Stereo Cameras

[Ash]

I was in London yesterday and bought a DIY kit for a 135 stereo camera, I had a few test shots last night and it works great...... the catch? It's a pinhole!

I'd much prefer a lens-based option.

So it got me thinking, since I want to get some proper stereo images what about medium or large format? Better quality from neg size, even contact-printing is possible then.

So now I've sent Dean Jones an email to see what price he might be able to mock something up.



My question to you guys is, what is already available out there??

[Randy H]

Ash, around your part of the world, around turn-of-century, 5X7 and 6.5X8.5 stereo cameras seemed to have been fairly popular. I have had a couple. One was a Meagher tail-board, and another no-name tailboard. Stereo shutters for that size are the hardest to find. If you use barrels, it takes a bit of wiggling to get twin lenses tuned in for a "proper" stereo.

[Greg Lockrey]

I do a lot of stereo. For now I'm using an old Stereo Realist for 35mm slides, but I have a twinned set up with Sony V1's and an Lanc Controller to synchronise the camera with shutter and zoom. Works great. I'm now in the process of cobbeling a mirror that will be placed in front of my SV45TE so that I can do what is called "one shot mirror stereo". My mock up worked pretty well except to make a viewable pair I have to play with the mirror image in PS to turn it around and make either a cross or parallel pair. The hard part is finding something to hold my 5x7 front surface mirror to be held solidly in front of the lens. I've been trying to find a stereo lens pair that could be mated to either a 5x7 or 4x5. They are very old and rare.

The first picture is the concept.

The second is how a mirror stereo looks and the third is after I switched the mirror image and place it to the right. To see the first and last images as a stereo you need to cross your eyes slightly till you see three images and concentrate on the center image. My experiment was made on polaroid film and a regular mirror so that's why it's soft.

[Ash]

Thanks for that Greg, Randy.

I'm still looking to no avail. I looked up the Stereo Realist but like many cameras, they don't seem very common over here.

[Greg Lockrey]

This is the go to guy for Stereo Realist. http://home.att.net/~drt-3d/toys/realist/
If you know what you are looking for, you can get really good deals on e-bay. I got mine for $125.00 and it's one of the rare 2.8 models.

[Helen Bach]

That is a very good price for the 2.8 Realist. I paid almost twice that for mine. I also use a Jasper Engineering heavy duty stereo bar with an SL 66.

Gaoersi (http://www.gaoersi-camera.com/main.php) and Fotoman (http://www.fotomancamera.com/search_faq.asp?searchkey=3d&Submit3=Search) have promised MF stereo cameras, but neither are available yet, as far as I know. Gilde (http://www.gilde-kamera.de/en/4771.html) make a stereo version, but it is pricey even without lenses.

There is a 3DWorld (http://www.3dstereo.com/viewmaster/cam-tl120ii.html) medium format stereo camera.

Best,
Helen

[tgtaylor]

I saw one of these at a meet-up a few days ago:
http://www.3dstereo.com/viewmaster/cam-tl120ii.html

Very tempting after looking at the results. 6x6 format.

[Greg Lockrey]

That is a very good price for the 2.8 Realist. I paid almost twice that for mine. I also use a Jasper Engineering heavy duty stereo bar with an SL 66.

Gaoersi (http://www.gaoersi-camera.com/main.php) and Fotoman (http://www.fotomancamera.com/search_faq.asp?searchkey=3d&Submit3=Search) have promised MF stereo cameras, but neither are available yet, as far as I know. Gilde (http://www.gilde-kamera.de/en/4771.html) make a stereo version, but it is pricey even without lenses.

There is a 3DWorld (http://www.3dstereo.com/viewmaster/cam-tl120ii.html) medium format stereo camera.

Best,
Helen

That 3DWorld camera is a pretty cool medium format. Dr.T, the guy who I referenced, sells them on e-bay. He's a great guy to deal with too. BTW, I found that once I got into stereo that "half camera" photos don't quite do it for me anymore. ;)

[Sylvester Graham]

This might not be directly useful to you, but there might be some interesting information at least.

http://www.johnsonshawmuseum.org/aboutus.htm

[Ash]

Thanks for all the help, those links are giving me more to think about :)

[c.d.ewen]

Ash:

You might investigate LOMO's Sputnik, a 6x6 stereo.

http://www.pauck.de/marco/photo/stereo/sputnik/sputnik.html

Charley

[eric mac]

When you hit the lottery, go for the new Horseman stereo camera. It is based on the Xpan camera. http://www.horsemanusa.com/3D/index.html

Eric

[Phil]

Ash,

Check this out - maybe you could retrofit your camera.

http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l2084.html

Here's another link to 'broken' lens sets - see View #2 which shows the works of the lens set

http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l3371.html

Phil

[Pete Watkins]

Ash, I've heard of old Nimslo cameras being converted to stereo's by simply blocking off two of the four lenses. Nimsloes should be dirt cheap, especially as I believe that you can't get the prints done any more.
Best wishes,
Pete.

[Darren Kruger]

When you hit the lottery, go for the new Horseman stereo camera. It is based on the Xpan camera. http://www.horsemanusa.com/3D/index.html

Ran across this item on ebay, item 370005540019, though it too would require winning the lottery.

-Darren

[Rico Obusan]

Ash,
A quick and dirty way to get into medium format stereo (and which I occassionally employ) is to mount a 120 folder like an Isolette onto a stereo bar. Take the left-hand shot, then shift the camera to the right and take the other shot. This presumes a stable camera support like a tripod, and subjects that don't move. And yes, the contact prints work very well. I view them with one of my ancient turn-of-the-century wood stereoscopes.