How do I get started doing 3D with a Pentax Stereo Adapter?

So I never really thought that 3D photography was a thing for me. I remember the lenticular stuff from the 1990s and I was not impressed. I did think the Pentax Stereo Adapter was pretty cool, but I didn't buy one when I was shooting film.

Then my mother gave me a stack of what I guess are Realist slides of me as an infant. Since we just had a baby of our own, I thought that would be great fun. Now I have this idea of shooting the whole family in 3D and having Viewmaster slides made. I thought about going the Realist route, but I have enough ancient film cameras, and I would rather learn how to do this in digital where processing is less of an issue.

I bought myself an ancient Pentax Stereo adapter (including the not-useful slide viewer) and put it on my digital cameras (Pentax APS-C to keep it in the family). With the difference in chip size, the results probably aren't quite the same as with film, but I don't know what they're supposed to look like, exactly... I have a 35mm f2 that seems to work pretty well, and holding the adapter in front of the very small 40mm f2.8 seems to do a better job with the black bar down the middle... but I don't know what the results are supposed to look like...

Is there a source for this level of basic instruction? I'd like to figure out how to optimize the picture taking, how to most effectively view the results (a Holga print viewer is on its way from Amazon), and how to post-process so I can get something that can be used for prints, screen viewing, and the eventual Viewmasters.

Thanks in advance,

-Eric

Hello

I just have ordered a second hand Pentax stereo adapter (being too lazy to find the original one which started my 3D hobby 36 years ago). From what I remember is that there are four important things to consider using this adapter. The filter thread has to be 49mm. The focal length has to be 50mm or more. Playing with the aperture has an effect on the size (thickness) of the black bar in the middle. Of course you want this to be as minimal as possible.

There is also the issue with reflections. Light sources (sun!) can have a devastating effect on the mirrors making the stereoscopic picture useless.

Hope to play with the adapter during the Christmas holiday. First on a Canon 50mm lens using the full frame 5D MkII (21 megapixels). Maybe later also on the A7R (with 36 megapixels). And maybe after that on a camera with a smaller sensor size. I am wondering if 50mm "equivalent" will also do the job. And of course what the result will then be on the black bar in the middle (because you are actually using a wide angle lens).

Gert-Jan

"Dutch3DMaster"

www.world-of-3d.com