P3D Re: Replacing Airequipt lenses

[michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Michael Kersenbrock)]

> >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

Yes, actually you made a copy of that article for me.  I had ordered
some lenses from Surplus Shack a month or two ago, but he ran out
of the lenses I wanted before filling my order.  Somebody beat me
to 'em.  :-)

What I had in mind was more along the lines of using lenses other
than properly fitting lens "elements".  Particularly with longer
focal lengths (which you DO nicely answer below).

I checked the lenses last night, and although a f2.8 one is an ILEX
lens (labelled something like "Ilex Oscillo-paragon", but don't quote
me exactly) the f1.9 ones (nice and large diameter) are three letter
branded (CMZ or some such I don't recall).  Anyway, the construction
is the same -- that is, mostly glass, but with metal on the outer
diameter, and a slightly reduced diameter threaded portion on one end.

They "semi-obviously" were used (long ago) for Tektronix Oscilloscope
cameras, which would be a flat-to-flat sort of application like enlarger
lenses are.

They obviously wouldn't "fit" w/o serious hacking, which is why
I likely won't (use those lenses) unless I someday find an Airequipt 
carcass to get the lens-holding portion from.

> 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.

That seems to make the 56mm Scope lenses more viable!  :-)

> 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.

I probably will break down and get Edmund lenses at some point.
I think the '98 catalog's prices are a bit higher than before, so if
I procastinate TOO long, it'll *really* cost me.  :-(


Mike K.


P.S. -  These 56mm lenses seem so nice and sharp hate to waste'm.  Maybe
        I can hack them into one of those Radex viewers?  :-)  :-)




------------------------------

End of PHOTO-3D Digest 2594
***************************