P3D RE: Twin Yashica T4's and SLRs

["Wladyslaw Reksc" <wlad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: RE: Twin Yashica T4's and SLRs

I guess if you are skilled and determined enough you can pair
almost any cameras you want. But to do that you need to have
at least one of the following in significant quantities:
money, time, experience to work with tiny and precise mechanisms.
For most people, like myself, a simpler approach is needed.
Choosing a right camera makes a big difference when it comes
to cost, ease of implementation and final quality. There are
two ways you can go: work with SLRs or compact cameras
(higher end P&S units). We all know how useful it is to use
cameras having some auto features but also allowing manual
overrides for focusing (to make sure that both are focused
on the same object) and aperture setting (for d.o.f. control).

I was looking for the "golden solution" for a while. When it
comes to compact cameras I had my eyes the following:

  Nikon 35Ti, Nikon 28Ti
  (it's quite costly and probably not manufactured any more),
http://www.nikonusa.com/products/detail.cfm?id=80

  Leica Minilux (very good, but $$$):
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/photo/pointshoot/highend/leica/minilux.htm

  Contax T2, Contax T ix (want to have, but $$$):
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/photo/pointshoot/highend/contax/t2.htm
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/photo/pointshoot/highend/contax/tix.htm

  Minolta TC-1 (nice, but too expensive):
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/photo/pointshoot/highend/minolta/mitc-1.htm

  Ricoh R-1, Ricoh R-1e, Ricoh GR1, Ricoh GR10
  (very good, but no manual controls):
http://www.ricoh-cameras.co.uk/35mm/35mmprod.htm

  Yashica T4 Super, called T5 in Europe
  (excellent quality/price ratio, but too auto):
http://www.yashica.com/site.html

It produces beautiful pictures. I liked this camera so much
that I even have purchased its service manual. I was disappointed
to find out that programmed exposure keeps aperture at lowest 3.5,
increasing only shutter speeds up to 1/250 until EV 16 (not good
for 3D).

  Minox GT-S, Minox GT-E (very good candidate):
http://www.minox-web.de/masterframeset_produkte.html

  Ricoh 35R (that's it !!!, at least for me):
http://www.ricohcamera.com/ricoh_35R.htm

It has AF and manual focusing. I wouldn't recommend AF setting.
After making some test pictures I suspect that in AF mode it works
rather like a fixed focus camera. I think that AF sensor is there
only to warn that the object is too close. I don't have too much
experience in judging the lens quality. It has 3 elements in 3 groups
and is made of multicoated glass. Too bad the optics was so downgraded
compared to the legendary Ricoh GR1/GR10 cameras (7 elements in
4 groups with excellent color correction). Still, the pictures
from this camera look quite good. I got noticeably sharper images
taken in manual focus mode.

It also has programmed AE and aperture priority AE settings.
Programmed AE mode is not too attractive: it keeps the lowest
3.9 f-stop increasing only shutter speeds up to 1/125 until EV 9.
Only stronger light increases f-stop together with the speeds.
But who cares, we have aperture priority AE mode with the choices
of 5.6, 11 and 22 f-stops. The only disadvantage with aperture
priority mode I've found is that it gives "out of range" warning
at extremely bright conditions (e.g. noon at the beach or on the
snow field). But switching to programmed mode fixes the problem.
One could also use neutral gray (or polarizing) filter and keep
aperture priority mode "happy".

This camera also has a remote shutter release socket. Well, don't
get overexcited yet. It works, but cameras are not too well
synchronized with provided connections. This socket has only
a shutter release signal. Once you connect both cameras and press
the shutter release button on one camera, that camera will have an
advantage of activating its electronics earlier then the other.
It is because this camera gets also pre-set signal, while the other
has to force a delay to do that, when shutter release signal arrives.
There are ways to fix it: a simple quick&dirty, or more complicated
requiring opening the camera.

Soo ... I thought this camera was good enough to give it a try.
For all interested in pairing procedures have a look at the following
page:
http://www.generation.net/~jacob/35r/35R_mods_for_3D.htm

Good Dr Gabriel has provided some web space to store it. He also got
attracted by this example, so bug him for his opinion, too.
There is only one catch: Ricoh 35R is available in Canada and in UK;
I called several US Ricoh reps and they didn't know what I was talking
about.

When it comes to SLR pairing, I have a very successful implementation
using Pentax quite new ZX-M model (called MZ-M in Canada). It is very
compact, light and very affordable (B&H sells it for $150 US/body).
http://www.pentax.com/camera_overview.jhtml?productID=5534

You can use with it all Pentax lenses, even the oldest manual focus
only (great selection of very good optics). This camera has fully
functional remote shutter release socket. No need to do any "hacking".
Just place two cameras on a bar, connect the sockets and you are ready
to go. The synchronization is so good, that you can't find any motion
related differences between the left and right picture. I have taken
several pictures of biplanes with rotating propeller blades and they
are in identical positions on L&R images. Just make sure, that each
camera has its own batteries; powering both cameras from one battery
pack causes them to fire at random.

Several people have earlier suggested using Canon Rebel camera.
I personally didn't like it, because it's too big.