Re: MF Expo

["Sam" <3dhacker@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just a few thoughts regarding the MF Expo. First, there's a few
factors that I think are unique to MF stereo that may play an
important part as to how big such a venture should be. It seems
perhaps 80-90% of all the viewers used are home made, and a large
proportion of the cameras used are either hacked, twinned or from
single mono cameras. This can lead to views that were taken with
slightly mismatched lenses, variations due to time differences between
exposures, and possible misalignment in both the cameras and the
viewers. There are no perfect systems here, and although some
contributors may be using the best in both cameras and viewers, others
may be using far less accurate means. Add in the problems of mounting
alignment, and you may be asking for a major viewing headache.

The point of all this is that is can be very difficult and even
painful to view a large quantity of MF stereo slides at one time, and
this would certainly defeat the purpose if the enjoyment of the
experience is compromised. 4-8 contributions from 30-40 people of
various stereo "tolerances" would be a torture I would not force even
on my Mother-in-Law!  I personally have had problems viewing only 20
slides thoroughly, and my interest in the medium is such that I HAVE
to look at them all. A folio with 70-100 images could only be enjoyed
if it were viewed in short sittings over a long period of time, which
would surly either delay the sending of the package to the next person
down the line, or the viewer would have to cut his viewing short out
of guilt for taking too long.

Question: Is this the type of Expo that starts of with a few slides
and picks up more on the way, or are the contributions sent to the
main organizer FIRST, so that all will see the total package at first
pass? It seems to me the latter is more practical, as it tells the
organizer exactly how many slides there will be or if more (or less)
are needed, and finalizes shipping costs. This would also govern if a
few non-contributors can be included for simply viewing. I myself
would find it much more important that all ENJOY the Expo and pass it
on at a reasonable pace. Bad slides serve little purpose, but a good
audience is well appreciated. Please don't snub those who are just
starting out and have no slides to show, as these are the ones who
need the most inspiration!

PS: Whatever the decision, please count me in!

Sam