[photo-3d] Back from NYC - part I

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <drt-3d@xxxxxxx>]

Hello photo-3d!

We are back from New York City with 20+ rolls of 
stereo film and great memories.  

The first pleasant surprise was the train ride which was 
more comfortable and pleasant than I had imagined.  The train 
seats are equivalent to first class airplane sits in terms of 
space and comfort.  You can sleep, read a book, or... mount 
stereo slides!  (I must have spent at least 10 hours mounting 
stereo slides aboard the train)  Sure, it takes longer to get 
there but it its more fun than driving or flying.  More 
Americans should be using trains instead of worshiping cars :)
After a couple of bad experiences with air travel I am sure I 
will be checking out the train schedules!

We arrived at NYC Tuesday afternoon, just in time for the NY 
Stereoscopic Society meeting.  I was very impressed by the 
NYSS crowd.  A lot of knowledgeable people and a great variety 
of images.  There were excellent stereo print displays, 
"barrier" type lenticular displays, MF slides, 35mm twin 
projector slides, Realist-format slides and View-Master 
projection.  

If I had never seen stereo projection before, I would have
concluded that 35mm twin projector is the way to go.  The 
images were larger, brighter and sharper.  But because I 
have seen good Realist-format stereo projection, I know 
that this is not necessarily the case.  In our club the 
TDC 116 is capable of delivering bright images in our 
72 inch DaLite screen.  But we project in a smaller room 
and on a smaller screen.  In NYSS the TDC 116 used seemed 
quite dim filling the 6x9 foot screen.  To make things 
worse, thin cardboard slides were jamming in the 116 carrier 
(while the projector also lacked the "barn door", resulting 
in seeing the images and carrier moving on screen) despite 
the projectionist's best efforts for a smooth projection 
(OK, I was the projectionist!!!)  

I was told that NYSS normally uses a 716 w/750W bulbs 
which is a little brighter and the carrier design is better.  
However, I would definitely recommend getting hold of a 
Brackett Dissolver or Fader, i.e. a Realist-format stereo 
projector with more modern design and capable of larger 
screen projection.  A lot of people in NYSS are using 
Realist format slides and a better stereo projector will 
make them feel better for their own projected stereo slides.  
This is just a personal recommendation, not a criticism 
of any kind.

Overall it was a nice meeting and it was great meeting 
people with whom I have been corresponding via email for a 
while.  I did not count how many members were present but 
the number, the experience, and the quality of work is 
definitely much higher than the average stereo camera club.  
But this is NEW YORK!!!  Hope the club continues its 
successful operation for many-many years to come.

We stayed at the Marriott Hotel right at Times Square.  
Now, that's the place to be in NYC.  Anytime you want to 
see action all you have to do is step out of the hotel, 
NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF THE DAY THIS IS!!!  There is 
always something happening at Times Square.  A guy 
playing a guitar in his underwear... Crowds of young 
girls cheering for the latest teen idol who is 
recording at the nearby studio, lots of people, cars, 
noise, signs, lights, action...

To be continued...

George Themelis