Re: STEREO: PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE (was: Pulfrich, a scam???)

[P3D John W Roberts <roberts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 23:18:53 -0500
>From: "P3D  Dr. George A. Themelis"  <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: STEREO: PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE (was: Pulfrich, a scam???)

>John W Roberts is kiddding:

>>I didn't need to ask you, George. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion
>>of Realist photography is well known. The Realists are extinct, their power
>>vanished from the universe...

Oops! Instead of the sensible and well-thought-out reply to your comments
on Pulfrich that I had undoubtedly intended to post, I accidentally sent
excerpts from my new book "Stereo Wars", which features Luke Slidehawker,
Princess Leica, Cam Solo (a reformed sidestepper, now a proponent of SL3D),
the beloved robot camera RBT-2, and of course the evil Depth Faker, and which
is coming soon to a galaxy near you.*

>At least I use (color slide) film and a stereo technology that was not 
>invented until the 1940s.  How about Bill C. Walton who is still 
>practicing last century's stereo photography??? :)))

Equipment for which is still being produced on a pretty regular basis.

>Seriously, John, last week I bought a big viewer and about 85 large format 
>black and white stereo slides taken by an amateur photographer from 1941 to 
>1946.  I found those pictures totally fascinating... All of them are family 
>pictures showing kids, friends, relatives inside houses mainly.  It is
>really fascinating to get a glimpse in somebody's life from 55 years ago.
>And that's in nostalgic B&W...

Yes, old pictures can be interesting.

>I was wondering what will happen when digital photography comes in and
>starts displacing 35 mm film technology.  I will then face a similar 
>dilemma like the one that stereo photographers faced in 1947:  Am I going
>to be a pioneer or a dinosaur???

>...Yes, I do 
>use the 50s Realist camera, but I have no choice.  If I could have a 
>modern RBT S1 camera for around $1000 I would be using that, instead 
>of the Realist.  I also use twin SLRs as you know.  The Realist is not 
>the issue... The 35 mm color slide film is.

>Now, I am asking you:  Is the digital technology going to offer BETTER
>QUALITY than what I am getting now with my REALIST and my 35 mm COLOR
>SLIDE FILM?  I know it is going to be more convenient.  My question is:
>is it going to be BETTER?  If the answer is YES, then I'll be the first 
>to jump the fence.  

Regarding your question of *is it going to* offer better quality, the answer
is probably yes. But I would not recommend that you jump the fence just yet -
I don't think it's quite there yet, and the first equipment to surpass 35mm
color slide will probably be extremely expensive. With digital systems, you
have issues with both camera and viewer. I expect hybrid systems will be
very influential for quite a while.

........
* But hopefully not this one. :-)

John R


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