STEREOSCOPIC CAMERAS I!)way between the taking lenses. Both the rangefinder and finder
eye-lenses are set at the bottom of the rear side of the camera so
that the camera may be rested squarely against the forehead in
making the exposure. The actual focusing is achieved by moving
the film aperture within the camera, which results in greater
steadiness for the lens mounts.
The shutter has automatic speeds from one second to 1/150
and has Time and Bulb in addition. The timing ring forms a
rim for the central finder lens.
On top of the camera there is a small aperture under which a
red signal appears when the shutter is tripped, thus warning the
user that the film in the aperture has been exposed. This effec-
tively prevents double exposure despite the fact that the shutter
is not coupled to the film transport.
The Realist is a five-pesforation camera, giving about 16 ex-
posures to a no-exposure magazine. It will be understood that
the actual number of exposures depends upon the care with
which the film leader is wound on. On the other hand too much
crowding often results in the loss of a frame in processing, so it
is best to be content with a smaller number of exposures and to
be sure of getting all of them safely back from the laboratory.
There are many accessories available for the Realist, and most
makers of mounts and the like have worked to the five-perforation
size up to the present time. These accessories include: flashgun,
for which the camera provides synchronization, sunshades to take
Series V filters, everyeady case and the like. There is also a com-
plete mounting outfit which includes a film cutter, distribution
box, mounting jig and heater for the irons which heat-seal the
films to the prepared masks. This makes stereo mounting very
easy.
Until the present year, the Realist has been the only domestic
35mm stereo camera available, and without it we should not
have had the present tremendous revival of interest in stereo
photography. When the camera was described in the first edition
of this book it was a new and untried instrument. Since then
many thousands of users have found it completely satisfactory.
The writer has used his first Realist for many thousands of expo-
sures and it has not failed once, a record of which any camera
should be proud.