Nishika 3D photo printing

[acgoldis]

Hi! I found a Nishika 3D camera on EBay for ten bucks or so. The problem is that developing the 3D prints is supposedly quite expensive -- $40 or so.

Is there any way to use software to print the images more cheaply -- for instance, have Kodak develop them and put them on a CD and then use software on the digitized images?

Thanks in advance,

ACG

 

[Meysha]

Developing it at a normal lab would be no problem. It's just film after all. But I've got no idea how they make this into a 3D image. I can't even find one on google images. And most of the comments I found for this camera was that processing is insanely expensive! $40 a roll!

Someone talks about how they do it on a computer here:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1373...firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&sa=N

These guys print them and reckon software can't do it.
http://www.snap3d.com/

Best bet for now is that flickr thread... lots of info there.

 

[Meysha]

Uh oh. Read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_printing

I don't think you'll be able to do it at home.

 

[RacePhoto]

While you are doing searches you can do NIMSLO camera also, which is the original name for it.

Each photo is basically four half frame (portrait) photos, all taken at the same time. So if you have it processed and they don't cut the film in the wrong places, you have a bunch of half frame 35mm photos, four of each shot.

You can print these and get a plain old photo.

I haven't shot a roll with this camera since 1988 or so. They did have coupons for bad frames, so you paid the price, but if the photos didn't turn out, you could send in the coupon for "free" prints from the next roll. I don't know if they do that anymore.

Processing isn't the complication, it's when they add the lenticular plastic over the photo, that it starts to get expensive and complicated. What happens is your four photos are sliced very thin, and then rearranged 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-Etc. all the way across the photo. So it's many, many, tiny slices

My camera ate batteries and, when they went dead, it would trip the shutter, but there would be no photo, because of the electronic shutter. Beware, because you'll get expensive blanks. That was the Nimslo that used three button batteries. I think the Nishika was smarter (but I never owned one) and used standard batteries.

For the best effect you need to have bright colors, or at least contrasting colors at various distances, and things that are at many different distances. Shoot something flat and it's still going to look flat, not 3D.

Cool toy! Processing was not that expensive years ago. Now that I read that, I'll be parking the camera in the collection.

You might be able to get a new Nishika for about $16 - http://www.3dstereo.com/viewmaster/sca-nim.html

Some people have covered the two center lenses and made stereo cameras. One article I read, the guy converted it into a double wide, panoramic camera.

Anyway... yes you can have your film processed anywhere and make standard prints. The key to the 3D was the interlacing of the four shots and the plastic lens.