P3D Star-D and Nimslo-mounts

[fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Dr. George A. Themelis)]

>Could someone give me their opinion of the re-designed Star viewer that
>Reel-3d has in their catalog? Know it has plastic lens's so lets say on a
>1-10 scale in comparison to the Kodaslide I ? 

This viewer has a long history... Started under the name "Brumberger" back
in the 50s, I believe.  Went through a couple of design changes (including
a change from glass to plastic lenses).  Now the dies are owned by Technical
Enterprises in CA and have been modified to produce their TECO viewer
(which can view uncut trips).  At an early stage of die modification they
produced a run of viewers which are now sold by Reel-3D under the name Star
D-II.  Their reference to being ugly comes from this die modification. 
Once this batch is sold, that will be the end of the new Brumberger/Star-D
line of viewers.

The lenses are OK and the price is certainly attractive for a viewer with
focusing and internal illumination.  It is always difficult to compare
viewers objectively.  I do not have much personal experience using those
two, hence no opinion on the subject.  But I believe that the older
Brumberger viewers were well built and are sometimes found for sale at 
around $35.

>does anyone know
>what size of stereo mounts would be used if I show slide film in that
>camera and again used the two outside frames?

You need what is known as 4p or Nimslo-size mounts.  Note that these, in
addition to being 4p wide (half-frame, 28x24 mm), they are also slightly
cropped horizontally in one side to cover the Nimslo LED indicator that
appears on the film.  The same mounts can also be used for cropping
Realist-format slides.

Currently, the following choices are available:

- Slip-in (from Reel-3d)
- Spicer cardboard tape-shut (from RMM)
- RBT mounts (from Dalia, RMM or Jon Golden)
- Albion aluminum mounts (from Dalia)

RMM: Joel Alper's "Rocky Mountain Memories"

For a beginner, slip-in mounts are very easy to use but other mounts are
more accurate (RBT, Albion) and/or cheaper (Spicer).

Once you mount your Nimslo slides in these mounts, you can use the same
viewers and projectors as with regular Realist (or 7p) mounts and mix all
these slides in one show.

Regards -- George Themelis


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