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Issue 5 · Spring
Meeting May 27, 2001
Welcome back
to Stereo Ontario. This is the first issue since our meeting in the
fall of 1999. Yours truly has missed two meetings and therefore I have
been unable to publish an accurate account of the events from the April
2000 meeting at Simon Bell's place were he
displayed some of his latest StereoJet Images and the October 2000
meeting at Steve Horan's place were he projected
viewmaster views. Later in this issue there will be a list of all of
the locations and topics of each meeting held since our group first
gathered together.

So lets
take a look at what happened at our most recent meeting. I'm sure most
of us had our mouths open as we walked into Bob Wilson's house
on May 27,2001. Bob had just some of the cameras and equipment on
display that he had recently acquired from the collection of Herb
Weber of Ottawa, Ontario. Herb had
passed away in1999. Bill Weber, his brother, had
contacted Stan White concerning information an
obituary for Herb. He as well donated Herb's extensive collection of
periodicals, reference books, magazines, papers etc. to the Canadian
Stereo Library which is curated by Stan White. This collection contains
materials either exhaustive on the subject or containing even the
vaguest reference to stereoscopic imaging. It as well has publications
on the history of photography, film and animation, optical illusions
and the history of the camera. Bob Wilson drove down to eastern Ontario
t o pick up
the collection and barely got the 40 boxes & 2 filing cabinets
full articles into his previously empty mini-van. Stan says that the
collection is now 61 boxes and 4 filing cabinets in size. With more
than 500 books alone It is most likely the largest collection of it's
kind in the world. It is looking for a new home as well. First housed
at Sheridan College
in 1991 The Canadian Stereoscopic Collection moved into storage last
year after the college was no longer able to provide a proper facility
to house it. Stan says that about 12 filing cabinets will be required
to store the collection. Anyone with ideas as to a possible facility
should contact Stan White at stanon@sympatico.ca
There should be reasonable access for all members to enjoy and use
these materials and hopefully it can be located in the Toronto area. So
far Stan has looked at the University of Waterloo's School of Optometry
and the Toronto Reference Library. So far the major setback is the lack
of available space. Let's all work together to see that this valuable
collection finds a good home. It's a priceless resource for us all.
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In Memory
The
topics discussed at our meeting caused us to reflect on some past
acquaintances who have passed on. Not only the recent passing of Herb
Weber, but Martin Gold who had created a
tourist video on Niagara Falls using the Pulfrich method was mentioned
. Also Martin Bass from Stratford who was the
founder of our Ontario club. Noel Archambault who
was a cinematographer who created many 3D films for Imax. Another past
member of our club not mentioned but remembered was Brahm
Elvey who passed away in 1997. All this reflection caused a
running joke that people involved in 3D have a short life expectancy.
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To get show and tell started Bob
passed around a pair of red plastic glasses
asking what people thought that it might be. The answer was a Pulfrich
viewer. It allowed a clear forward view for the right eye and a delayed
reflected view for the left eye. Unlike more familiar cardboard glasses
with one dark gelled lens this viewer was rather substantial and sturdy.
Mike
Yatsula had
little to say this time out except that his interests include a little
bit of everything ... the old stuff and the new technology as well.
Steve
Horan's love is
viewmasters but a little bit of everything as well because it's a
visual excitement to see things in 3D. He also felt that it was a good day
getting together with other people who enjoy 3D as well. He showed us some
special views made by Lieutenant Colonel George Benjamin U.S. Army "as
seen through the stereo lenses of an American." Produced by the Nippon
Stereo Photo company. There was a set on Japan and Hong Kong.
Steven
Kwinter introduced himself as a Mercenary among us. His
company "Deep Focus Art" has acquired the North American rights to the
image tech process and they will soon offer 3D Lenticulars processing
from 3 lens cameras and are researching the ability to process 4 lens
images into lenticulars as well. You currently need to send your 3-4
lens images to 3DX in the states. It takes 2 months for processing
which in his opinion with poor results. Steven says that there are
about 140,000 3 lens cameras in world Market and 10,000 in North
America. The price will work out to about $1.50 for a 3.5"x4.5" picture
which is comparable to 3DX which is $1.69/picture. They have 4 printers
and should be able to process 10,000 rolls per month. Although they
will not dramatically change the results of these prints they do plan
on greatly increasing the quality and reliability of service. Reprints
and blow ups will be available as well. The company will be accessible
at www.clik3d.com and the lab and website should be up and running by
July. You can go to his current web site at www.imagine3d.com. Sam
asked what if you don't have a CONFUSER. Steven said that he could sell
Sam a COMPUTER as well. Joking aside he said that he plans to open a
retail location that would be able to do very high quality 5 lens
portraitures.
Peter
Sinclair introduced
himself as a associate of Steven's but is a real 3D enthusiast which
means that he won't live as long as Steven. He saved his show and tell
till the end of the meeting. His main interest is in StereoJet and
Lenticular imaging as well as being a minor collector of other 3D items.
Bruce Hodgson says that he has been involved in stereo since
he was a kid. He remembers his grandfather taking stereo photos and
mounting them on the back of old views of India. he says that he bought
a Kodak Stereo camera in 1954 which he still uses today and has taken
over 4000 slides of every topic imaginable. He brought his special 3D
issue of the April 21,2001 Toronto Star newspaper which he had clipped
and pasted into a condensed scrapbook. The issue received a variety of
favorable and negative comments from our members. Bruce had the members
sign the back page and asked Simon Bell to sign the page that his
photo's were featured on. Bruce then handed some cards around the room
of drawings that he had reproduced as well as created himself of
geometric images produced on a CAD computer when he had worked at Ontario Hydro. He as well
mentioned that he may get up the nerve to sell his Toshiba 3D Camcorder
and asked what we thought might be an acceptable price. Prices on
ebay.com range from $2000-$5000. Mike Yatsula pointed out that there is
a new lens available for the Canon XL-1 video camera that is priced at
$8500 U.S. He also mentioned that there is a new piece of software that
will buffer 3D video at twice the rate for flicker-free images when you
watch them with LCD 3D glasses on a computer screen.
Simon Bell says
that he did a lecture early last fall at the Toronto Camera Club and
displayed his StereoJet images. He was approached by someone if Moses
Znaimer the owner of City TV/Muchmusic had ever seen his work. It seems
that he is a 3D enthusiast and he bought 5 of Simon's prints as well as
allowed him to take his portrait in 3D. Moses also helped find him
a new publisher for his 3D Photo books since the publisher of his
previous children's books has closed it's doors. Simon as well got a
call from a publisher who is looking to produce a book on the old cars
of Cuba and will consider publishing it in 3D providing that the extra
cost is reasonable. He was then introduced to a writer for the Star who
did a feature article on him and his StereoJet 3D i mages. Moses Znaimer also
offered Simon the opportunity to display his StereoJets in the lobby at
IdeaCity a symposium for thinkers of various fields to exchange ideas.
You can find more information about this at ideacityonline.com. Simon
then wrapped up his talk by showing us the concept artwork behind a
presentation board that he had created for the Toronto Olympic Bid. It
included 26 pictures of Toronto and it's people on a 4'x5' display. The images
were treated to a new translucent mylar backing with catches available
light and doesn't require a perfect viewing angle to see the 3D effect.
It was first used at a major sporting event in Switzerland where the
Olympic Bid Committee announced the report cards for the proposed
cities. The display is also going to be shown at IdeaCity but the
attendance fee is $3000 dollars so I don't think any of us will see it
there. Lucy asked Simon who supplied the polarized glasses for the
display and he said that they approached American Paper Optical but
chose Rainbow Symphony which is the same company that supplied the
glasses for the Toronto Star 3D issue. Simon said that this was the
first "REALLY BIG" 3D assignment that he has been paid for which
garnered him a round of applause for his success.
Josh Kaell
said that he picked up a 3dDiscover viewer at the Historical Society's
flea market which contained a specially made series of images for the
Oldsmobile Alero. The images were photographed around Toronto and the
CNE grounds. Josh then showed us a viewmaster reel from Disney's Toy
Story 2 with misaligned images. He was astounded to discover how bad
the standards are.
Don Marren says that he has a Kodak Stereo camera which
he doesn't use that often but he does collect 3D movie posters from the
50's. Although he writes for StereoWorld he no covers the Imax releases
but instead writes about the 3D ride films at theme parks. He mentioned
that there is one that just opened at Busch Gardens in Florida.
Stan
White had little
to say for show and tell other than to say that he is thinking of
returning to smaller lighter cameras for his photography again.
This was Lucie
Gadoury's first time at our club. She has been shooting 3D
for 14 years now and was bitten by the bug when a friend of hers
projected some 3D images at his home for her. Since then her single
lens camera has sat and she bought a Realist, Viewmaster and Sputnik
and scans her 35mm views into her computer to create anaglyphs. She
said that Stan taught her
how to shoot with a single lens years ago at Sheridan College. She
shared some anaglyphs that she shot in Japan and proposed an
installation to the Japan Foundation which has a gallery at the
Colennade on Bloor Street. She has been inspired to go Billboard size
after she saw a Anaglyph billboard poster in Kensington market of King
Kong and Fay Wray. She also brought some of her Stereo Christmas cards
which he sells for $4. Part of the proceeds go to the Noel Archambault
Scholarship Fund. Peter Sinclair said that Ron
Labbe from Boston knows a lot about anaglyph printing and could answer
some of the questions she had about printing issues.

Sam
Schlifer says
that he takes 3D photos when he can and has been doing so for nine
years. He brought a hyper focal chart for 35mm lensed Realist cameras
which he handed out to the group.
Yours truly David
Delouchery (formerly David Cusimano) shared a miniature keychain version
of Viewmasters newest style viewer. I also sported by new IMAX 3D
t-shirt which I got at the Race for Atlantis 3D ridefilm at Caesar's
Palace in Las Vegas.
We then
discussed our NSA Convention plans.
As promised
earlier, Peter presented a variety of images
produced in StereoJet. Some were of Simon's work
which included his portraits of Moses Znaimer, other images were of
Stan White's but most were 3D conversions of Classical paintings. He
says that he has most of the separation work done by a man in South
America and it takes about 15 hours to complete each image. He said
that there will be an auction of his images at the NSA convention. You
can buy any of his images or you can provide images yourself in either
film or digital form to have printed in this process.
As you
can see we were quite captivated by the presentation.
Here
now is an account of our meetings in Ontario since 1990
| Date |
|
Host |
Location |
Main Topic |
| Nov. 4 |
1990 |
Bob Wilson |
Toronto |
Stereo Collection |
| April 7 |
1991 |
Bruce Hodgson |
Toronto |
Stereo Collection |
| Fall |
1991 |
Martin & Gail Bass |
London |
Stereo Collection |
| May 3 |
1992 |
Stan White |
St. George |
Stereo Collection |
| Nov. 1 |
1992 |
Bob Dyne |
Stoney Creek |
Stereo Collection |
| Spring |
1993 |
Bruce Hodgson |
Toronto |
Cancelled |
| Oct. 31 |
1993 |
U of Waterloo |
Earth Sciences Museum |
Mining Stereo & Stereo in Eye Care |
| April 10 |
1994 |
Bruce Hodgson |
Toronto |
Toshiba 3D TV, Clear Vision |
| Nov. 20 |
1994 |
Martin & Gail Bass |
London |
Tim McIntyre Collection |
| April 2 |
1995 |
Simon Bell |
Toronto |
Stereo in Multimedia studio |
| Nov. 26 |
1995 |
McLaughlin Library |
Guelph |
Clarke Leverette Stereocard collection |
| May 26 |
1996 |
Sheridan College |
Oakville |
3D reference collection |
| Nov. 17 |
1996 |
Bob Wilson |
Toronto |
Canadian Stereoviews |
| May 4 |
1997 |
Bruce Hodgson |
Toronto |
40yrs. of 3D, Simon Bell's 3D children's books |
| May 24 |
1998 |
Stan White |
St. George |
PSA 34th Stereo Ex. Stan's Stereocards |
| Oct. 18 |
1998 |
Mike Yatsula |
Belleville |
Stereo Collection |
| June 13 |
1999 |
Bob Wilson |
Toronto |
General |
| Nov. 21 |
1999 |
Les Jones |
Toronto |
Stereo Collection |
| April 30 |
2000 |
Simon Bell |
Toronto |
StereoJet Images |
| Oct. 29 |
2000 |
Steve Horan |
Toronto |
Viewmaster Projection |
| May 27 |
2001 |
Bob Wilson |
Toronto |
Stereo Collection |
| Nov. 2 |
2001 |
David Delouchery |
Kitchener |
3D Video |
Thanks to
Bruce Hodgson & Robert Wilson for compiling this list.
So as you
can see our next meeting will be at my place in Kitchener. Actual
location and date to be announced in the future. For those of you who
are going have fun at NSA in Rochester and we will see you in the fall.
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