P3D Replacing Airequipt lenses

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike K. asks:

>Anybody else tried something like this?  (to replace Airequipt
 Stereo Theater lenses)

Sure!  Check: Stereo World Nov/Dec 1992, p. 10: "Supercharging
Your Airequipt Stereo Theater", article by Larry Moor (photo-3d
subscriber and current President of NSA)  He recommends replacing
the Airequipt lenses (two-element but not achromatic) with 25 mm
diameter, 50 mm FL achromatic lenses (available from Edmund Scientific).

I have replaced the lenses in one of my Airequipts with Edmund
achromatic lenses and the results are great.  So great that I 
consider selling the viewer (I am open to offers :-))  Ron Fross,
photo-3d subscriber and officer of the O-hi-O Stereo Photographic
Society, has used the 60 mm FL lenses instead.  The result is a
viewer with better coverage for 7p for those who wear glasses.
Also, better for those who enjoy stretch (hi Boris! :-))  I have
seen and used the viewer and I liked what I saw.  Especially those
slides taken with the wide angle adapter on a Realist 2.8.

The sky is the limit.  If the lenses are 25 mm in dia. and not far 
away from 50 mm in FL then the amount of hacking required is minimal.

There are only three certainties in life:  Death, taxes and Realist
format.  But I regress... :-)

-- George Themelis


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