wife and I each put a copy in each of 
our patient exam rooms, and we keep a copy for home -- that's 5 copies of 
each print.   So semi-pro processing for one roll of 36 winds up costing 
about $90.  Ouch.

    On the other hand the local Target/Safeway type processor charge 5 
cents for each additional print.  So a roll of 36, with 5 copies of each 
print, will run you under $15.

     Because the exposed area of your prints will not fill a full 35m 
frame, labs that use machines to make your final prints can have trouble 
with stereo prints-from-slides.  They'll misalign the first print (since 
it doesn't fill the frame, they can't tell where the edges are) and 
subsequent prints, which don't center just like the first, will end up 
being cut off.

Three tips:  1.  make the first picutre on the roll a standard 35mm 
print.  This fills the 35m frame.  The tech can line up the machine with 
the first print, and all the subsequent pictures should come out lined up 
OK.

      2.  Go to a lab where you can talk to the tech, show them what you 
need back, get them interested.  If they know you, and what you need, 
they'll do a better job.  I sent one roll, via Target, to the local 
Qualex lab for 'overnight' processing.  Two weeks and four tries later 
they told me they couldn't make prints from this film, because 'Your 
camera is broken." 

      I walked the negatives across the street to K-Mart, which has an 
in-house machine.  I schmoozed with Antonella the machine operator, and 
an hour later had 120 perfect prints.

      3.  For send-in labs, include a sample print with your roll of 
film.  I put a computer label/sticker on the back of the print, 
explaining to the tech that my camera isn't broken, that he just needs to 
line up the first print on the roll, and that the black edges around each 
picture are just fine.  

        It's also important to explain that you have made two nearly 
identical shots of each picture.  Otherwise they'll get understandably 
confused and skip some stereo-halves.

        This works even with the IDIOTS at my local Qualex.

 Cheers,












Greg Kane
Denver

PgWhacker@xxxxxxx



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