Re: [photo-3d] "Giveaway" Viewer Review

[Paul Talbot <list_post@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for the review, Paul!  The classic "$3 viewer" from Radex is
definitely one of the great values in stereo photography.

But...I'm kind of confused.  I've never tried the grey/white folding
viewer but your review of it (below) makes me want to avoid it, not
consider it!  (BTW, who is the manufacturer of that viewer?)

I have tried the black folding viewer made by Taylor Merchant.  TM does
make some nice stereo viewer products, but IMO this one is a total dog
that should be avoided like the plague!  I had to disassemble every one
of the 10 viewers I bought to satisfactorily clean away the cardboard
residue, but guess what...it comes back!  The cardboard continues to shed.

There were two additional problems I observed:  1) the black dyes leach
onto users' fingers, as badly as the worst cheap newspapers.  I stained
several slide mounts with black ink by handling them after using the
viewer.  2) The cutouts of the apertures were not made quite right, and
it was not possible to see the full vertical dimension of slides viewed
with this viewer.

So between your observations and mine, it really doesn't sound like
either of these two collapsible viewers should be recommended.

The folding viewers offered by 3-D concepts are quite nice.  Unfortunately
they are at a price point that for many of us makes them unsuitable for
giveaways.

Paul Talbot

Paul Young wrote:
> 
> Next is a foldable cardboard viewer that is made of very light-gage
> cardboard with a grey/white starbust design. I had a lot of trouble
> viewing with this viewer. Very difficult to focus accurately. The
> thin cardboard made it flimsy, such that the right and left lenses
> required individual focusing (squeezing both sides independently) and
> I still had trouble ever seeing the slide in focus from window to
> infinity. The lenses are small and are on tabs that can be easily
> scewed. The biggest positive with this viewer is the clear plastic
> sleeve that it comes in. One half holds the flat viewer, and the
> other half holds three slides in individual slots. Perfect for a gift
> of 3 slides. Maybe the interocular distance wasn't right for me, or I
> am inept, but I wouldn't give this to someone with no experience with
> them, after my first impression, which is the way it would be for the
> novice giftee. This viewer can be found at the following web address.
> 
> http://www.3dstereo.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/p-veu-202.html?L+scstore+mtcc2841+968944343
> 
> The third viewer I tried is, again, a foldable cardboard viewer. This
> one is made of thicker, stiffer, black cardboard. It is much more
> rigid, the lenses are large, and I found it very easy to focus and
> see the image clearly. It comes in a clear plastic ziplok-style
> pouch, with no slots for slides. The only complaint I had with this
> one is that the light diffuser in the back of the viewer seemed very
> dirty when I first looked through the lenses, with black stuff all
> over it. I later discovered that this was particulate matter from the
> cut edges of the cardboard. I was able to remove most of it by
> blowing real hard into the side openings of the viewer. This viewer
> can be found at the following web address.
> 
> http://www.3dstereo.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/p-
> svn-301.html?L+scstore+krvw2052+968944376
> 
> Overall, the Radex is my favorite for a bang around, safe for
> handling by anyone viewer, and the Black cardboard viewer will
> probably my favorite for sending with "gift-pairs".
> 
> Anyone who is considering giving a cardboard foldable viewer as a
> gift should consider both of the ones that I reviewed here, as any
> viewer will work a little differently for each person who uses them.