"One way mirror filter"

[John Sarsgard]

I'd like to find a filter, if one exists, that is in effect a one way mirror. I want to use it for self portraits, where I could look directly into the lens and see my posing, and the camera would "see" completely transparently from the other side. Anyone know of such a thing?

[Gem Singer]

Hi John,

Why not merely place a large mirror along side the camera and use a long bulb-type cable release? It won't be exactly what the camera sees, but close enough.

[Ralph Barker]

Interesting idea, John, but I don't think it would do what you want, even if you could find one. At best, the small surface area of the filter would only give you a partial image. A larger mirror next to, or below the camera, as Eugene suggests, is a better approach, I think.

Alternatively, you could try the view view. ;-)


http://www.rbarkerphoto.com/misc/Family/RB052002-1-400bw.jpg

[Steven Buczkowski]

If you don't like the mirror beside the camera option, you might try and find a glass cutter to put a hole in a regular mirror. Set the mirror in front of the camera and shoot through the hole. I've been thinking of trying this myself since seeing a friend's bathroom that had light fixtures poking through holes cut in the mirror but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Steven

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

John.
Another option is is fact the old system used in castles and spy stories. A piece of unsilvered glass relatively absorbent llike a neutral gray filter covers part of the wall, behind it a dark cabinet where somebody looks at you, like, say, the lens of your camera. You stand in bright light, the light is directed to you and not toward the glass. The camera in the dark cabinet sees you but you do not see it because there is no ligth emitted by the camera and because little diffuse light enters from the room where you are. So it works better if the glass is not clear.
So I would simply add a piece of un-coated white ordinary glass between the camera and me and hide the front part of the camera except the coated lens behind a dark cloth. You would be in bright light, you would see your image in the glass, the camera would not see the glass because it would be focused on you, not on the glass placed just agaist the front lens filter ring.
I think that this is easy to try if you can tolerate to see the camera slightly. This of course would be unacceptable in a spy story ;-)

[jantman]

If you're really crazy about seeing what the camera sees, and have a camcorder, you could put that on a tripod so it has a view of the finder/groundglass, and either fold out the little side screen, or plug it into the tv. Gives you the exact (almost) image from the finder/GG.