Coolest little gadget!!!!

[James Steven Beverly]

I just picked up a Davis and Sanford Tri-Vision V-3 special effects kit. This little set now ranks as one of the coolest things I own! It is essentially a Pepper's Ghost Effect box that attaches to the camera lens BUT it can layer 3 separate images onto the frame at the same time and you can check the composition through a side attached viewfinder. I first really became interested in exploring the uses of Pepper's Ghost Effect after seeing some of Mario Bava's work. I just love how Bava made the most of what he had to work with including ridiculously small budgets and he used Pepper's Ghost effect quite magnificently.

 

I bought this thing for use on Del Norte's 16mm cameras as I wanted the students to be able to uitalize in camera effects before becoming dependent on often expensive digital effects but have since found out this little bugger will work on my Konvas 35mm as well so I can actually use it for some of my own stuff in the future. The only thing that concerns me is the unit is made out of plastic ot bakalite, although it be fairly thick plastic, it is never the less plastic and I have NO idea how old this thing is! I'm guessing 50s or early 60s but from the look of the people in the instruction manual, it COULD be from the 40s so I do have to be careful with it. I may end up using it as a guide to building a larger on that will fit my Kinor 35C Rotovision. Just outta curiosity, has anyone every heard of Pepper's Ghost Effect being used in conjunction with square front anamorphics or round front anamorphics for that matter? It is VERY cool! B)

[Tim O'Connor]

I just picked up a Davis and Sanford Tri-Vision V-3 special effects kit. This little set now ranks as one of the coolest things I own! It is essentially a Pepper's Ghost Effect box that attaches to the camera lens BUT it can layer 3 separate images onto the frame at the same time and you can check the composition through a side attached viewfinder. I first really became interested in exploring the uses of Pepper's Ghost Effect after seeing some of Mario Bava's work. I just love how Bava made the most of what he had to work with including ridiculously small budgets and he used Pepper's Ghost effect quite magnificently.

 

I bought this thing for use on Del Norte's 16mm cameras as I wanted the students to be able to uitalize in camera effects before becoming dependent on often expensive digital effects but have since found out this little bugger will work on my Konvas 35mm as well so I can actually use it for some of my own stuff in the future. The only thing that concerns me is the unit is made out of plastic ot bakalite, although it be fairly thick plastic, it is never the less plastic and I have NO idea how old this thing is! I'm guessing 50s or early 60s but from the look of the people in the instruction manual, it COULD be from the 40s so I do have to be careful with it. I may end up using it as a guide to building a larger on that will fit my Kinor 35C Rotovision. Just outta curiosity, has anyone every heard of Pepper's Ghost Effect being used in conjunction with square front anamorphics or round front anamorphics for that matter? It is VERY cool! B)

 

 

Can't offer anything for your question but that does sound cool. Can you post a picture?

[Robert Houllahan]

Can't offer anything for your question but that does sound cool. Can you post a picture?

 

 

I second that, it's really not fair to post a title like "Coolest gadget" without a photo of the gadget in question.... ;)

 

 

-Rob-

[James Steven Beverly]

Ask and ye shall receive:

 

 

 

[Tim O'Connor]

Ask and ye shall receive:

 

 

 

"Tri-Vision"! Even cooler!

[Ira Ratner]

I'm dying here, because I love the old stuff and will be shooting 16mm:

 

What exact effects do you get from it?

[Matt Butler]

The Tri-Vision gadget looks interesting. I'm a keen "in-camera" fan ..... are you able to post a couple of examples on how it works from the instruction manual. (that is of course if the manaul includes them)

In my collection I have a wind up clockwork wipe mechanism that attaches to the front of a lens. It gives you the choice of adjustable straight,circular,serrated wipe in/out patterns.

The 40's, and 50's were the age of the great machinists and neat camera gadgets!

[James Steven Beverly]

I'm dying here, because I love the old stuff and will be shooting 16mm:

 

What exact effects do you get from it?

 

Well, like I said it's Pepper's ghost effect which is where you can superimpose on image over another.

 

http://www.phantasmechanics.com/pepper.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper's_ghost

 

http://users.telenet.be/thomasweynants/peppers-ghost.html

 

Mario Bava used this to GREAT effect 9pardon the pun) in Black Sabbath or Tre volti della paura, I (1963). VERRRRYYYY cool movie.

 

The REALLY cool thing about this little unit is it uses a 2 way mirror to allow you to layer 3 images onto a single frame. It also comes with a removable, side viewfinder so it can be used with non-reflex movie cameras. My only regret is I just picked up an Old Delft Vistascope anamorphic lens attachment

 

http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/vistascopeads.htm

 

for my Beaulieu R16 and this thing is gonna be too small for it. :( :D

[James Steven Beverly]

The Tri-Vision gadget looks interesting. I'm a keen "in-camera" fan ..... are you able to post a couple of examples on how it works from the instruction manual. (that is of course if the manaul includes them)

In my collection I have a wind up clockwork wipe mechanism that attaches to the front of a lens. It gives you the choice of adjustable straight,circular,serrated wipe in/out patterns.

The 40's, and 50's were the age of the great machinists and neat camera gadgets!

 

WAY COOL, DUDE!!! I've seen a couple of dealies like that on ebay but never one that did ALL those in the same unit. If ya got pics, post 'em. I'll try and get some shots of the manual here soon. They do show some stuff. B)