Stereoscopic Pictures with an Ordinary Camera
Make a small table as wide as the camera is long and 3 in. longer than the camera is wide. Sink a screw nut in the center of the under side to engage the regular tripod screw. Fasten a double or two-way spirit level on the front left-hand corner. Nail strips on both ends and on the rear side, to form a shallow box with three sides. The illustration shows the construction quite plainly. This device was used by a correspondent of Camera Craft as follows: The table was fastened to the tripod and carefully leveled. The camera is placed at one side, bringing the back snugly into the corner on that side. Make the exposure, change the film, slide the camera over to the other side and make another exposure. The table being 3 in. longer than the camera is wide, the lens will be moved exactly 3 in. when the camera is moved over to the other side. Three inches is the separation of the lenses in stereoscopic cameras and the negatives made as above will be the same.
Table on Tripod for Camera
As the negatives must be sized, it is necessary to use films. A camera using films 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 in. will make negatives that can be trimmed 1/4 in. on each side to make prints 3 by 3-1/4 in. Each two negatives making a pair are fastened together, properly transposed, by folding a narrow strip of black paper like a long, V-shaped trough, pasting it, and putting one on the bottom of the two negatives, as they lie side by side, and one at the top; saddle fashion. This can be done still easier by using strips of passe-partout binding, or strips used for binding lantern slides. If so desired, the use of black paper can be carried farther by cutting the top strip of binding paper in such a way that it gives the round corners to the top of the prints. A narrow strip through the center and a binding of black paper along the two end edges make a mask unnecessary in printing.