Introducing the latest addition to the gadget drawer, thanks to Ivy - a ~1950 Revere 33 Stereo Camera. A popular format in the 50’s, a stereo camera normally consists of two lenses with separate frames that takes two 1:1 frames of the same image onto a roll of 35mm film, with the lenses slightly offset to mimic natural human (intra-ocular) vision. The idea is that with the frames slightly offset, your left eye sees one frame, and the right sees the other, creating a 3D image as the two images combine. Much like those viewfinders you used to mess around with when you were a kid.

In other words, this is a camera that takes 3D photographs. Perhaps a reminder that 3D imaging existed well before Avatar hit the silver screen.

For one reason or another this format died a slow death over the ensuing decades, relegating cameras such as the Revere 33 to the drawer of obscurity in photographic history.

It’s pretty interesting seeing how this camera operates. It’s a very basic unit - no light metering or fancy LED displays. You manually set the aperture (F4.0 - 22) on one lens (which replicates it on the other), the shutter speed (1/10 to 1/200) on the other, there is a small rangefinder, and a main viewfinder for you to frame the shot.

I was rather nervous loading my first roll of film into the camera; after all, it had been over a decade since I shot anything on film. Then again, I couldn’t wait to see what this thing could turn out.

Although for optimal viewing you need to use the film and a special viewer, you can see the 3D image by placing the two prints together.

The best way I can describe it is to look at the images in the same way you look at those Magic Eye/3D posters that were all the rage about 15 years ago. You look at the image without focusing on anything, let your eyes relax, blur the images a little and sooner or later a 3D image pops in the center of the two images. It takes a while, and a quick office survey showed only one out of five who attempted to look at it could see it right away.

I took to the streets around the office to shoot a roll to practise exposure settings.

Here’s some of my favourites from the first roll of film.

I’m interested to see how many people can actually see the 3D image? Give it a go and let me know.

Kodak Ultra400, 1/200 shutter, F16

Kodak Ultra400, 1/50 shutter, F8

Kodak Ultra400, 1/200 shutter, F11

Kodak Ultra400, 1/50 shutter, F11

Kodak Ultra400, 1/50 shutter, F8

Kodak Ultra400, 1/200 shutter, F11

Kodak Ultra400, 1/200 shutter, F16

Kodak Ultra400, 1/200 shutter, F11

Kodak Ultra400, 1/200 shutter, F11

Can you see it?