P3D Re: forward wind

[David Glick <xid@xxxxxxx>]

In PHOTO-3D Digest 3595,  11 Nov 1999, Linoln wrote:

>Does any one think it would be "not to difficult" to
>gear an 50's stereo camera so that it could have a
>thumb advance instead of a knob?

I've been thinking about this too.  My thought was to take the thumb lever
and gearing from a modern camera.  However, the ones that I see
(particularly Olympus OM series which I use) are designed to wind the film
_under_ the take-up spool, while the knob-wind stereo cameras wind the film
over the spool.  Does anyone know of any ratcheting thumb-wind cameras that
wind the film the same way the stereo cameras do?

Another approach would be to produce an assembly that would fit on top of
or around the existing wind knob.  A properly sized ratchet gear and pawls
would do it.  I think if you wanted it to have a spring return, some minor
attachment to the camera body would have to be made.

Provision would have to be made to allow the take-up spool to spin as the
film is rewound.

As to how difficult it would be, I don't have an informed answer, but would
love to hear ideas!

Dave Glick
State College, PA