Camera and method of producing and displaying a 3-D motion picture

Claim 1

A camera for use in producing 3-D motion pictures, comprising: respective left eye and right eye lenses spaced apart and defining respective substantially parallel optical axes; in association with each said lens, a mirror positioned at a substantially 45° angle with respect to the optical axis of the lens, for reflecting an image received by the lens through substantially 90°, the two mirrors being positioned at substantially 90° with respect to one another so that images passing through the respective lenses are reflected in opposite directions to respective film exposure apertures; means for transporting "left eye" and "right eye" films respectively past said apertures for exposure of the films, the films being disposed at said apertures in respective film planes that are substantially parallel to one another and the films being transported past said apertures with the films oriented so that, when the camera is positioned with said lenses in the same horizontal plane, an erect subject is recorded on each film as a series of images that have been turned laterally of the film as a result of being reflected in the relevant said mirror; and, shutter means for controlling exposure of said films to a subject.

Claim 6

A method of producing and displaying a 3-D motion picture, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a camera comprising: respective "left eye" and "right eye" lenses spaced apart and defining respective substantially parallel optical axes; in association with each said lens, a mirror positioned at a substantially 45° angle with respect to the optical axis of the lens, for reflecting an image received by the lens through substantially 90°, the two mirrors being positioned at substantially 90° with respect to one another so that images passing through the respective lenses are reflected in opposite directions to respective film exposure apertures; means for transporting "left eye" and "right eye" films respectively past said apertures for exposure of the films, the films being disposed at said apertures in respective film planes that are substantially parallel to one another and the films being transported past said apertures with the films oriented so that, when the camera is positioned with said lenses in the same horizontal plane, an erect subject is recorded on each film as a series of images that have been turned laterally of the film as a result of being reflected in the relevant said mirror and, shutter means for controlling exposure of said films to a subject; (b) simultaneously exposing to a subject respective "left eye" and "right eye" films using said camera to produce on the respective films, a series of steroscopic "left eye" and "right eye" images of said subject that have been turned laterally of each film as a result of being reflected in said mirrors; (c) developing said films to produce respective master film negatives; (d) making contact prints derived from said master film negatives; (e) turning each of said prints face-for-face about a longitudinal axis of the print, so that images on said print are turned laterally of the print as compared with the images as recorded during photography, to bring the images on the print into proper orientation for projection; (f) projecting left and right eye images from the respective prints to provide co-incident 3-D images on a screen; and, (g) optically coding the left and right eye images and providing a view with optical decoding means for ensuring that left eye images are presented to the viewer's left eye only and that right eye images are presented to the viewer's right eye only.

Claim 7

A method of producing and displaying a 3-D motion picture, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a camera comprising: respective "left eye" and "right eye" lenses spaced apart and defining respective substantially parallel optical axes; in association with each said lens, a mirror positioned at a substantially 45° angle with respect to the optical axis of the lens, for reflecting an image received by the lens through substantially 90°, the two mirrors being positioned at substantially 90° with respect to one another so that images passing through the respective lenses are reflected in opposite directions to respective film exposure apertures; means for transporting "left eye" and "right eye" films respectively past said apertures for exposure of the films, the films being disposed at said apertures in respective film planes that are substantially parallel to one another and the films being transported past said apertures with the films oriented so that, when the camera is positioned with said lenses in the same horizontal plane, an erect subject is recorded on each film as a series of images that have been turned laterally of the film as a result of being reflected in the relevant said mirror and, shutter means for controlling exposure of said films to a subject; (b) simultaneously exposing to a subject respective "left eye" and "right eye" films using said camera to produce on the respective films, a series of steroscopic "left eye" and "right eye" images of said subject that have been turned laterally of each film as a result of being reflected in said mirrors; (c) developing said films to produce respective master film negatives; (d) making contact prints derived from said master film negatives; (e) turning each of said prints face-for-face about a longitudinal axis of the print, so that images on said print are turned laterally of the print as compared with the images as recorded during photography, to bring the images on the print into proper orientation for projection; (f) projecting left and right eye images from the respective prints to provide co-incident 3-D images on a screen; and, (g) optically coding the left and right eye images and providing a view with optical decoding means for ensuring that left eye images are presented to the viewer's left eye only and that right eye images are presented to the viewer's right eye only.