DrT's HyperBar - Hyperstereo 3d photography - 36 inches long & lightweight!

Description

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For the stereo photographer film or digital!
DrT's HyperBar
For Hyperstereos with Twin Cameras
35 Inch maximum camera separation!
Hyperbar at maximum separation at the Parthenon (Nashville TN) at NSA 2014
I think I have created the
ULTIMATE hyperstereo twin camera bar!
Consider these features:
35 inch maximum camera separation
in a compact lightweight bar, a hyperstereo maker's dream!
Cameras are attached to
platforms
and can
slide
from one end (touching each other), to a separation of 24 inches (while still attach to the platforms - you need to take them off the platforms to get them 35 inch apart)
Cameras can be
converged
(toe-in) in if desired and convergence can be maintained as the cameras move along the bar.
Can be attached to a tripod
.
Graduated
(in inches from 0 to +14 and -14 inches) makes it each to achieve a specific camera separation.
Two
bubble levels
can help align the bar vertically and horizontally.
Lightweight
, only 10 oz, yet sturdy enough to support two standard SLR cameras.
You can use this bar to hold two standard camera (either
film
or
digital
) and record stereo pairs.
Extra platforms
(to fire more cameras at once) are available for ea.
Three bars can be combined for one
super hyperbar
(I have the set for sale in ebay)
Comes in a handy sturdy
cardboard container
for easy storage or transportation.
[
Please Note
: I received a few questions regarding the cameras pictured above.  This is a pair of Panasonic LX5 cameras wired by Co Ekeren.  Co, a great man, unfortunately passed away last year so he is not available to wire cameras, even though some other people are working on this project.  There are other options for synchronizing two cameras.  These include certain compact Canon cameras synchronized via the free StereoData Maker, and also many digital cameras with a remote plug and wiring two remote cords.  I have used this system with the pair of Panasonic GX1 pictured below.  I am willing to bet that there will be more options available as time goes on.]
Cameras 10 inches apart (25 cm)
Cameras 22 inches apart (55 cm)
Maximum separation, cameras 35 inches apart! (89 cm)
I am a happy user of the hyperbar myself!!
I took it with me to the 2013 NSA Convention and recorded pictures of houses at Mackinac island in hyperstereo (this gives a "doll house effect").
The possibilities are endless!!
Three bars are combined here for a total of 7ft camera separation
I call this the super hyperbar and you can buy it from me via ebay
The following information is provided for free
. Remember: if you are in doubt, you can bracket stereo base, just as you bracket exposures in photography.
Stereo Base
= Separation of recording lenses.
Normal (Ortho) Stereo
= Stereo pair recorded with lens separation (stereo base) approximately equal to the spacing of the eyes (65mm, or 2.5 inches)
Hypostereo
= Stereo pair recorded with stereo base smaller than the spacing of the eyes.
Hyperstereo
= Stereo pair recorded with stereo base wider than the spacing of the eyes.
The twin camera bar offered for sale here will generally be used for hyperstereos.  Even if you bring two cameras as close as possible (touching) the lenses are about 4 inches apart.  Compact digital cameras can be brought a bit closer together but still generally wider than the spacing of the eyes.  If you start separating the cameras, you increase the hyper effect.
Hyperstereo impression
:  Hyperstereo makes things look smaller.  For example, if you photograph a building or a city with a stereo base equal to 10 times the spacing of the eyes (25 inches) then this building or city will appear as a small scale model (1/10) of the original building.
If the closest object to the camera is far away, a hyperstereo is the only way to introduce depth to the stereo pair.
1/30 rule of thumb
:  If you can change the stereo base (when using twin cameras on a slide bar like this one) then a good starting point would be to have a stereo base equal to 1/30 of the distance of the nearest object (instead of 1/30, some people use 1/FL where the FL is the focal length of the recording 35mm lens).
For more information about taking stereo pictures with a single or twin cameras, see my Stereo Tutorial (for sale in ebay in a CD now).
How can you connect two camera so that they fire simultaneously?  Some people just use their
fingers
and press the shutters at the same time.  This technique is used often for
digital cameras
, which are not very easy to twin.  More complicated systems for twining certain digital cameras (StereoData Maker, internal and external wiring) are available but I am not an expert in this area.
Older mechanical cameras can be twinned using a
twin mechanical cable
.  You can find these for about -.  They are not perfect, but generally they are better than using your fingers.
Newer electrical film cameras (and some digital cameras) can be twinned by
splicing together two electrical cords
.  This method is not perfect either because of delays associated with the internal workings of these cameras, but generally synchronization of up to 1/250 can be achieved most of the times.
When I use twin film cameras, I always set the cameras in
manual exposure
.  For digital cameras I just leave them in automatic mode.  StereoPhoto Maker will correct any slight different exposure/color changes.
Should you converge the camera lenses, or leave them parallel?  In general, it is recommended that the lenses are kept parallel to eliminate keystone distortion.  However, in certain situations, (to set the stereo window in the pair or to increase image overlap) they can converge.  For digital photography, StereoPhoto Maker (free software) can correct convergence errors without a problem!  One advantage of this Hyperbar is that you can converge the cameras easily (and you can slide them along the bar without disturbing the convergence.)
I welcome feedback and comments from buyers/users of the HyperBar!
Shipping weight is 2 lbs
Note
: Because of the length of the box, I have to use Priority Mail for International Airmail.  I have no choice!  First Class Mail is limited to 24 inches length, this bar is 36" long.  The cardboard container is 39 inches long.
** DrT knows 3D **
I have been into photography and, specifically,
stereo (3D) photography
since 1988 and into the stereo photography business since 1994 and I have
plenty of satisfied customers
. I specialize in
stereo education
through books, lectures, videos, CDs,
Stereo Realist camera repair
,
stereo viewer repair
,
stereo photography supplies, and commission sales of photographic items.
I still shoot film (stereo slides) and have great fun doing so!  Starting in 2009, I am also involved in digital stereo.
If you like my auctions and would like me to sell things on your behalf, please contact me to make arrangements.
Meet DrT in person in one of these stereoscopic gatherings:
Any stereo club meeting in
Cleveland OH
(first Tuesday of each month Sep-Jun. Contact me for details or visit our web site ohio3d.com)
Most National Stereoscopic Association (NSA) Conventions
Any 3D Stereoscopic Weekend in
Cleveland OH