P3D Re: ISU slides/cards

[fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Dr. George A. Themelis)]

>Stereo cards cannot be projected and shown to the masses,
>hence the need to "exhibit" them.  Actually, I feel the
>slides get much more attention in the theater as not
>nearly as many folks view the exhibition since it is
>on display during the trade fair and not a separate "venue"
>by itself.  The slides would get the same amount of attention
>if we did not have the ST for the "exhibition of slides" 
>purpose.

Now we are touching the issue of presentation... There is no question that
stereo projection is a more effective way to present stereo images to a
large group of people in a convention.  I said "stereo projection" not
stereo slides because there are projection programs based on stereo cards
and there are slide formats that cannot easily be projected, like Medium
Format, for example.  

On the other hand, print form is the most  effective way to present stereo
images in a magazine like Stereo World.  I have not heard anyone request
that Stereo World comes with a few slides inserted in it.  Of course, there
are stereo images printed in Stereo World that come from stereo slides. 
But the same way, there are slide programs at NSA's Stereo Theater based on
stereo cards.

One day (cannot be very far away) all stereo images, regardless of the
medium they were originally created on, they will be digitized, aligned,
stored and then digitally projected without the need to be copied on slide
film.  Imagine... only one projector will be needed.  People would mail CDs
instead of real images.  Stereo slides of all formats (View-Master,
Realist, 2x2, MF) and cards of all sizes and digital images to be nicely
mixed together.

Until that day comes, we are stuck with the fact that certain presentation
forms favor certain stereo formats.   But it is not fair IMO to say that an
entire stereoscopic organization does not recognize or favors certain
formats and, to counterbalance, create format-limited activities when it is
easy to expand them to cover more formats.

George Themelis


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