P3D Success with Sputnik

["Menzel, Greg" <Greg.Menzel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello to all on the Photo-3D mail list!

After getting back from the NSA convention in Green Bay this summer,
I took a chance and bought a Sputnik MF camera on eBay from Russia.
After doing the necessary modifications (lining insides with flocked paper,
gasketing the groove for the "barn doors", refocusing the lenses at
infinity,
etc.) I am quite happy with the results.  Thanks to Paul Talbot for the
helpful
advice, and for selling me the SaturnSlide MF viewer kit from Rocky Mountain
Memories -  a nice viewer! (http://www.rmm3d.com/viewers/satslide.html).

A few comments/observations about the Sputnik:

It seems like f/22 (or f/16 in a pinch) is the best aperture choice for this
camera. The performance seems to degrade (as far as sharpness is
concerned) around the edges of the frame - most evident at f/16.
I am still not convinced I have the focus optimized either, but without
a proper ground glass available, I had to use tape, which probably is not
as effective for focusing.

I tried both Velvia and Ektachrome E100VS film. Both gave excellent results,
with the Velvia perhaps showing its greenish-bluish tendency. My exposures
with the Velvia were a little under - I was shooting a 1/60 at f/16 with the
Velvia.
Perhaps I could do 1/30 at f/16 (tripod of course.) The extra stop gained
with
the E100VS however may prove to be a significant advantage to shoot f/22
with this camera. The E100VS exposures were slightly under too - maybe
half a stop.

One thing I noticed was a slight (but noticeable) difference in exposure
between the 
right and left frames.  The right frame is darker than the left. I used my
homemade shutter speed tester and found the left and right shutters were
OK except for 1/100 which was more like 1/80. At any rate, there was not
a consistent difference between the left and right shutter speeds, so my
guess is the apertures are slightly different.  The apertures are coupled
by an arm which looks like it is adjustable. Is mismatched apertures another
well-known Sputnikism?

Right now I am using my main light box for lighting the viewer.  I would
like to use
one of those smaller (~ 4"x5") fluorescent panels, such as the Cabin
CL-5000P
light panels properly mounted on the viewer. Has anyone retrofitted one of
these
light panels onto this viewer?

Thanks for any thoughts/advice, and I look forward to comparing notes with
other
Sputnik or SaturnSlide Viewer users.


Greg Menzel
greg.menzel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx