[photo-3d] alternative 3D slide viewers...

[ers <ers@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

//From Brian Reynolds//

Boris Starosta has posted on photo-3d several times about using a pair
of Pentax ZX-Ms. In his post from last August he says that he synced
them by splicing two Pentax electronic cable releases together in
parallel. You should be able to find more details in the archives.

By the way, I haven't actually done this yet because the bulk and
weight of a pair of 35mm SLRs would be more than my Sputnik (or a pair
of TLRs), and I haven't found a reasonably price viewer that is any
good (compared to my Saturn MF slide viewer).

-- Brian Reynolds | "Dee Dee! Don't touch that button!"

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I remember Steve Berezin saying something about making some good quality full 
frame viewers-- don't know if he's done it yet. Steve?

However, you can fairly easily just make one yourself using Edmund achromats. 
I've misplaced my catalog, but there's one 6x coated dual achromat in a hand 
viewer housing (metal lens barrel, plastic housing) that will get you vertical 
and horizontal full frame 35mm (very, very slight pincushion at this high 
magnification-- it's more magnification than a Comby) and you have to flip the 
lenses in the metal housings so you can get your eye close to the barrel. 
Boris had it on loan at the last NSA conference and seemed to like it, and 
Boris is a tough audience... The completed viewer uses a cold cathode 
illumination system, which is also inexpensive and has been covered here on 
the list before. You can build the viewer including the illumination stage for 
under $300 (the lenses are about $90 each, which is the main cost).

So don't let the viewer hold back your project!

--Elliott