P3D Re: Realist viewer - obligatory to spend big bucks?

[erker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Greg Erker)]

>If I buy a Realist (I'm working on it - thanks to everyone who's replied
>with advice and/or offers), do I really need one of those vintage $100
>realist viewers? If so, it makes the purchase seem a lot less attractive.
>
>Do people buy the viewers because they're that much more superior than
>less expensive viewers (however much those cost...) or because of the name/
>nostalgia/warm fuzzy feelings/etc. I just need something that works
>reasonably well. Thanks!

  You can probably start out with the
$3.25 Radex (sp?) viewer that Reel 3-D
sells. If you use it close to a strong
light or out in the sun it will work
okay.

  You will get colour fringes from
the single element lenses. And the
50 mm FL will mean that your slides
look smaller than they should (and
you get more stretch in the depth
dimension).

  It also doesn't have any adjustment
for interocular spacing so you may
have trouble if you have very wide-set
or narrow-set eyes.

  Alan Lewis has modified one of
these viewers to use the achromats
that George sells ($15/lens).
Then you would have a $33 viewer
with lenses as good as the Realist
Red Button. See this page, near the
bottom:
http://www.arlington.net/homes/dlewis/projects/projects.htm

  The Red Button viewer has good
2 element achromatic lenses, focusing,
interocular adjustment and built
in lighting. Used with one of
George's halogen bulbs it is nice
and bright white.

  So you may want to get a Red Button
eventually (or a Kodaslide II) but
you could get by without it.

Regards - Greg E.

http://www.angelfire.com/ca/erker



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