P3D Re: TDC Stereo Vivid - ortho

[michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx (Michael Kersenbrock)]

> >   2. TDC Stereo VIVID f/3.5 by Bell & Howell. The PERFECT stereo
> > camera and only Realist format that is ortho (same spacing as
> > eyes). (snip)
> ..
>      Interesting, I'm curious as to how this works, as I thought that
> the stereo base on the Realist was set by the spacing of three
> 5-sprocket film chips.   
>      Does the TDC actually provide a format a little narrower than the
> realist? (i.e., less than 5 full sprockets?), does it sacrifice film to
> permit 5-sprocket images closer to each other? Or are there prisms to
> spread the image fields apart and form the images 15 sprockets apart?

None of the above.  The spacing is only "fixed" in the Realist to the
format's spacing because the film has a flat-path.  In the Vivid,
the film path between the lenses takes a little "loop" around a sprocket so 
the lenses (and image windows) can be a little closer to each other.

I was very disappointed when I found out it wasn't that they were
being purists, but that the Vivid originally was designed to be
a 7P camera because they thought that was the way the market was
going to go.  At the "last minute" before launch of the Vivid,
Kodak came out with their Realist-format camera and "set the standard".
The loop had something to do with the last minute design changes to 
make their 7P design into a 5P one.

Mike K.



>      Rob
>      "Everything I have is Y1.96K compliant"
> 
> 


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