T3D Re: TECH-3D digest 375

[WHMoll@xxxxxxx]

For the September Atlanta 3-D meeting Show & Tell, I took my Nu View
attachment for my Sony videocam.  I started to unpack it at 6:30 at home and
by 7:45 had good images at the club meeting (good 3-D effect, not good 3-D
video).

I had a few problems which may be helpful to those contmplating a purchase of
the $500 outfit.  (The price includes the attachment, a decoder and two
viewing glasses. Extra glasses are about $80 for two and the decoder
alledgedly can drive 8 units.)

First off, the kit is designed for the short camcorder, not the old fashioned
foot long unit that I have.  I had to add about 2" to the lower support brace
and dig up a longer video synch cable.  Also, I had to use the provided
reducer to convert from 46mm to 37mm.

When I took some sample footage, the image looked like an anaglyph through the
view finder and with the glasses  at the meeting.  A quick check determined
that the longer audio cord that I had used to pass the synch signal from the
camera to the NuView couldn't pass the signal properly.  After replacing it
with a cable from the viewing package, the camera worked properrly.  The image
hops back and forth in the camera viewfinder and on the screen.

The 3-D was great.  However, viewing on the TV, there was noticeable flicker.
Supposedly, driving the signal through a TV card in a computer reduces the
flicker. There were shadows on the corners from the reducer.  There was also a
slight black line from the NuView mirror assembly. However, that could
probably be adjusted out.  I just pulled off the plastic bags and tested it
without reading the instructions or doing any adjustments.  I did not test the
unit in bright light conditions, which may result in other
problems/opportunities.

My suggestion to anyone contemplating buying a unit is to use it with one of
the palm-type viewers with the 37mm threading.  This should avoid the
vignetting and also give the unit a much better weight balance.  Overall, for
those of us who were about 2 days too late ordering a Toshiba at the $795
closeout price, this is a good deal.


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