Slides vs. prints (repost from digest 859)

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The following is from digest 859.  Bill Walton's comments were
posted in photo-3d by Chris Helms.  I am replying to Chris' message:

>> As one Bill C. Walton says in "Why Make Stereo Cards?" in the _PSA 
>> Journal_ from April 1995:
> 
> Bill is a stereo celebrity, member of PSA, NSA, SSA, etc., etc.  He
> is a member of both print and slide circuits in SSA and has his
> heart set on prints.  He is trying to convince the slide folks to switch 
> to prints.  He is also the author of a book "Back to Basics -- Infantry
> One Station Unit Training in 3-D", based on his stereo prints.

  [Note: The book is available from Reel 3-D.  Check their supplement 
  to Catalog #18 No. 1040, $16.95]
> 
>> 1. The longevity of stereo cards means that the images you make will 
>> be with us for a long time [but they must be in black and white, or 
>> hand tinted].
> 
> The "must be black and white" is a very serious restriction today.
> Bill loves shooting B&W and proudly points to the letters BW in his car 
> licence plate,  which, as he says, stands for either B&W, his favorite 
> print medium, or his initials.
> 
>> 2. One big advantage of stereo cards over stereo slides is the amount 
>> of space on the label to put all sorts of information. 
> 
> That's correct!  I noticed in expo.  Brad managed to put plenty
> of text in his labels in slides, but cannot match the space in prints.
> 
>> 3. Stereo Cards are user friendly.  No batteries are required.  
>> You can point to objects while the card is being viewed.
>> 4. Cards can take a lot more abuse than slides.
>> 5. You can always make a new card print from the original negative.
> 
> Valid points, except for the "no batteries required" (cheap slide 
> viewers do not require batteries and expensive print viewers have their 
> own AC illumination.)
> 
>> 6. You only have to pack a lightweight lorgnette viewer to view a card.
> 
> Yes, but the each card is MUCH heavier than a slide.  Plus, you can
> pack a $3 plastic slide viewer which is about the same.  As a matter of
>fact there are also folding cardboard slide viewers, per previous posting.
> 
>> 7. Even if you want one, not all processors can make you a print of 
>> your stereo slide.
> 
> Yes, but they are having problems if they are not a standard format.
> Slide film can be ANY FORMAT.  It just does not matter.  Also, very
> important, the print processor can screw up your exposure.  With slide
> film you get what you shoot.  Slide film is recommended for testing a
> new camera for sharpness and correct exposure.
> 
>> 8. You can take "then and now" images because 100- to 130-year-old 
>> cards are still around for reference.
> 
> Not a valid point to convince someone to take prints.  You can take 
> the "now" pictures in slide film as I have done.  Also, soon people
> will start taking "now" pictures for "then" slides of the 50's.
> Someone mentioned the "charm" of the old views?  Slides from the 50s
> have a charm too and people collect them already.  The same is true
> for View-Master reels, a form of slide medium.
> 
> Dan Shelley brings up a good point that BW missed:
> 
>> Besides, if someone dosen't enjoy looking at stereo images (like my 
>> wife), then she can still see the pictures on the card and enjoy them...
>
> I might add that one of the features of prints that I enjoy is that
> you get to see the flat picture first and then the depth jumps on you.
> Trying to close one eye through a slide viewer just does not work for me.
> 
> Slide fanatics go to the trouble to copy old stereo cards in slide film
> so they can a) correct the stereo window, b) view them in a GOOD viewer,
> c) project them to an audience, perhaps as part of a slide show that can
> mix modern images.  I have copied my "Greece" cards to slide film because
> they are much lighter and take much less space.  That way I can take them
> to Greece this summer and shoot the "now" slides to match the "then" 
> stereo viewes.  I can carry 50 aluminum-mounted slides and a viewer in my 
> pocket while I search for the "then" locations. -- George Themelis

One final point I would like to add:  Most stereo clubs operate via
stereo slide projections.  If it was not for slides it would have
been no Detroit club for me, a major source of fun and excitement.  
Also in PSA competitions, slides are the medium of choice. (Yes, some
competitions accept cards and there are one or two card competitions
but slides dominate.)


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End of PHOTO-3D Digest 1533
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