V-M optics, quality

[P3D Gabriel Jacob <jacob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dr. George A. Themelis writes

>Hey, I said "day", not "today"!  I'll have to wait until fellow half-Greek 
>Gabriel gets into the computer tonight... ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)  Gosh, I really
>need to do some work tonight as I am running hopelessly behind in all my 
>obligations...
>

Greetings! I just got back from work and had alot to "digest" here today.
Tell me about obligations, I have the same problem. Believe it or not
as I write this write now my wife is cutting the grass outside. Boy
do I feel guilty. Anyways here goes.

With all this discussion on the merits of the Realist-format, spending
more attention to the weakest link in the chain, which for most people
would be the viewer, my now infamous V-M viewer, and talk of resurrecting
the adult market for V-M reels, I would like to describe now, my worst
viewer. George if you think my red modified or regular V-M viewer is
bad you have to see my V-M clone, then you will appreciate how good 
that $4 viewer really is. (this is a joke)

As I mentioned it is a V-M clone, made in China . I found it at a dollar
store. For those in other countries that are not sure what that is, it's
a store that sells practically all merchandise for a dollar. Well this
V-M clone was $2. So I did spend double the price compared to their other
products, but the quality was still not there. (joke here again)
Now why did I buy it? I did know the quality was terrible before buying
it, because it came in a blister package and you could see thru the plastic.
When I looked thru the blister package plastic it didn't look good but I
thought to myself it can't be that bad and attributed it to the plastic
package. The viewer itself looked very similiar to a V-M viewer but much 
more compact, nice design but cheap plastic was used for the case and it 
had an ugly color. Anyhow it did come with 3 3d reels made out of plastic
and the package mentioned they were 3 discs with 42 color slides! This did
pique my curiosity, in how did they use the plastic reels to mount the views
and how did they manage to get 42 views on 3 reels or discs as they described
them. Also I wondered since the reels were made of plastic maybe I can use
them as reusable mounts. So I said to myself I might as well spring the
extra dollar and buy it. What the heck you only live once.

When I got home from downtown I eagerly opened the package carefully.
Lo and behold I looked into the viewer. What a piece of crap! I could not
believe anyone would market something like this. The optics were unusable
to the point that I could make a better lens by polishing two ice cubes and
sticking them in there. Now getting to their reels. I could not tell how
good their reels were and could not even make out the 3d effect. 
So I went and got my trusty red V-M to check out the quality of the reels
and also to see if it was compatiable with V-M viewers. Before I stuck the
plastic reel into my prized V-M, I compared them side by side with a regular
V-M reel and they were identical in format. I then proceeded and attempted
to insert the plastic reel into the V-M. I felt some resistance due to the
plastic reel being slightly thicker than the regular V-M reels. I thought
after I view these things I can sand them off a bit. When I finally got
the reel in I peered into the viewer and guess what. Still no 3d!
The views were 2d, that was my second disappointment. I checked the package
again concerning the 3d view statement but it stated on the packaging,
STEREO viewer, no mention that the reels were stereo.

The views were not actual photographs or cartoons taken with a camera but
screen printed cartoons with poor registration of the colors. Then I did
some mental arithematic and it dawned on me there were only 21 views
actually. They had calculated (3x7)x2=42, they considered a stereo pair as
2 slides so I guess technically they were correct but how is that for
misleading advertising. The subject matter dealt with skiing, animal life,
and some fairy tales. 

Concerning the plastic reel and how they mounted the slides, they were
not actual chips for each slide but was a piece of circular plastic with
a whole in middle (like a doughnut). On this they printed the slides all
at once. 

Doesn't Tyco hold the patents to the V-M format? I think there is a
case of patent infringement here. Finally ,no it doesn't have provisions
for interocular adjustments. Moral of this story (which is actually based on
factual observations and said viewer does exist)is spending more than a
dollar on a viewer doesn't always buy you quality. (insert joe oops I mean
joke reference here)
        
 
    vvvv                                                         vvvv      
   (    \ ________                                     ________ /    )
  ( (   +\__/[][]/  Gabriel and his famous $2 viewer.  \[][]\__/+   ) )
  (       >/____/   I am now looking for a $1 viewer.   \____\<       )
   \    -/                                                     \-    /
    \   /                                                       \   /
     |_|                                                         |_|
     
                           vv              vv
                          /                  \
                         / +                + \
                        |    >             >   |    
                         \  -              -  /   
                          \                  /
                           |_              _|
   
                           Cross-eyed to put
                             my two halfs
                               together.    
                           That's all folks! 
                            
 

 


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