Stereo camera recommendations

[edp]

I'd say you were lucky, yes. Not even leaky light traps? Or rather, "light traps".

 

[roboflick]

Save yourself some time and money and the inevitable upgrade path and just get a TL-120.

 

[edp]

Time, perhaps. Money? Those things cost ten times as much. Think how many rolls of film that would buy.

 

[roboflick]

I should have added a

 

[djacobox372]

Save yourself some time and money and the inevitable upgrade path and just get a TL-120.

Are these actually any good? Spending that much on a new camera from china worries me.

But if they work as advertise I might just buy one.

 

[djacobox372]

I'd say you were lucky, yes. Not even leaky light traps? Or rather, "light traps".

Nope, but I do keep the camera in the case it comes with at all times, which may help prevent any light leaks.

 

[Henning Serger]

Continued thanks for the recommendations. This is turning into a good thread as there are no others on the web. Keep 'em coming. ...


Any other thoughts?

Excellent cameras and stereo projectors:

http://www.rbt-3d.de/index.php?idcat=64&idart=132&changelang=4

Maybe helpful:

http://stereo.thurstons.us/

Best regards,
Henning

 

[roboflick]

Are these actually any good? Spending that much on a new camera from china worries me.

But if they work as advertise I might just buy one.

They work incredibly well, best stereo camera i've ever used, works well for landscapes and portrtaits. Grainless lifelike stereo images that look like the real thing, Beautiful modern multicoated lenses and built in accurate light meter. I also use it with a vivitar flash at auto f8 or f11 to take pictures of family. I love mine

stereo.thurston.us is a good source of info

 

[STEREOKODAK]

Viewmaster would be awsome. I thought about that format, but I thought disk availability and hand-mounting would be an issue. I would definately give it a try now that I am more experienced with mounting and have more sources than I did.

 

[lad]

I was happy to recently find a used TL-120 and intend to take some great stuff with it.

But the backbone of my stereo shooting has been the TDC Colorist I & II. The winding spool typically needs to be repaired or reinforced, and the focus/controls usually need a good CLA. But it's worth it because they're effortless to use and have the most consistently sharp and contrasty lens of any Realist Era camera. You won't find anything better for the money.

 

[roboflick]

lad
enjoy the tl-120 I love mine! Especially for indoor shots with my vivitar flash set at auto f11 and some astia 100f. The slides are almost too real! The people I've shown them too are amazed and a little frightened by them

 

[bblhed]

Viewmaster would be awsome. I thought about that format, but I thought disk availability and hand-mounting would be an issue. I would definately give it a try now that I am more experienced with mounting and have more sources than I did.

I got a Viewmaster camera a short time ago and I have to say it is a lot of fun, there is a company called Fresta Volante http://www.fresavolante.com/Home/Home.html that is making new reels and a company called Paramount Cords http://www.paramountcords.com/proddetail.asp?prod=PM-VMHSFM-PCF that is making an electronic flash adapter.

I have bought supplies from both of these companies in the last year (2012) so I can say that they are alive and well.

I was shooting Kodak Elitechrome 100, but now I have a roll of Velvia 50 loaded.

Disclaimer: I do currently use the parent company of Paramount cords as a vendor where I work, what can I say, they were willing to make something for me that no one else was willing to make.

 

[Someonenameddavid]

Having one Mamiya C22, it struck me that it would be fairly simple to align two of them using the tripod mounts and a piece of tubing and make a highly capable stereo camera system which would use conventional processing

David

 

[thuggins]

I have a Stereo Realist. It is big, heavy and a bit clunky to use, but it takes great pictures. The worst part is cutting the film and mounting the two shots in the slide holder. This is such a pain, I recall reading once that someone was offering to pay for someone to do it for them!

Several years ago I bought a pair of Oly 35RC's and a pair of the little Panavue hand-held viewers. The full size 35mm slide should give a a better quality, and the optics of the Oly's are well known. I have never gotten around to making the mount for either the cameras of the viewers. :-(

Taking a 3-D photo is very different from a 2-D --> the subject matter, composition, everything. So it is difficult to switch between the two. You have to be in the right mindset for each format.

 

[bblhed]

I find that 3D is the exact opposite of normal photography in that when you take a 3D photo the more stuff you have in the photo the better, having stuff between you and the subject is even better.

 

[fenderslash]

I find that 3D is the exact opposite of normal photography in that when you take a 3D photo the more stuff you have in the photo the better, having stuff between you and the subject is even better.

Yeah, when I was first getting into stereo photography I remember reading somewhere "Foreground clutter suddenly becomes an opportunity". Lol

 

[Alan Gales]

I purchased my Stereo Realist from Dr. T. I also bought his well written book.

I love the camera and it's quirkiness is part of the fun!

 

[MFstooges]

Is it possible to use pair of 35mm SLR for stereo photography?

 

[Trask]

It has been some time since I was doing stereo photography, but yes, you could use a pair of SLRs, the issue being that the inter-ocular or inter-lens distance would be greater than required -- you'd be into hyper-stereo territory. I once had a pair of Rollei 35S camera that I could mount on a platform; because of their small size, the inter-lens distance was less that it would be with larger cameras. If you look at the RTB link in a previous post, you'll see that some experts actually merge two cameras into one.

 

[AgX]

RBT Stereo-SLR's (made out of two standard SLR's)

http://www.rbt-3d.de/index.php?idcat=28&PHPSESSID=2db005e975dddd21993b0bc8fef626ed

 

[Peter Simpson]

I have a Revere 33, inherited from my f-i-l. In spite of sending it once for repair, I continue to have problems with the film advance -- uneven spacing and overlapping frames make it unreliable. Which is sad, because other than this fault, it's a very nice camera. I'd love to get it fixed properly, but there seems to be only one repair person, and he's getting on (and not on the 'net or email). Apparently, the design of the film advance mechanism has "issues", and I have been told (with very little in the way of details) the uneven spacing and frame overlap is due to some kind of problem with a fiber washer and a clutch.

Anyone who can enlighten me as to a reliable repair person for this camera will earn my gratitude!

 

[GregW]

My Verascope had a similar problem. It was the film pressure plate. The springs holding it against the film were compressed too much, a little tweak and it was as good as new. I had a 33 once. Loved it.

 

[MFstooges]

It has been some time since I was doing stereo photography, but yes, you could use a pair of SLRs, the issue being that the inter-ocular or inter-lens distance would be greater than required -- you'd be into hyper-stereo territory. I once had a pair of Rollei 35S camera that I could mount on a platform; because of their small size, the inter-lens distance was less that it would be with larger cameras. If you look at the RTB link in a previous post, you'll see that some experts actually merge two cameras into one.

Thanks. No wonder people go a long way with merging cameras. And I also notice some people using pair of SLR in portrait orientation. I thought I can use pair of small Nikons to make landscape stereos. Sigh....

 

[AgX]

Some people use two SLR overlapping in horizontal orientation.

 

[MFstooges]

Anybody knows what kind of slide viewer and mount should I get if I use this kind of stereo lens : http://www.3dstereo.com/viewmaster/lor-licn.html ??

I am sure the site sells them but I found it overwhelming with not enough information and confusing layout.