Re: SaturnScope

[P3D Alan Lewis <dlewis@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

P3D wrote:
> 
> On Thu, 8 Aug 1996 10:37:05, SCHUB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> >....
> >    For fans of achromat stereoscopes, though:  At Rochester I picked up a
> >newsletter that said that the designer of the SaturnScope (whose name
> escapes
> 
> I recently purchased a SaturnScope from Joel Alpers of Rocky Mountain
> Memories.
> The designer of the SaturnScope is Alan Lewis, who I believe is or was a
> subscriber to this list.  Alan is a fine craftsman, and anyone who sees
> this reproduction scope (with enlarged hood for glass wearers) is impressed.
> I don't know what type of lenses are used in the SaturnScope I've got, but
> they produce a very good image, IMO.
> 
> If Alan is on this list, maybe he can enlighten us as to why he chose the
> name
> SaturnScope?
> 
> Marc Robbins
> mdrobb@xxxxxxx

Well, here I am finally.... just unpacking boxes and sorting through the results of 
scope sales at the NSA show.  You all did get a chance to visit my display at the Q-VU 
tables, didn't you?  I had the SaturnScopes , EuroScopes and samples of my wedding views 
with the brass corners.  Plus a short article in the Q-VU Gazette on the new Achromat 
scope.  Did you catch the first line in the article (written by Quentin Burke): 
"Contemporary stereoscope guru Alan Lewis has come up with......."   Now I ask you, is 
being a "guru" close to being a "king" of viewers, or do I have to keep working at it? 
Where's that dictionary  ;-))

Unfortunately I wasn't there in person, but if the guys on the list that are proposing 
to find the geographic center of mass of the list members can make the point end up in 
the Southwest then I'll be there. 

Please note my E-mail address change. The one printed on my brochures and in the Q-VU 
Gazette is the old one.  The new one is : dlewis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

I named the SaturnScope from an antique scope I had called "SaturnScope".  Original, 
huh?  :-)  It looked better than most other scopes so I studied it to determine why.  
The differences were subtle but I incorporated some of them into my new SaturnScope.  
Besides, I like being able to use the planet as a graphic for advertising, and the name 
is very easy to say and remember. People are always saying that they saw the SaturnScope 
but can't remember the guys name that makes it!

The new achromat scope is called the "Diamond View Achromat StereoScope".  Kind of rolls 
off your tongue  ;-)
I have a prototype made and am working on two production units.  Time is very limited 
right now for me so I don't know when the first two will be available.  I may even alter 
the design as I go along.  Being an engineer means you never stop thinking of new ways  
to do things.
I am very pleased with the results from the prototype.  The achromats really do a better 
job than any PCX or DCX single element lens.  The views appear to have more depth and 
much sharper edge definition.  Some doubt was cast on the effectiveness of achromats in 
a Holmes viewer because the focal length is long and the benefits may not be readily 
apparent, but they are noticeable. 
Since I only have a handful and a half of lenses at the most, these scopes will be rare. 
 I can't afford to have achromats made custom for my scopes since they would run around 
$250.  The achromats that I am using are from an overrun at a lens manufacturer.  They 
meet the spec's of a Holmes viewer so I bought them.  They have some edge chips and an 
occasional single small scratch, but I am only using the ones that won't affect the 
optical performance of the scope. The optical performance is so unique , I feel, that it 
is worth using every lens that I can. 

Another subject: I am prototyping a feature for my next scope "SaturnScope II".  It will 
have a removeable tongue so that the scope can be used as a lorgnette for viewing print 
pairs in books, like NSA StereoWorld.  This model will be introduced after the 
"SaturnScope I" sells out, but may show up on select existing model "I" scopes as an 
engineering prototype. 
Both SaturnScopes use glass lenses. 

Alan Lewis


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End of PHOTO-3D Digest 1453
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