OPTICAL AND VIEWING SYSTEM FOR STEREOSCOPIC PHOTOGRAPHY

A stereoscopic optical system for use in a camera to simultaneously photograph two separated views of a three-dimensional scene with lenticular type film and a viewing system by which the stereo pairs recorded on the lenticular film can be projected and combined on a screen so that they can be seen in proper stereo relief with spectacles having orthogonally polarized lenses. The stereoscopic optical system comprises a dual optical path for providing the two separated views of the scene. The two separated views of the scene are optically encoded through the use of orthogonal polarizers and are then combined to travel along a single system optical path through the use of a polarizing beamsplitter. An objective taking lens images the combined encoded scene views through an apertured polarizing mask which spatially separates the two separate views so that each travels along separate paths to the film. The film lenticules image the mask apertures onto the film while the objective lens images the scene so that the two separated scene views are recorded on the film as a series of interlaced image pairs behind each film lenticule. The viewer and spectacles are structured to optically reverse the process by which the three-dimensional aspects of the scene are recorded. Methods by which the optical system and viewer can be used are also included in the invention.