Re: Mounting for projection?

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

John B. writes:

>At our club, there's a lot of adjusting going on as we go from one 
>projected slide to the next.... What's the cure?

In Detroit, Derek Gee spends very little time adjusting the projector.  
First, he adjusts the projector for a properly mounted slide.  Then he 
changes only the focusing from slide to slide, if needed.  He does not 
touch the horizontal or vertical alignment and I think this is the way 
it should be done.  People who cannot mount slides should be punished.
Period.

>I wonder if we shouldn't stress that competitors should mount to 
>infinity instead of to the window.  That way we wouldn't have so many 
>slides projected where infinity is 6" apart on the screen.  

I positively disagree with this suggestion.  The person who puts a slide 
with 6" infinity separation on the screen, does not know what he/she is 
doing.  It has more to do with knowing the basics of stereo photography 
and projection than mounting to the window.  Usually mounting to the window 
results in smaller separation at infinity.  I mount to the window to 
bring something that is at 10 feet to window level or to eliminate large 
"not matching" borders because of lack of foreground.  I do not take 
pictures with objects from 4 feet to infinity and then mount the 4 feet 
to window level.  I like mounting to the window.  I think it is more 
pleasing to view and does not bother ANYONE.  I have not heard of any 
argument to convince me that I should stop doing this.

>What should they do when the chips are incorrectly mounted vertically?  

Project them as mounted.  Let the crowd suffer and the judges kill them.  
That will give the message.

In Detroit we only have one projectionist, not a projection crew.  Once 
the projector is properly adjusted the projectionist goes for minimal 
adjustment.  Focusing is fair since people use different mounts.  
Anything else in only confusing and makes more harm than good.  No one 
who mounts slides properly has any problem.  Slides that by nature show 
severe ghosting should not be projected.  Ajdusting the horizontal 
spacing to match the highlights and reduce ghosting, is not a solution, 
IMO.  Unless the projector is readjusted between slides (a waste of 
time) the next slide will suffer from incorrect horizontal spacing 
without any reason.

Mounting to the window is harmless in a properly recorded stereo pair.  
In no way is it associated with mounting errors.  If you adjust the 
projector to help people who do not know how to mount properly, then 
they will never learn.  Let them suffer the consequences.

George "kill'em!" and "don't touch my window!" Themelis


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