Stereo Photography

J.Scott · 10-09-2007, 04:38 AM

Does anyone here have a Pentax Stereo Adapter? Well I do, but I have never used it. I bought it a year ago from an Ebay seller in Israel.

I am looking for advise for using this device. Has anyone had success or failure using it? Is it just a novelty item or a serious way to express ones creativity?

I'd love to hear from any and all that have experience with this tool.

Last edited by J.Scott; 11-06-2007 at 03:35 AM.

**Lowell Goudge** · 10-09-2007, 09:15 AM

you show the adaptor on a film body, but can you take a couple of snaps on a DSLR so we can see the results?

Your banner seems to indicate you own a DSLR

volosong · 10-09-2007, 09:51 AM

So...you're the one that won that auction...and you never use it? Shame on you.

To my understanding, it splits the 35mm frame in half and exposed the film through each prism. There is a special Pentax viewer that you would use to view the images...in stereo. Very similar to the stereo glasses used in geology and physical geography classes with 'split screen' images to show topography. Pretty cool!

However...with the crop factor of digitals, I'm not all too sure how it will work. Worth a try. (If it doesn't work, you can always sell it to me.

)

Tom M · 10-09-2007, 11:34 AM

Wait a minute.. This is 3D imagery.. You'll need the red/blue glasses to view the images properly.

Loreo Asia Ltd. - 3D Camera, Stereo Photography, Photo Accessories and Optical Systems and Stereo camera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**NaClH2O** · 10-09-2007, 11:48 AM

Originally posted by Tom M

Wait a minute.. This is 3D imagery.. You'll need the red/blue glasses to view the images properly.

Loreo Asia Ltd. - 3D Camera, Stereo Photography, Photo Accessories and Optical Systems and Stereo camera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not quite true. You need a "stereo viewer" but not necessarily red/blue glasses. Stereo photography has been around for quite a while. Geologists, foresters, and the like use "stereo pairs" to view topology in an exaggurated vertical topographic scale. What is done there is a specially equipped plane with a camera on each wing overflies the terrain and takes pairs of pictures, each from a slightly different angle. They are then placed side by side, and viewed thru a optic viewer that melds the two and produces a true stereoptic effect, tho as I say with the vertical scale exaggurated. I still have my viewer and photos taken of the New York State University forest in the Adirondak region of NY, that I used in forestry school waaaaayyyyyyy back when

NaCl(and yes they did have airplanes then! )H2O

konraDarnok · 10-09-2007, 01:30 PM

All you need is your eyes. cross them, like looking a magic eye image, and bring the two halves together in focus. Check it out. STEREO - Cross Eyed STEREO

A stereo viewer would proabably be easier on the eyes tho. I hadn't thought about the crop factor on digitals. too bad, I always thought this would be cool.

J.Scott · 10-09-2007, 04:20 PM

Quote:

So...you're the one that won that auction...and you never use it? Shame on you.

Were you bidding on it too? Yeah - I just couldn't resist. It wasn't cheap (by my standards) as it cost $150 US + shipping. I am wracked with guilt for not using it.

Quote:

There is a special Pentax viewer that you would use to view the images...in stereo.

It came with a 3D slide viewer. Obviously it hasn't been used either.

I was trained in forestry many, many years ago so I can easily cross my eyes and see the 3D effect. We needed to do it for work back then and couldn't always rely on having special viewer glasses, but they do help.

Quote:

you show the adaptor on a film body, but can you take a couple of snaps on a DSLR so we can see the results?
Your banner seems to indicate you own a DSLR

Actually I have 2 DSLR's. I have sort of tried it by holding it in front of the kit lens on my *ist DS. The results weren't great. I put it on the ME Super as it has a 50mm lens with a 49mm filter ring - exactly what the stereo adapter requires. I guess the most logical thing would be to buy a roll of film and give it a whirl.

I guess I was hoping someone would write in saying they used one and had fantastic results. That would be all the encouragement I would need to try harder. I could buy a 35mm lens and use it on the digi's. I am sure I would use the lens for something other than stereo pics.

hinckc · 10-09-2007, 07:18 PM

Hi Jeff, and all!

I swear I'm not trying to hijack your thread....

I don't have a stereo adapter. In fact, I hadn't even heard of stereo photography before last Thursday, when Volosong mentioned it in a post on another thread.

But since last week, that's all I've been thinking about...

Apparently, as others have noted above, the adapter you have probably won't work on DSLR because of the crop factor, but googling has lead me to another link over at OK1000 that claims Pentax did make a version of this for DSLRs. There is a link from there to Pentax.jp site that shows it. Any ideas on how to get a hold of one?

It looks like that adapter Jeff has is 1/2 of a set. The other 1/2 is a viewer that allows you to view the images in 3D. Anyone know what viewing method is used by that adapter? Can you see the images in 3d using the cross-eyed method without the viewer adapter?

Since I don't have one of those, I used the base plate of my Manfrotto 303sph to slide my K100D side to side about 6-8 inches and got the following results from 2 shots. The adapter would be cooler, because you could capture action shots by getting both shots in a "single click"
To view this in 3d, make sure to read the instructions linked to by konraDarnok. I just realized that this isn't the "Post your photo" part of the forum, so I'm just posting a link here:

My first 3d image

I've been viewing a lot of pictures via the cross-eye'd method over the past few days, and it isn't so hard, once your eyes get used to it. I also found this software which will convert your dual images into either 2 side-by-sides, or converge them into a single image for viewing with a number of different kinds of 3d glasses. I'm not sure if that software would work with shots taken by the adapter, but it does make it easier to matte the results using a dual image technique

Very cool stuff!!!

-Chris

J.Scott · 10-10-2007, 03:20 AM

That's pretty cool! You inspired me to have another thought. Is it possible to purchase an adapter which will step up the 49mm threaded ring to a 52mm ring? That may just solve my immediate problem of trying to attach the stereo adapter to my DSLR's.

hinckc · 10-10-2007, 09:18 AM

Hi Jeff,

Certainly step-up rings are available. I don't have a 49->52, but have a 52->58.

But even easier than that, what's stopping you from bayonetting that old prime, adapter and all, straight to the front of your K10?

-Chris

**Lowell Goudge** · 10-10-2007, 09:27 AM

Originally posted by hinckc

Hi Jeff,
what's stopping you from bayonetting that old prime, adapter and all, straight to the front of your K10?

-Chris

I think I asked this alreaady and am disappointed that there are no images

J.Scott · 10-10-2007, 10:05 AM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

I think I asked this alreaady and am disappointed that there are no images

Easy answer - I tried. A lens with a 50mm focal length on the film camera = 75mm focal length on the DSLR. The stereo adapter needs to be 50mm (or reasonably close to that focal length) therefore I would need a 35 mm lens to work on the DSLR. I think I'll aim for the step-up ring, that seems like a cheaper alternative than the purchase of a new lens.

fletcherkane · 10-10-2007, 11:57 AM

Anybody remember the Viewmaster from when you were a kid. I think what we are talking about a grown ups version of that toy. Pretty cool if you can make it work..

**Lowell Goudge** · 10-10-2007, 01:23 PM

Originally posted by J.Scott

Easy answer - I tried. A lens with a 50mm focal length on the film camera = 75mm focal length on the DSLR. The stereo adapter needs to be 50mm (or reasonably close to that focal length) therefore I would need a 35 mm lens to work on the DSLR. I think I'll aim for the step-up ring, that seems like a cheaper alternative than the purchase of a new lens.

What about a scan of a film frame? I'm not fussy just curious.

CDP · 10-10-2007, 04:19 PM

You can make stereo images using a DSLR even if that 3D adapter won't work correctly. Hinckc had the right idea using the base-plate of his tripod and displacing the camera from side-to-side. There is a device called a parallax bar (also called a slide bar) that mounts on a tripod with the camera attached. The part the has the camera attached is a rail that lets you displace the camera from side-to-side for the two shots used to make the stereo-pair. For landscapes you'd use a lot of displacement, for close-up work just a little. Here's a stereo-pair using a parallax bar. The displacement was only about 1/2 inch, a larger displacement would cause the image to look distorted when view.

This uses the crossed-eyes method.

K100D with FA 50mm 1.4
1/20 sec
F4
ISO 200
Assembling the stereo-pair and a little post work in PS CS2

BTW take a look at 3dstereo.com. They have all kinds of interesting stuff for creating 3D images.

10-09-2007, 04:38 AM	#1
J.Scott Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,675	Stereo Photography Does anyone here have a Pentax Stereo Adapter? Well I do, but I have never used it. I bought it a year ago from an Ebay seller in Israel. I am looking for advise for using this device. Has anyone had success or failure using it? Is it just a novelty item or a serious way to express ones creativity? I'd love to hear from any and all that have experience with this tool. Last edited by J.Scott; 11-06-2007 at 03:35 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
First test K-7 with Rode Stereo VideoMic	jogiba	Video Recording and Processing	29	08-13-2010 05:20 AM
Stereo, anybody?	cosmicap	Photographic Technique	9	04-13-2010 08:08 PM
Could the mirrors be out of whack in my Stereo Adapter?	cosmicap	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	0	04-11-2010 07:04 AM
Stereo Adapter	StanW	Pentax Camera and Field Accessories	1	03-27-2010 11:36 PM
Stereo	StanW	Pentax Camera and Field Accessories	6	01-09-2010 10:56 PM

10-09-2007, 09:15 AM	#2
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,888	you show the adaptor on a film body, but can you take a couple of snaps on a DSLR so we can see the results? Your banner seems to indicate you own a DSLR

10-09-2007, 09:51 AM	#3
volosong Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Idaho Photos: Gallery Posts: 696	So...you're the one that won that auction...and you never use it? Shame on you. To my understanding, it splits the 35mm frame in half and exposed the film through each prism. There is a special Pentax viewer that you would use to view the images...in stereo. Very similar to the stereo glasses used in geology and physical geography classes with 'split screen' images to show topography. Pretty cool! However...with the crop factor of digitals, I'm not all too sure how it will work. Worth a try. (If it doesn't work, you can always sell it to me. )

10-09-2007, 11:34 AM	#4
Tom M Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lincoln Park, NJ Photos: Gallery Posts: 780	Wait a minute.. This is 3D imagery.. You'll need the red/blue glasses to view the images properly. Loreo Asia Ltd. - 3D Camera, Stereo Photography, Photo Accessories and Optical Systems and Stereo camera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

10-09-2007, 11:48 AM	#5
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631	Originally posted by Tom M Wait a minute.. This is 3D imagery.. You'll need the red/blue glasses to view the images properly. Loreo Asia Ltd. - 3D Camera, Stereo Photography, Photo Accessories and Optical Systems and Stereo camera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Not quite true. You need a "stereo viewer" but not necessarily red/blue glasses. Stereo photography has been around for quite a while. Geologists, foresters, and the like use "stereo pairs" to view topology in an exaggurated vertical topographic scale. What is done there is a specially equipped plane with a camera on each wing overflies the terrain and takes pairs of pictures, each from a slightly different angle. They are then placed side by side, and viewed thru a optic viewer that melds the two and produces a true stereoptic effect, tho as I say with the vertical scale exaggurated. I still have my viewer and photos taken of the New York State University forest in the Adirondak region of NY, that I used in forestry school waaaaayyyyyyy back when NaCl(and yes they did have airplanes then! )H2O

10-09-2007, 01:30 PM	#6
konraDarnok Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Albums Posts: 969	All you need is your eyes. cross them, like looking a magic eye image, and bring the two halves together in focus. Check it out. STEREO - Cross Eyed STEREO A stereo viewer would proabably be easier on the eyes tho. I hadn't thought about the crop factor on digitals. too bad, I always thought this would be cool.

10-09-2007, 04:20 PM	#7
J.Scott Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,675 Original Poster	Quote: So...you're the one that won that auction...and you never use it? Shame on you. Were you bidding on it too? Yeah - I just couldn't resist. It wasn't cheap (by my standards) as it cost $150 US + shipping. I am wracked with guilt for not using it. Quote: There is a special Pentax viewer that you would use to view the images...in stereo. It came with a 3D slide viewer. Obviously it hasn't been used either. I was trained in forestry many, many years ago so I can easily cross my eyes and see the 3D effect. We needed to do it for work back then and couldn't always rely on having special viewer glasses, but they do help. Quote: you show the adaptor on a film body, but can you take a couple of snaps on a DSLR so we can see the results? Your banner seems to indicate you own a DSLR Actually I have 2 DSLR's. I have sort of tried it by holding it in front of the kit lens on my *ist DS. The results weren't great. I put it on the ME Super as it has a 50mm lens with a 49mm filter ring - exactly what the stereo adapter requires. I guess the most logical thing would be to buy a roll of film and give it a whirl. I guess I was hoping someone would write in saying they used one and had fantastic results. That would be all the encouragement I would need to try harder. I could buy a 35mm lens and use it on the digi's. I am sure I would use the lens for something other than stereo pics.

10-09-2007, 07:18 PM	#8
hinckc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New Jersey, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 298	Hi Jeff, and all! I swear I'm not trying to hijack your thread.... I don't have a stereo adapter. In fact, I hadn't even heard of stereo photography before last Thursday, when Volosong mentioned it in a post on another thread. But since last week, that's all I've been thinking about... Apparently, as others have noted above, the adapter you have probably won't work on DSLR because of the crop factor, but googling has lead me to another link over at OK1000 that claims Pentax did make a version of this for DSLRs. There is a link from there to Pentax.jp site that shows it. Any ideas on how to get a hold of one? It looks like that adapter Jeff has is 1/2 of a set. The other 1/2 is a viewer that allows you to view the images in 3D. Anyone know what viewing method is used by that adapter? Can you see the images in 3d using the cross-eyed method without the viewer adapter? Since I don't have one of those, I used the base plate of my Manfrotto 303sph to slide my K100D side to side about 6-8 inches and got the following results from 2 shots. The adapter would be cooler, because you could capture action shots by getting both shots in a "single click" To view this in 3d, make sure to read the instructions linked to by konraDarnok. I just realized that this isn't the "Post your photo" part of the forum, so I'm just posting a link here: My first 3d image I've been viewing a lot of pictures via the cross-eye'd method over the past few days, and it isn't so hard, once your eyes get used to it. I also found this software which will convert your dual images into either 2 side-by-sides, or converge them into a single image for viewing with a number of different kinds of 3d glasses. I'm not sure if that software would work with shots taken by the adapter, but it does make it easier to matte the results using a dual image technique Very cool stuff!!! -Chris

10-10-2007, 03:20 AM	#9
J.Scott Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,675 Original Poster	That's pretty cool! You inspired me to have another thought. Is it possible to purchase an adapter which will step up the 49mm threaded ring to a 52mm ring? That may just solve my immediate problem of trying to attach the stereo adapter to my DSLR's.

10-10-2007, 09:18 AM	#10
hinckc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New Jersey, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 298	Hi Jeff, Certainly step-up rings are available. I don't have a 49->52, but have a 52->58. But even easier than that, what's stopping you from bayonetting that old prime, adapter and all, straight to the front of your K10? -Chris

10-10-2007, 09:27 AM	#11
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,888	Originally posted by hinckc Hi Jeff, what's stopping you from bayonetting that old prime, adapter and all, straight to the front of your K10? -Chris I think I asked this alreaady and am disappointed that there are no images

10-10-2007, 10:05 AM	#12
J.Scott Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,675 Original Poster	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge I think I asked this alreaady and am disappointed that there are no images Easy answer - I tried. A lens with a 50mm focal length on the film camera = 75mm focal length on the DSLR. The stereo adapter needs to be 50mm (or reasonably close to that focal length) therefore I would need a 35 mm lens to work on the DSLR. I think I'll aim for the step-up ring, that seems like a cheaper alternative than the purchase of a new lens.

10-10-2007, 11:57 AM	#13
fletcherkane Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 299	Anybody remember the Viewmaster from when you were a kid. I think what we are talking about a grown ups version of that toy. Pretty cool if you can make it work..

10-10-2007, 01:23 PM	#14
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,888	Originally posted by J.Scott Easy answer - I tried. A lens with a 50mm focal length on the film camera = 75mm focal length on the DSLR. The stereo adapter needs to be 50mm (or reasonably close to that focal length) therefore I would need a 35 mm lens to work on the DSLR. I think I'll aim for the step-up ring, that seems like a cheaper alternative than the purchase of a new lens. What about a scan of a film frame? I'm not fussy just curious.

10-10-2007, 04:19 PM	#15
CDP Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 58	You can make stereo images using a DSLR even if that 3D adapter won't work correctly. Hinckc had the right idea using the base-plate of his tripod and displacing the camera from side-to-side. There is a device called a parallax bar (also called a slide bar) that mounts on a tripod with the camera attached. The part the has the camera attached is a rail that lets you displace the camera from side-to-side for the two shots used to make the stereo-pair. For landscapes you'd use a lot of displacement, for close-up work just a little. Here's a stereo-pair using a parallax bar. The displacement was only about 1/2 inch, a larger displacement would cause the image to look distorted when view. This uses the crossed-eyes method. K100D with FA 50mm 1.4 1/20 sec F4 ISO 200 Assembling the stereo-pair and a little post work in PS CS2 BTW take a look at 3dstereo.com. They have all kinds of interesting stuff for creating 3D images.