Re: Rent-a-Realist

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

>I suggest that if your club members can't part with an additional $10
>a month, then their commitment to their hobby is rather shallow.  Many
>probably spend several  times that much on some vice they'd be better off
>without (cigarettes, alcohol, candy... whatever).  That's less than the
>cost of one roll of film with processing.  Gosh, if your members can't
>afford that, they're in the wrong hobby!

Greg, you sound like DrT!  Am I right in assuming that you have never
attended a stereo club meeting?  If typical stereo club members were in
their peak of their carriers, in their 40s with high-paying jobs and
open minds then things might have been different.  But the fact is
that many members are senior-citizens, retired and in "fixed income".
Some of them question having to pay $15 membership fees a year!
Some still use the Realist they bought in 1953 and don't care to use
any other stereo camera.

But there are practical resons that this could not work.  If each
member in a 30 member club kept the camera for one month (it is
resonable to pick the camera in one meeting and return it in the next)
then the ones at the bottom of the list would have to wait for 3
years to use it!  Also, those who have no interest in using it would
refuse to finance this purchace.  There are other important and much
cheaper equipment that the club must purchace first.  With the RBT's
price tag at 5-10 times the entire annual budget, no president in 
their right mind could suggest such purchace so each member can
benefit once every 3 years.  Better buy a better projector that is
being used in every meeting.

Even if 12 members decided to buy and share one, still we have
the problem that it would take a year for each member to use it.
And, of course, nobody would like to get stuck with the camera in
February in Cleveland!

Finally, even if those practical problems did not exist, I personally
don't think that the RBT camera is a wise investment when a Realist
will, for most people, do *about* the same job for much less money.

-- George Themelis


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