Re: Question

[P3D Michael Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I have recently received an old TDC Colorist camera with a viewer and a bunch
> of slides from the fifties of people I don't know.  I just shot and mounted
> my first roll (ektachrome 400). They look great - at least as good as the
> kodachrome slides from the 50's. although noticably grainy.  I got all of the
> info to do this by reading stuff on this forum and other internet sites.

Congratulations on your picture taking!  Film faster than ASA 100 tends to
be a bit grainy but can be quite useful in dimmer light situations.  Try
slower film (100 or slower), the grain should subside quite a bit.

> 
> My question is why does the TDC colorist appear to have the least value of
> all of the vintage stereo cameras?  If I were to get a better one, what is so

It doesn't have the least value.  Some others are even lower.  :-)  
Really, the colorist tends to be about "medium" in price with the 
Colorist-2 being  maybe "medium-high".  Like everything, prices vary 
semi-wildly with  camera condition and the number of raindrops in the air 
worldwide.  I'm sure George or Dalia has more statistical data than
what I've observed.  Join in if I'm offbase.

Kodak's and even f3.5 Realists tend to be lower in price (mostly
due to their high availability).

As an example, I took the following prices off the net "just now"
and all are from the same place at the same time (not being
the forsale group, I won't say who it is, but the company is
only about an hour's drive from me here in Oregon).


BELL & H TDC STEREO COLORIST, CASE     EX/EX+   195.00 
EKC KODAK STEREO (35MM)                   EX    125.00 
NISHIKA N8000                             EX     30.00 
TDC STEREO COLORIST                       EX    225.00 
CORONET STEREO                            EX     60.00 
WHITE REALIST 3.5                         EX    145.00 
WHITE REALIST 2.8, NICE CASE AND STRAP    EX+   475.00 


> much better about the Realist 2.8 that makes it 4 times the price?

>From that particular company, it's only 2.5X the price.  :-)

I'll let others say what they will about relative values.  That's
largely a personal thing.  Other than for the Nishika and Coronet 
in the above list, quality of most images taken with the rest would 
be user-limited rather than camera-limited.  IMHO

I just finished my first playtime period with the Wirgin stereo I
got at NSA 97's auction (for $60... see another much cheaper one)
and am starting my next play period with an even newer Colorist-2
(albeit higher in price than the Wirgin was).  Mikey likes
everything.  :-)

Mike K.


P.S. - Generalities made are not meant to apply to everyone and
       everything everytime.  They're hand-wavy generalities!

> 
> Thanks
> 
> 


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