P3D Discover3D!

[boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Boris Starosta)]

Hello everyone:

I recently got to have a look at a Discover3D unit (neČ 3Discover) at the
home of a friend.  Much to my surprise, the images in it were really quite
good.  Well, I'll have to qualify that, of course.

Having seen the ads and some write-ups on the system a while ago, I was
intrigued, but just looking at the design I felt some problems would be
inevitable - namely dust on the film and scratching of the film.

Like everyone else here, I find dust to be the biggest gremlin when trying
to enjoy my stereo slides, or when trying to make dupes that others can
enjoy.  The Discover3D cartridge is open on the viewer side, allowing dust
and other low-flying aircraft easy access to the emulsion (or does the
emulsion face the other side?), and perhaps entry to the innards of the
cartridge.

Imagine my surprise, when upon looking into the unit, I found the images to
be large and clear and without scratches or dust (mostly).   This unit had
been under the care of a two year old child for some two months.  Quite
impressive.

The style of stereo photography presented was a disappointment to me.  The
two cartridges I saw featured wildlife, and almost all of the photography
was shot with rather long lenses (telephoto is standard with wildlife
photography), resulting in a seriously "squashed" third dimension.
Granted, it may be tough to get within three or four feet of a tiger; but
if you are trying to show a tiger in three dimensions, that's just what is
going to be needed.  With some other animals presented, there was really no
excuse for not getting close and using a normal lens.  Each cart had one
normal lens shot, which looked great!

I did appreciate the winding mechanism, which appears so designed as to
prevent the coiled film from slipping against itself and thus generating
surface scratches within either end of the cartridge.  The mechanism was
mostly quite effective, bogging down only towards the end of my visit, with
a cartridge having a problem with the film apparently binding.  (I don't
know if the owner's were able to fix the problem ultimately).

That's all I can say for now.  I only got to use the thing for about five
minutes.

Respectfully submitted,





P.S.  Discover3D should offer processing, with the user's film returned in
a cartridge for their viewer!  Perhaps a specially designed camera would be
required (· la Nimslo), to generate film with the right spacing between
pairs; but wow, imagine the improvement over the currently only other
popular 3D medium, the three lens or four lens lenticular camera.  They
could have a system to rival the Realist.

P.P.S. to George (who will be reading this after he gets back from
vacation).  Yes I know the Realist is "popular."  But I'm talking about a
modern system that could be made popular among the general public.



Boris Starosta            boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx
                          http://www.starosta.com
usa 804 979 3930          http://www.starosta.com/3dshowcase



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