P3D Brackets for twin rigs

["Mark & Marian Blum" <markb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark & Marian Blum <markb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: 4.1.19990218100014.00be12b0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<4.1.19990218100014.00be12b0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Photo 3-d <photo-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Saturday, February 20, 1999 10:37 PM
Subject: P3D Brackets for twin rigs


>Peter Davis writes:
>I'm interested in knowing what commercially made brackets are available for
>twin camera rigs.  I have pair of electronically coupled point-and-shoot
>cameras and, while I keep toying with the idea of making my own bracket for
>them, the reality is that I'll probably never get to it.
>I'm really looking for something that will hold the two cameras, and
>optionally fit on a tripod.  Ideally, it will also have a way to help keep
>the film planes aligned, and really ideally, have a hand grip post on the
>right through which I can somehow thread the shutter button, etc.
>I know Reel 3D sells a fairly plane looking bar for about $50 or $60.  Are
>there other commercially made ones?  Recommendations?
>
>One alternative is the system built and sold by Jasper Engineering. Very
>well made and quite adequate for pinot and shoot. However, IMO it is
>insufficient for the use of twin SLRs with telephoto lenses, especially in
>vertical format. First, there is no simple means to adjust the vertical
>camera bodies into alignment with eachother. One must compare images in the
>viewfinders and tweak one of the cameras on its mounting pad. This is a
>laborious, time consuming process. But the really serious problem is that
>because you CAN twist the cameras on the mounts, they are not firmly locked
>in place. After 5 minutes of alignment to take a shot, if you pick up your
>tripod and move the rig you inevitably find that the alignment has been
>lost. The longer and heavier the telephotos, the worse the problem. There
is
>even an alignment problem when the cameras are used on the bar
horizontally.
>Long lenses simply exert different amounts of force on the camera mounts,
or
>the mounts respond differently, so that the vertical alignment gets uneven.
>
>IMO a really functional professional twin camera bar needs to have:1)
>readily and finely adjustable,  positive locking mechanisms for the camera
>bodies when in the vertical position; 2) vertical adjustment for the bodies
>in the horizontal position: and 3) toe in capability.
>
>I have never seen such a bar. The closest I've observed is the system
>utilized by 3D Vision for the photography of their 3Discover series. It
>didn't allow vertical camera mounting, but did provide fine vertical
>adjustment and toe in for twin horizontally mounted camera bodies. (At the
>time they used Canon EOS1 and Nikon N90 bodies, which didn't sync well to
>flash. The lenses included Nikon 300mm F2.8 monsters that dragged the
>cameras out of alignment and necessitated the vertical alignment.) Those
>bars (a long and short version) were custom made. The 3 Discover executive
I
>dealt with promised me the name of the manufacturer, but hasn't delivered,
>and I have no faith that he will.
>
>I would like to hear from anyone else who has dealt with these issues.
>
>Mark Blum
>markb@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>


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