Long before the first 3D TVs or movies, people were enjoying three-dimensional stereoscopic photographs. The new Minuta Stereo camera allows users to create their own, in a decidedly vintage fashion.
In a nutshell, stereoscopic photography involves taking two photos of the same subject from slightly different angles, then viewing those photos through a device with two side-by-side eyepieces. Because one eye sees one photo while the other eye sees the other photo, the result is the perception of a single melded three-dimensional image.
While we have seen cameras that incorporate modern technology to achieve the same effect, Munich-based architect and “stereographer” Dominik Oczkowski has stayed quite … authentic with the Minuta Stereo. Along with a wood composite body (albeit one made from laser-cut pieces), the camera also incorporates two fixed f140 pinhole lenses, and it works with both medium format and 35-mm analog film.
It also requires no batteries, with magnets being used in components such as its winding knobs, rear film advance window, and shutter lock.
Because the camera doesn’t offer through-the-lens viewing, users instead line up shots by looking through an assortment of flat viewfinder cards that are slotted in on top. They then simultaneously take two shots of their subject (if they wish to just take regular non-stereoscopic photos, one lens can be covered with a built-in “eyepatch”).
Once the film has been processed, the pairs of photos are put in Oczkowski’s Emulsia Stereo stereoscope. If slide film was used, the two slides are mounted side-by-side in the device’s film tray, then simply viewed through the two eyepieces. If print film was used, the negatives can be placed in the stereoscope, photographed by a smartphone, then rendered into positive-color 3D “wiggle GIFs.”
Should you be interested, the Minuta Stereo is presently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Pledges range from €124 (about US$150) for a camera-only kit that users have to put together themselves, up to €218 ($263) for a package that includes a fully-assembled camera and viewer. If everything goes according to plan, shipping should take place in July.
Retro wooden Minuta Stereo camera lets users take 3D photos [New Atlas]