Re: [photo-3d] Digest Number 187

[King3ddd@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 00-08-03 07:16:08 EDT, you write:

<< Your RBT mounts come with a little bag that contains the
 > "rails" and a strange-looking yellow tool. Most people
 > do not understand what this tool is for (neither do I!)
 > But I have seen Ron Fross from our club modify this
 > tool to apply a constant infinity mounting, which is
 > the original intention of this tool.
 >
 > So here is what I did:  First I mounted a pair from my
 > S1 and checked with an alignment gauge to make sure
 > that infinity had a decent separation.  The maximum
 > infinity separation in these gauges is 1.2mm but I am
 > using a smaller value myself (sorry, I subscribe to the
 > "less is better" principle).
 >
 > Once the pair was mounted in the RBT mount I laid
 > the yellow tool over the rails and marked on the arms
 > of the tool the spacing of the RBT rails.  I then cut
 > the ends and trimmed then with a file so that this
 > yellow tool FITS EXACTLY BETWEEN THE RBT RAILS.
 >
 > I have now created a tool that will allow me to space
 > the rails to achieve a constant infinity separation.
 >
 > To finish the job I trimmed (with a file) the notch
 > that makes the tool fit at the center of the mount
 > only (I need to slide this tool around) and reduced
 > the thickness of the tool legs so the film chips
 > can run over these legs without a problem.
 >
 > Here is the nice part:  It does not matter how the chips
 > are cut.  If the camera works by advancing a constant
 > number of film perforations (sprockets) (this is true for
 > all Realist-format cameras and for my S1 too) then this
 > tool will always work for this camera!  (You might
 > need to make a different tool for different cameras
 > but a tool is always good for a given camera).
 >
 > This tool is very useful for beginner who do not have
 > a good concept of the stereo window.  It will allow
 > you to mount consistently in RBT mounts and, depending
 > on the kind of scenes photographed, you will do very
 > well in the majority of the scenes.  Small adjustments
 > might be needed in some slides but the majority would
 > be OK.
  >>