P3D Twin rig sync test

[STDudley <STDudley@xxxxxxx>]

Hello my fellow 3D enthusiasts,
I finally got frustrated with my synchronazation problem on my twin Nikon 2000
rig so here's what I did:
I took it over to the Nikkor repair center in Niles, Illinois.  I also took
along some of my favorite slides and a viewer to let them see what the "rig"
is capable of and another of an image in which the cameras fired out of sync
with a moving subject.

The technician was very interested and brought out a flash. He then excused
himself while he asked the other technician to come out and look at this too.
They put the flash on one camera while opening the back on the other camera
and afixing a yellow "post it" sticker over the shutter opening (where your
film otherwise would be exposed -- in back of the shutter).  He inserted
another post it sticker over a contact to trick the camera into "thinking" the
back was closed (so the shutter would fire).  He then fired from the common
switch (that fires both cameras) while pointing the flash at the front of the
lense of the latter camera (with post it sticker behind).  When he did, you
could see the post it sticker illuminate (from the flash) --indicating the
cameras were firing together and at no faster than 1/125th of a second, I
think? (The setting was 1/125th -- the fastest flash sync on these cameras).
He reversed the set up and fired the flash into the other camera.  This time
only half of the frame of the shutter (post sticker) illuminated from the
flash. 
 
The technicians said they thought that this was the "problem camera" but they
asked me to leave the rig with them, so they could test and adjust the "bad"
camera.
BTW both guys were fascinated with the 3-D effect (they had never seen it
before!) 
  I had a Chicago Stereo CC Newsletter and 4 tickets to the Lighthouse
Exhibiton that I gave them.  They both thanked me for breaking up an otherwise
monotonous day. Maybe we'll get a couple of new stereographers out of this?
  
Incidentally, these Nikons (N2000's) use an electronic shutter release and
have an auto-winder built in. They are manual focus cameras availble at camera
shows for around $200 each. I had changed a broken receptacle on one camera
and got another "new" camera before taking it over to them.  The cameras
seemed to be firing in sync (at least when set at the same speed) since
replacing the receptacles for the shutter release.  The speed on one of the
cameras is what I think the problem is from the above trouble-shooting the
technicians did.
Hope this isn't repetitive information, that maybe somone can use.
Happy shooting,
Steve Dudley
VP Chicago Stereo CC


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