P3D Re: Moderate Hyperstereos

[abram klooswyk <abram.klooswyk@xxxxxx>]

I agree with most things George Themelis wrote in answering Mark 
Dottle (P3D Dig 3153, 9 Jan 1999), but not fully with:

>Another application of moderate hyperstereos is in combination
>with a longer focal length lens, like the picture of the bear that
>I had the other night at the OSPS competition.  It looked like it
>was photographed with a Realist for close range (it was suggested 
>that I use a flash) while in reality it was taken from much further 
>away with twin cameras and 135 mm lenses and about 8 inches separation.

This brings back the issue of the (incomplete) PePax principle 
(P3D Digest 2917, 22 Aug 1998), the technique invented by Claudet
and the Helmholtzische Kriterium fuer die Orthomophie.
Indeed, this sounds technical...

In short, should the bear slide be called a hyperstereo? (Or hyper,
if abbreviations were allowed :-))
I my opinion not, I prefer "telestereo close-up" for this type of 
picture. 
I have seen magnificent examples by Paul Wing, Allan Griffin and 
others. A 135 mm lens is about 4 times the Realist focal length,
but 8 inches is less than 4 times the Realist separation.
Pepax would give 10 inch, I believe increasing the base even more
gives the best results for telestereo close-ups.

The real "moderate hyperstereos", without longer focal length, 
shouldn't been used very often I believe, but this is essentially
a matter of purpose and taste. 
In 1984 "Baumbuch" with stereo pictures by Hans Knuchel was published
(Tanner+Staehelin, Zurich, ISBN 3-85391-120-4).
This is on trees, and shows totals and details. The total tree 
pictures are made with a 120 mm base, and are all clearly moderate
hyper in my perception. In this booklet quite acceptable, as it is
more or less a documentary.

However, mostly I agree with Brewster (quoted before in P3D 2960):
"(...) unless we require an increased relief for some special 
purpose, landscapes and buildings should be taken with the
normal binocular camera, that is, with its lenses 2 1/2 inches
distant. Scenery of every kind, whether of the picturesque,
or of the sublime, cannot be made more beautiful or grand
than it is when seen by the traveller himself. To add an
artificial relief is but a trick which may startle the vulgar,
but cannot gratify the lover of what is true in nature and
in art."  (The Stereoscope..etc., 1856, p. 157)

This reminds of the use of color some decades ago. In (NW) Europe
many people were not very happy with the colors of the Kodak 
slide film then available. All skins seemed sun browned, all lakes 
resembled the Mediterranean. Too much and too vulgar. Most
people preferred the Agfa colors. Nowadays Kodak is much better. 

Moderate hyperstereo often is next to kitsch also, in my opinion. 
But opinion is free...

Abram Klooswyk


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