P3D Re: PHOTO-3D digest 2983

[HatfieldMk@xxxxxxx]

Not that long ago Rolland Elliot posted a message asking for input concerning
his desire to shoot twin 35 mm with a Nikon F 4 or N90. I tried to respond to
Rolland off list (rolland_elliott@xxxxxxxxx) the message came back as
undeliverable. So I am posting this to the list for the benefit of all,
Rolland especially. I have spent the last 3-4 years shooting twin 35 mm with a
pair of Nikon N 2000s on a Jasper Engineering vertical mount. I fired the
cameras via a siamesed electronic shutter release (mc 23 I believe?) that I
spliced together myself. I chose the vertical mount because it held the
cameras base to base with a lens separation of about 93 mm. the problem that I
experienced was that it was difficult if not impossible to get the shutters to
fire in sync. The problem is based in the fact that the SLR uses a mirror to
allow the operator to "see through the lens." This mirror must move up and out
of the way before the shutter can release and thus expose the film. While
Nikons are very precise with regard to shutter speed once the mirror is up and
away, I guess there is a much wider latitude with regard to the mirror
movement itself. I was also having great difficulty with synching flash with
the shutters. I was very fortunate to have E-mail exchanges about this subject
with Dr. Paul Milligan. He was also gracious enough to mail me the electronic
schematic for a dual timer that would allow for some minor adjustment in
shutter release sequences. I tried and failed to successfully build the timer.
I don't think I ever got the cameras closer than about 1/250 of each other.
And while this was OK for most applications, whenever there was movement of
the subject (flowers in the breeze for example) I was likely to see some
ghosting. But among other suggestions and comments Dr. Milligan made was the
observation that Nikons were particularly troublesome in this regard, and that
I might consider using the Minolta X-700. I have noticed that a majority of
those deeply involved with twin 35 mm do indeed seem to favor the Minolta. The
epilogue of this story is that I have returned the N 2000s to their rightful
owner (my wife) to use as backups for her N 8008S. I traded the vertical mount
to Dr. T for a nice little Realist. My life is much simpler now and I am
having a blast with the Realist!
I hope that my experiences are of some help to you.
Respectfully submitted,
Mark Hatfield


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