Re: [photo-3d] 3-D special "Q"

[Gabriel Jacob <jacob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Boris writes:
>The 3-d is "REAL" though I will qualify that: the pictures appear taken
>with one of those Vivitar(?) 3d anaglyph lenses on a standard SLR.  (What
>I've learned about these, I have learned only from this list).

If you do a search on single lens 3-D, you'll find a lot of information
in the P3D archives. John Bercovitz and William Carter used to have looong
(albeit interesting!) debates regarding single lens 3-D!

William Carter used to have an excellent web page describing the history
and a very good explanation on the process. I had made single lens 3-D
using a videocamera and made some limited macro shots. I couldn't see any
disparity in the images, but I could see a limited 3-D effect. I couldn't
understand why I could see any 3-D effect till I read William Carter's 
explanation. I've changed browswer and computers and now can't find the
link to his web page. I don't know if he still has it up. William, where
is it!?! :-)

>But this begs the question: why shoot 3-d with such a lens in the first
>place?  The 3d is not very functional.  Although the depth is there, it is
>minimal, and it is available only "blurry," thus unable really to increase
>"readability" of the image.

I guess before computers were common, maybe it was the only "quick" way
of making anaglyphs. Although I have had limited success using half-mirrored
glass and red/blue filters to achieve similar effects.

>I think the lens is called a "Q-dos" is that right?  That would be a
>coincidence!

>From what I've read, there were other lens that exploited that effect,
although maybe the Q-Dos lens was maybe the first commercially available
one. Many people have converted their lenses to single lens anaglyph,
although I don't know how many have actually used it much! Michael Watter's
book, "The Chopping Block" has a chapter on how to convert your lens to
anaglyph 3-D.

I have a Q-Dos lens for my SLR, but it rarely gets any use, even as a zoom
lens. Interesting enough, I first read about it many years ago in a French
photography magazine (Chasseur d'Images). This was the July 1992 issue and
is published in France. The issue devotes 14 pages to the Q-Dos 3-D effect,
and it has a lot of examples. From those images, it seems the lens excels
in macros shots. Other than that, I agree the images are rather limited.

When I read about it I looked long and far to find it here in North
America, but the Vivitar people didn't know what I was talking about. Years
later I saw it being liquidated in the US photographic magazines! I was too
early and then too late! 

Gabriel