P3D Re: Stereo-Tach (PHOTO-3D digest 3492)

[bobh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

RE: George (Dr. T) wants opinions for those who have use Stereo-
Tach (or other beam splitters?) and have switched to normal stereo 
camera such as the Realist. Well I am one..but those playing with 
the ST today don't realize how it was viewed originally. Made by 
Advertising Displays in Covington, KY, it was the first affordable or 
available way to do 35mm stereo before the Realist. (No one was 
around in stereo to say you could use a slide bar etc.) I got mine in 
early '46 while in the Army, after getting back from overseas and on 
Recruiting Duty in Mason City and Charles City, IA (not having 
enough points to get out). To me it was a poor man's Leica 
STEROLY (Leitz prism stereo device of the '30s). Surely the 
inventor of the ST was familar with this gap in accessories.
So it was my intro to Stereo (I had of course seen VM Viewers and 
my Grandparents card stereo viewer) that I could take myself.  
With the right f/stop to get the minimum bar between the half-
frames on one pair (about f/5.6 to 8) it gave fabulous sharp 
pictures. And those f/stops were just right as the standard 
exposure for Kodachrome in sunlight was 1/60th at F/6.3!!
(I have remounted many into stereo realist mounts and they look 
great.) I found that titting the camera down or up, caused rotation of 
images so that was a no no. 
But this experience made we search out and buy a Realist as soon 
as I heard this new marvel was going to be introduced.  BobH
(I never went back to the Stereo-Tach..but was impressed with the 
Delta NJ system having only a viewer and sample slide.)
 
Bob Howard (bobh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
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