David White Stereo Realist 35mm

Approximately 250,000 of these unusual David White Stereo Realist 35mm cameras were manufactured from 1947-1971. Its 22 x 23mm image format became the standard for stereo slides and allows you to snap 19 stereo pairs on a standard 24 exposure film. But why three lenses, you ask? The middle one is used for image focusing and framing, while the two outer lenses sport synchronized shutters that capture a pair of images onto the film.

The big trouble with having three lenses is that focusing has the potential to be wild and imprecise. The Stereo Realist solved this problem by moving the film plane back and forth while leaving the lenses fixed. The resulting 3D slides were viewed using a compact handheld Bakelite viewer that resembled a high-end ViewMaster. The process was simple and elegant.

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