Re: [photo-3d] Zeiss viewer on eBay

[Peter Davis <pd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark Shields <beamsplitter@xxxxxxxx> writes:

> Hi!
> 
> A Zeiss stereo viewer just showed up on eBay. I remember there
> was a Zeiss viewer there a while back, which took single 2X2 slides
> with side-by-side images, but it was not for beamsplitter
> slides--wrong transposition, and would give pseudo stereo
> with beamsplitter slides.
> 
> This one looks to me like it's the beamsplitter item. Does
> anyone know for sure?
> 
> Also, is there an authoritative answer as to whether or not
> it has focusing and interocular adjustment? I've asked the
> seller, but don't know how familiar he is with stereo gear.
> Looking at the picture on eBay, I'd guess it has neither.
> 
> grass.ebay.com/go/101/12623944/1/1202697016 

This looks exactly like the one I have, which is far and away the BEST
beamsplitter slide viewer I've ever seen.  For me, it's better than
either the Pentax or the Stitz viewer, even though those have
interocular adjustments.  The Zeiss one is the only viewer which has
made splitter slides comfortable for me.  With the others, I always
felt that I was straining to converge the images.

I think the other style Zeiss viewer puts the slide towards the front,
almost in the plane of the lenses, and the images were reflected off
mirrors at the back of the unit.  I'm not sure if this transposed the
images or not.  I've never actually seen one.  The current one, like
mine, places the slide at the back, with a more or less straight light
path through the slide and the lenses.  In that sense, it's pretty
similar to the Pentax, Stitz and other viewers.

You're right in thinking that this viewer has no focus or interocular
adjustment.  From my own experience, it doesn't need them.  It does,
however, have a very slick way of locking the steal-the-light viewer
into the lighting unit, so it can be used either way.

I'll be curious to see what this one goes for.

-pd


-- 
--------
                             Peter Davis
               Funny stuff at http://www.pfdstudio.com
                 The artwork formerly shown as prints
    List of resources for children's writers and illustrators at:
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