Re: TECO Viewer

[P3D Michael Watters <mwatters@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Peter Davis asks: 

 >Is it possible to just modify an existing viewer to do this?

It's probably possible, but not convenient.   The lens/chip spacing is actually a fairly trivial  
problem.  The REAL kicker is that the images (as they reside on uncut film) will be pseudo if you  
just stuck them in a viewer like they were a tru-view strip or something.  You have to find a way of  
reversing (left<->right) both images.  The teco does this by reflecting the viewed images off of two  
mirrors.  The two viewed frames are really situated next to each other (parallel) with the  
illumination bulb inbetween.   It's a pretty ugly thing really to try to duplicate and I suspect it's  
likely to scratch the film.

Another (albeit grossly more expensive) approach would be to use pentaprisms.  This would allow  
a flat film-path that would be a lot easier to make.  The pentaprisms would do the job of reversing  
the image left-right.   Cheapest way to get the prisms is to scavenge them from dead SLRs  
(should get a matched pair).  You'll also get a really nice acromatic lens in the bargain.   If it's  
arranged so the prisms face UP it'd be trivial to have it be a steal-the-light viewer (just stand  
under a lamp, or the sky).  You could also put something similar to a normal viewer's battery/bulb  
arrangement in there for illumination.   If it were me, I'd have it slide off so it could go back and  
forth between illuminated and steal-light.

mike
watters


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