Re: Japanese MF viewers & mounts

[Greg Erker <erker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>I just found a japanese web page from which we can buy medium format
>viewers and/or mounts.  Are they good? Expensive?
>
>The address is:  http://www.ny.airnet.ne.jp/toaphoto/SV-66Le.htm

  Well, the 36,400 yen for that MF viewer
converts to $320 USD. Compare that to Alan
Lewis's MF viewer kit at $125 (though you
have to assemble and finish it). And Alan
sells a finished version of his kit that
includes fluorescent lighting. Can't recall
the price. It's on his page though.

  Secondly the lens diameter is stated as
22mm. Seems awfully small for viewing a
6x6 slide unless the focal length is very
long (low magnification).

  Alan's kit/viewer uses 40mm dia by 84mm
focal length achromats. Don't know if
the Japanese one uses achromats. Hope so,
though.

  Their mounts are "width 133mm x height
71.5mm x thickness 2.9mm". Close enough to
the Spicer mounts 80x132mm that you could
probably use both in the same viewer as
long as your slot is big enough for the 2.9mm
thick Japanese mounts.

  Their price is 8800 yen for 50 mounts ($77 US)
vs Joel's price of $18-ish for 100 mounts.
Steel vs paper though.

Greg E. (in Saskatoon SK)