P3D Re: Please offer you opinions on viewer optics...

[Brenda Nowlan <bknowlan@xxxxxxxxx>]

Lefty asks:

Thanks for reading my post. I'd like to hear from anyone who has an
opinion on the relative optical quality of the Realist Red Button and
Kodak's Kodaslide II. 3-D from Dalia suggest that the Kodak sports the
best lenses of them all, but the venerable Dr. T says the Realist is
tops for optics. I once found a beautiful Green Button, in new condition
in the box. I plugged it in, dropped in a slide, pressed the button
and... ew! There was
something screwy about the lenses! I then tried a KII and... Ah! Clear
as a
bell! I bought the KII and I've been happy with it since. But I'm not
giving up on Realist viewers yet. Like many of us, the quest for
sharpness
is ongoing. And if you can convince me that Red Button truly outperforms
the KII in terms of optics, I'll be the first one to trade in my KII.

Lefty


Hi Lefty!

I started out with a Kodaslide I.  Never had heard of or seen any
others.  Just asked a friend to get a viewer for me.  I got a Realist
Red Button after questioning Dr. T about the differences in viewers.  I
LOVE IT!  Sold my Kodaslide I last week.  Just so happens I have been
looking at different viewers for myself.  I wanted more viewers so I
could pass them around when showing slides to friends.  Here is my
opinion of the viewers I have compared (all in mint condition from Dr.
T,  slides provided by Dr. T, and I had all the viewers at the same time
to compare).  

Red Button/8p: This was modified by Dr. T to show 8p   *****

I LOVE IT!!!!  Fantastic!  Works great for me.  No shadows on the
edges.  I don't notice a "sweet spot", so, I would say there is
consistant overall
clarity and focus.  I am very impressed with the 8p feature.

Revere: **

Optics seem to have a "sweet spot".  More distortion off center is
apparent.  I just don't care for the "feel" of the viewer.  The body is
wider than the Red Button.  Optics better than the Kodaslide I.  

Kodaslide II 7p:  Again, modified by Dr. T   ***

First, I will address the overall design.  I like it.  It was familiar
to me.  The controls move smoothly and easily.  I like the comfortable
feel of it
across my eyes.  I LOVE the dimmer control!  Wow!  About the optics.  I
know I have read that some feel this viewer is superior to the others. 
I would disagree.  I think the optics are good, but not better or as
good as the Red Button IMO.  I did notice an ever so slight sweet spot. 
When I focused for the center, I found the edges not as sharp and visa
versa.  That was a disappointment to me.  Maybe I expected too much
given what I had read.  But, I do like the design and the dimmer.  I
noticed a shadowing on the sides.  Less than in the Green button.  This
shadow thickens halfway down.  I believe it is the wrap that holds the
white reflector in place.

Green Button 7p:   Modified by Dr. T    ****

Again, I LOVE the dimmer!  However, I find the controls (focus and
interoccular adjuster) not as smooth as the Kodaslide II.  Shadows on
the sides are more apparent than in the Kodaslide II.  Shadows show all
the way up the right side and only half way up the left.  But, IMO the
optics are better than the Kodaslide II.  I think this viewer has a good
overall sharpness in the center as well as the sides.  Do I think the
optics are as good as the Red Button?  Of these viewers, I think so. I
don't like the engineering or design of the Green Button at all.

Lefty wrote:-I once found a beautiful Green Button, in new condition in
the box. I plugged it in, dropped in a slide, pressed the button and...
ew! There was something screwy about the lenses!-

Maybe sometimes a viewer can be a lemon?  Like a car?  Lefty, I will
tell you I am new to this since this past summer.  Some of the more
experienced folks on P3D may disagree with what I wrote but this is what
I have experienced with the viewers I have compared and I will stand by
it.  Maybe sometimes lenses in the same kind of viewers can vary just
like they can for cameras and perhaps that particular Green Button might
have been a dud.

So, which viewer did I go with?  The Red Button modified for 8p.  Dr. T
also makes something that will attach to the Red Button so I can plug it
in and works as a dimmer.  :^)

Brenda


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