P3D Re: VM Personal close up filters

[Linda Nygren <lnygren@xxxxxxx>]

Jeremy Illingworth wrote:
> 
> I just got a VM Personal camera and want to shoot close up photos but
> cannot afford the VM close up lenses.  Is there another way to do it,
> like with the Porta close up filters that I've seen for sale on some
> web sites?  Does anybody have experience with these?  What are their
> approximate range, for the different ones?
> 
> Jeremy

The VM Personal would take any series V closeup lenses such as the
Portra lenses. The difference is that there is not a viewfinder parallax
correction, and perhaps more importantly I think the VM closeup
attachments have some prism in them to "angle in", to compensate for the
fact that the lens spacing is really too far apart for good closeups.
The wedge or angle lenses are available occasionally in Series V size
but not nearly as common as the plain closeups. 

I haven't actually tried it, but one possible way to take closeup
"hypostereos" is to take two separate closeup shots (with the Portra
lenses) with a small camera shift between exposures (using a real or
makeshift slidebar) and then mount the appropriate two of the four
frames. This should also eliminate the "keystoning" distortion problem
with the "angled-in" closups, I would think. A variation of this
technique works for "hyperstereos" for distant subjects, with a large
camera shift between shots. Assuming, of course, a non-moving subject.  
-Linda


------------------------------