Re: Late evening thoughts on stereo formats

[P3D Brian Reynolds <reynolds@xxxxxxxxx>]

George Themelis wrote:
> 
> IMO, today, the slide film is in danger of extincion.  There is no
> question in my mind that stereo prints will become more and more popular
> in the future, especially with the increase use of digital photography.
> Many beginners today don't even know where to buy and how to process
> slide film while everybody is familiar with prints.  The situtation
> will get worse in the future.  
> 

I don't think there is any reason to worry about the fate of slide
film.  The vast majority of color reproduction for publication is
still done with transparencies (slides).  Until truly affordable high
resolution color digital technology arrives transparency film will
continue to be sold.

> If there is a war worth fighting IMO today, it is not to make stereo
> cards more popular but to preserve the use of slide film in stereo
> photography.  I will continue to fight this war and "educate" the 
> younger generation on the many advantages of slide film in stereo
> photography.
> 

I'm all for stereo cards.  I've pretty much abandoned small format
photography in favor of large format because it suits me as a more
relaxed method of photography.  I use to hand mount my 35mm
astrophotographs and always viewed it as a chore to be avoided.  I
stopped when I realized that Kodalux was doing just as good a job
mounting slides as I was.

With stereo cards I can mount much larger contact prints for viewing,
and I don't have to worry about screwing up the originals with thumb
prints or spilt soda.  I'd hate to think about the problems of
mounting stereo pairs.  Now if someone wants to try to convince to try
mounting a pair of 4x5 transparencies (or even a stereo pair on a
single sheet in half frame format) I might be game, but I have no idea
what I would use as a viewer.  Perhaps putting the transparencies on a
light table and using a print viewer would work.  Hmm...

-- 
Brian Reynolds                  | "Humans explore the Universe with five
reynolds@xxxxxxxxx              |   senses and call the adventure science."
http://www.panix.com/~reynolds/ | - Edwin P. Hubble


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