C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Stereo Realist Model 1041 is a 35mm stereo camera manufactured by the David White Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Introduced in 1947, it is the original production Stereo Realist and the camera that established the 5-perforation "Realist format" as the de facto standard for 35mm stereo photography in the postwar era. Twin f/3.5 Anastigmat lenses mounted on a central Wollensak leaf shutter produce 24x23mm stereo pairs on standard 35mm film. Fully mechanical with no battery requirement, the 1041 was sold continuously for over two decades and became the reference point against which all competing stereo cameras - American and European - were evaluated. Its format compatibility was adopted by Kodak, Revere, TDC, and numerous German manufacturers.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Kodak UltraMax 400 is a versatile consumer-grade ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film with T-grain emulsion, delivering warm Kodak colors, fine-for-speed grain (PGI 46), and wide exposure latitude. Currently in production and available globally as a single-roll and multi-pack.
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About this camera
The camera that defined the postwar American stereo photography format - a format every serious competitor would be measured against.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (5-perforation Realist-compatible) |
| Frame size | 24 x 23 mm stereo pairs |
| Stereo baseline | ~70 mm |
| Years | 1947 - ~1971 |
| Lenses | Twin f/3.5 Anastigmat, 35mm each |
| Shutter | Wollensak central leaf, 1/5s - 1/150s + B |
| Flash sync | X-sync |
| Meter | None |
| Focus | Scale / zone focus |
| Battery | None required |
The David White Company, founded in Milwaukee and specializing in precision optical and survey instruments, entered the consumer camera market with the Stereo Realist in 1947. The timing was deliberate: veterans returning from World War II had encountered 3D photography through military reconnaissance and education media, and popular interest in stereo imagery was rising. The Realist arrived as the leading American stereo product at precisely the moment demand was building.
The 5-perforation format - advancing the film five sprocket holes between stereo pairs rather than the eight used for standard 35mm frames - was a David White design choice that became the industry standard by sheer market adoption. When Kodak introduced its Stereo Camera in 1954, Revere its Model 33, and a succession of German manufacturers their export stereo models, all used the 5-perforation Realist-compatible spacing rather than develop competing formats.
The f/3.5 Anastigmat on the 1041 was a capable if modest optical formula. David White later introduced the Model 1042 with f/2 David White Anastigmat lenses, commanding a significant price premium. The stereo photography market peaked in the early-to-mid 1950s and began contracting thereafter; David White continued producing Realist-format cameras and accessories, including the Realist Stereo Viewer and dedicated projector, through the 1960s and into the early 1970s.
The Stereo Realist 1041 holds a foundational position in the history of amateur stereo photography. More than any other single product, it defined what "35mm stereo" meant for a generation of photographers and drove a decade-long market in compatible cameras, slide mounts, viewers, and projectors from multiple manufacturers across two continents. The Realist format remains the dominant standard for vintage stereo 35mm collecting today.
Notable cultural reach: the stereo photography boom of the early 1950s was heavily promoted through enthusiast clubs, notably the National Stereoscopic Association, whose members shot Realist-format slides at social, travel, and documentary subjects. The format captured an important cross-section of mid-century American life in a medium that now looks distinctly different from the flat 35mm aesthetic. The camera's association with this specific social moment gives it documentary significance beyond its optical capabilities.
The 1041's Wollensak shutter - a reliable American-made central leaf unit - has a top speed of only 1/150s, a limitation that German competitors including the Iloca Stereo Rapid and Edixa Stereo explicitly marketed against with their 1/300s Prontor-SVS shutters. This was the primary technical criticism of the Realist line throughout its production life.
Fixed twin-lens design; no interchangeable optics. The Realist format defines its own accessory ecosystem, which became the most extensive of any 35mm stereo standard:
C41
Kodak ColorPlus 200 is an affordable, consumer-oriented daylight-balanced color negative film at ISO 200. Known for warm, slightly muted color rendition, fine grain, and wide exposure latitude, it is currently in production and widely available in Asia and select global markets.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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