Re: TDC vs Triad

[P3D Michael Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

George writes:

> True.  But if the Triad is much better (or just better) as you guys 
> have us believe, the word would have leaked out by now and everybody
> would have been looking for them.  People pay a lot of money for

The word "just leaked out"!  Surprising what one can keep a 
secret!  But then, if there were no secrets, this mailing list
would be dead silent.  :-)

> small improvements and prices of stereo cameras and accessories
> is a proof for that.  I want the best (within my budget) in stereo
> projection.  I use a TDC. (I have also tried the Triad).

I think it's what you said before.  TDC's are very common.
This also probably is why clubs use them.  I don't just mean in terms
of availability (although that can be true where the projector is 
wonderfully provided by a dedicated member who brings his personal
projector to each meeting) but in terms of "what people know".  People
gravitate to what's popular -- that's one reason DOS, Windows, etc
are successful.  This is partially a valid thing to do because that which
is most popular has the most support from other users and from commercial
concerns.  I think "3D photography support" vs. "2D photography support" 
shows this very clearly.  There's nothing wrong with that, and indeed
it's part of being "better" despite being a catch-22.

> 
> >George wants to know about converting a Triad carrier to 7P:
> >They projected 7P without modification.  They come darn close to 
> >projecting 8P...
> 
> Excuse me?  That's news to me... I don't have a Triad around to
> double check this, but I was under the impression that they cut
> off 7p slides.

I agree, it's not 7P.  :-(

It's not HORRIBLE though.  I double checked Friday night (sorry
it took so long to respond... my monitor at home kicked the bucket
and is going to the warrantee shop today (Monday)).

The Triad carriage that I have *does* cut-off the width of 7P
slides that I tried.  Using RBT 7P mounts, it cuts off about the
width of a perf-hole in the film.  Perhaps with a 7P "closeup mount",
it'd qualify as a 7P projector.  Note I say the width of the perf hole
itself, not the distance between perfs.

This makes the Triad about a 6.5 Perf  projector by default. I wish it
were a full 7-P, but it isn't a full truncation down to 5P either!

When projecting 5P and 7P's on the same screen interchanged, sometimes
the 7P is set up so it's a little wider than the screen in order to
compromise with the size of 5P (which has the same aspect ratio as
commonly used screens).  The Triad has this compromise "built in"!
It's a feature!

:-) ..... :-(

> demand.  The Triad polarizers are round and glass.  They cannot 
> be replaced and aligned easily.  Not by Average Joe.  BTW, I have 
> noticed that the Triad glass polarizers are holding well and this 
> must be a result of using good quality glass polarizers. So such
> replacement might not be an issue.  I would like however to hear
> from someone who has replaced the polarizers in the Triad.

I haven't yet, but it's on my list of things I'd like to do.  I'd like
in decrease the ghosts I see in high-contrast slides by using something
like the Tech-spec material that Edmund sells.  Doesn't *look* like
it'd be hard to fabricate a replacement -- I just need to get around
to getting some of that material.  In the meanwhile, the original filters
work adequately.

> 
> >Clubs use TDCs:
> >AGAIN, what's common?   The people in the club are gonna use what 
> >they've GOT.   
> 
> If people knew that projector A is better than projector B, clubs
> would go for projector A, no matter what most members use.  I

Some clubs perhaps.  "Better" may vary from situation to situation
however.  Wouldn't quality driven clubs get a Brackett dissolver? :-)

> repeat:  The Triad projectors are not uncommon at all!  I see them
> in shows, I have bought and sold a couple, Harry Poster was selling
> them (getting rid of them?) for $200 ea. in Rochester NSA '96.

Recall that after TDC "had the market" to themselves for some time
and were selling their projectors for $170, Compco came out with 
the Triad at $230.  They obviously thought that theirs was worth
the 35% premium they were charging for theirs.  They did manage
to sell'em at that higher price so *someone* must of thought they
were better.  For whatever reason. 


Mike K.


P.S. - I recall that Harry has sold (gotten rid of?) Realist cameras too, 
       And many think it a high quality item.



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