Re: Mounts

[P3D David W. Kesner <drdave@xxxxxxxxxx>]

In photo-3d 2320 Dr. T says:

>Consider what you have to do to mount in Spicer mounts:

>1. Be able to use the RBT mounts (which includes an
>   understanding of the stereo window)

If you don't understand the stereo window then you shouldn't be
mounting slides. I didn't and look what happened to me *{;-)
Seriously, the stereo window is basic to all 3D and understanding it
should be a prerequisite to any mounting.

>2. Be capable to transfer the chips from the RBT to the
>   Spicer mount.

This is easy, but the part that takes a few rolls to master. You
simply lay the RBT on the Spicer, align to a straight edge and tape
down.

>For an intelligent and determined person like yourself, EVERY 
>mount could be mastered after a few rolls of film.

Blush, blush! Thanks for the compliment, but I think anyone with a
little manual dexterity can master the RBT - Spicer mount system.
Several people have emailed me off line for detailed instructions.
Perhaps they can tells us all how easy or hard they found it to be.

>After mastering the Albion mounts, I am able to transfer from
>Albion to Spicer mounts.  This is double the work. Wouldn't
>it be easier if there was ONE mount to learn and worry
>about?

I agree that transferring is an extra step and takes more time (to
learn and do). A single mask would be ideal - no question.

> A mount with accurate positioning marks that does not 
>need the transferring step from a different mount?

Permanent, non-adjustable positioning marks would only work on chips
from a camera with perfectly matched lenses. In order to have a mask
that aligns chips from many different cameras, it needs to be
adjustable, like the RBT. You only have to adjust it once for any
given camera. If you own several different cameras, then you would
need several different alignments.

>Now, one might ask:  Doesn't the cardboard heat-seal mount meet 
>this requirement?  In some ways it does, but positioning the
>chips accurately is not that easy.  It also does not allow any
>horizontal movement (possibly plus for beginners)

Why is this a plus for beginners to not know about or be able to
adjust the window. You didn't think it was so great when I sent you
my first slides in non-adjustable heat seal mounts *{;-) Seriously,
again, I think understanding the stereo window is paramount to
mounting your own slides. If you don't care, then just send your
slides to Kodak and don't worry about it.

The biggest draw back I found with the heat seal mounts was heat
sealing them. What a pain and time consuming task. Not to mention the
possibility of ruining your slides accidentally. The other fault was
the poorly cut window, no where near the quality of the Spicers.

>and does not
>come in different sizes.  I will continue to use the Spicer
>mounts (which are very flexible) for viewer viewing until 
>something better comes along.

The size availability of the Spicer mounts is one of their great
features. 4p (16x21), standard 5p (21.5x23), close up 5p (19x23),
reduced height 5p (21x20), standard 7p (28x23), close up 7p (26x23),
reduced height 7p (28x20), and extra wide (31.5x23), as well as
medium format. I think that something better would have to come in at
least as many, if not more sizes. I have found the reduced height to
be really nice when you have something too close at either the top or
bottom of your slide. This is the case in many of my cave slides,
where I am just not able to raise the ceiling in those tight crawl
ways.

The perfect mount as I see it would be the RBT only thinner and
cheaper. I really like the pin register method of alignment. This
would not work, of course for cameras with horizontally misaligned
lenses (such as single cameras in shift mode, etc.) where rotational
error needed to be corrected. But I see that as a fault of the camera
and not the mount, so correct the camera problem.

These are just my opinions, what are yours.

Thanks for the time,

David W. Kesner
Boise, Idaho, USA
drdave@xxxxxxxxxx
(No I'm not a doctor - just a nickname)


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