[photo-3d] Re Nimslo Flash with Stereo Realist

[Peter Homer <P.J.Homer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jack Feldman wrote

>What I see as a problem is that the flash will shut itself down when the
>subject is illuminated enough for the exposure. The background will be
>ignored. The Nimslo has two flash units, one pointing front, and one at an
>angle to fill in some background light. Sounds like they knew what they were
>doing.
>
>Has anyone tried using a Nimslo flash gun with a Stereo Realist? Since it is
>dedicated to the Nimslo camera, I don't think it will work on another
>camera, but the double flash would help fill in some of the background.
>Perhaps the Nimslo flash always assumes the camera is shooting at a pre set
>shutter speed, and all I have to do is find that magic f-stop and shutter
>speed.

I have never had a Realist so have had no experience with using my Nimslo
flashes with them but I have used them with other cameras such as my
Miranda SLR
and Fed stereo. The Nimslo "Optilite" flash manual gives some directions
for using it with other cameras, I can check tonight but from what I can
remember it to recommends 5.6 for the setting for other cameras used with
the flash. As this is the maximum aperture of the Nimslo's automatic system
it is likely that this is what it opens up to by the time the red light
comes on telling you to use the flash. I am not so shure of the shutter
speed but I have 1/60 in my mind and I seem to remember that with my Fed
which manualy can only be used at 1/30  I set
it at F8 to try to give the equivalent. You will need some sort of adaptor
for your realist as sold by Reel 3D enterprises as the central pin of the
Realist hot shoe is raised. I believe some people file this down in order
to use it with modern flash without the special adaptor which I think has a
sprung loaded ball-bearing contact to accomadate the bump on the Realist.
To use the flash with my Fed I have to use a hot shoe to PC adaptor and PC
to hot shoe conected together! this may seem strange but is the only way I
can get the camera to fire the flash. Furthermore they have to be  what I
call the "old type" with flat sides as opposed to the new ones which are
slightly curved. The little PC cord of my first combination eventualy broke
and I could not use my Fed with the flash for a few years, recently my
brother gave me his old Zenith camera gear and amongs't it was one of these
adaptor combinations, probably the most usefull thing there.I have read
somewhere that the "Dedication" of the Flash to the Nimslo was through the
extra pin and only ensured that the camera was set at the right aperture
and shutter, it did not control the flash from the camera.
However I am not shure that ability of the upper flash to be bounced is of
any real advantage except for it original purpose of producing lenticulars
of subjects only about six feet away. I have used the bounce in an ice cave
where the roof would give good reflection but the subject came out
underexposed I generaly use the upper flash folded down the fixed flash
does not seem powerfull enough to give good exposure.  P.J.Homer