P3D Counterfeit stereo mounts?

[Paul Talbot <ptww@xxxxxxxxx>]

Apparently I must have counterfeit cardboard stereo mounts, because
no one else's cardboard mounts have the same weaknesses that mine
do.  DrDave's mounts even fit inside EMDE binders, whereas mine don't.

> >The Spicer mounts definitely have their place,
> >but that place is not in the projector, IMO.
> >Paul Talbot
john bercovitz wrote:
> 
> Having looked at your subsequent posts, it appears you're talking
> about variations in the mounts' apertures' dimensions.

If I read your posting correctly, no, that's not it.  I will attempt
to depict what I am referring to with an ascii drawing.  Understand
that the effect will be exaggerated due to limitations of ascii
drawings.  This is an approximation of what the aperture problems
I am referring to, with open side at bottom, look like:
  _______      _______
  |     |      |     |
  |      |     |     |
  |      |     |      |
  |      |     |      |
  -------      --------
  ^     ^     ^      ^
  |     |     |      |
  r     s     s      r

There is a very definite "zig" in each aperture's right vertical
opening.  Although it is probably small if measured, the zig is
in a different place on the left and right apertures.  It gets
increasingly annoying as it is magnified.  Also, the vertical cuts
are either sharp (s) or rough (r) as indicated above.  When you
attempt to fuse the image, you have to fuse a rough cut with a
sharp cut on both the left and right sides of the window.  Combined
with the difference in the "zig" of the right vertical on the two
sides, the fused stereo window is harder to look at than the window
of an RBT.  Put an empty Spicer mount in your viewer, and look at
the differences between the left and right apertures by alternately
closing each eye; also observe the fused appearance of the window.

As George originally reported, there is an alignment problem with the
apertures of the 5P Spicer.  I don't know whether my dissatisfaction
with projecting these mounts derives from the aperture alignment
problem, the zigs, or the sharp/rough variations.  But I know that
the one time I had the chance to project slides mounted in these
mounts, there was "something wrong" with the Spicer-mounted pairs.
This is not to say I will never put one in a projector.  But my
preference will continue to be to use RBTs for my best images, even
though I will probably use far more Spicers than any other mount.

As wonderful as the Spicer mounts are, even their creator has
(apparently) already confirmed my theory that they were never
intended to be in the same league as RBTs.  Please understand
I am not trying to "slam" these mounts.  I just don't think they
should be hyped into something a lot more than they are, or were
meant to be.

Paul Talbot


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