Re: New viewer? Which Format?

[LDAEnt@xxxxxxx]

>In the current talk of new viewers for $150 which we could build
>(home-built or otherwise), I'm not sure we're really clear on which format
>is in the greatest demand.

Dual format is the only way to market successfully.  You can't beat a Realist
viewer on its' own turf (Realist/Euro format), so you must offer something no
one else does.  The new viewer must be both Realist and twin 35mm format.
 The optics must be as good as the Realist so people would be inclined to
invest ( this is the operative word here) in it instead of a Realist with the
thought of its' versatility.  You know, one viewer that will grow with your
abilities. 

> I would gladly pay $150 for a
>viewer that allowed:
 >       - rack & pinion focus with lenses of such quality that I could take
>my
>          glasses off to enjoy the scenes (basically comparable to the
Realist
 >         doublets);
 >       - vertical adjustment (thumbscrew?) for at one half of the slide
pair;
 >       - horizontal compensation for interoccular differences, and
 >       - internal illumination.

So would I.  But $150 isn't enough for this combo.   To be honest, the
cheapest way to get close to this combo at this price is to take the
StereoKit viewer, replace the lenses with achromats, and build a light box
(quite easy to do for about $10 in parts).  So this project would be around
$100 in parts, plus some creative construction and lens mounting.  I can't
think of a cheaper, better optic viewer mod. for the price.  But if one were
to market this viewer mod. at the small/ modest volumes which the stereo
market would support it would cost more than $150 selling price.  Would you
pay this for a viewer that looked like that?  I wouldn't.  But the hobbiest
would be happy with it if they made it themselves.
Therefore, a commercially made viewer must be a ground up design , and must
look purposeful and attractive in order to demand the required price.  

I've spent many hours on my CAD system designing such a dual format viewer so
that I could perfect the mechanism, appearance, and price.  The price of a
quality new viewer would be more than $250.   It takes longer than people
think to make a quality product at low production runs.  Your machine/fixture
setup times cannot be amortized over a sufficiently large volume. The other
fact is that most people don't realize just how much behind the scenes
preparation goes into a venture like this.  Many hours of design time,
drawings, price quotes, parts availability study, prototyping a viewer,
redesigning the viewer, designing and making the production fixtures,
advertising, packaging, shipping. All of this must be considered and carried
out with your own time and money before you can sell your first viewer. And
all of this is in the price of the viewer.  So it's much more that the price
of the visible parts that make up the value of a new viewer.  I find that the
viewer projects that I do take so much time that I hardly have any time to
take pictures anymore.
Now , would you pay more than $250 for a quality dual format viewer?  If not,
then your only choices are to use the cheaper stuff available now, or make
your own, or stick with the Realist format.  
 If you can learn the skills necessary to make stereo gear yourself you will
save a bundle on many items. 

Alan Lewis  



------------------------------