As far as the 3D World mounts being wider than the Spicer mounts we've all been using for
years it's obviously too late to do anything about it. There have been lots of Chinese
Realist format viewers that conformed to that standard, but obviously these guys weren't
familiar with the Spicer mounts when they designed their viewer and mounts or didn't
think them relevant. Since I find their viewer works fine with my 132 mm mounts what
do I care? If they want to make nice MF viewers available for 39 bucks let them make
whatever size mounts they want. I don't have to buy them.

If 3D World can generate interest in MF3D throughout China and the world this will only
benefit all of us. It might even help keep 120 film readily available a bit longer. If they
completely fail and lose their shirts on this whole thing (which I hope doesn't happen)
then their cameras and viewers will join the Nimslo and other 3D white elephants selling
for deep discounts on ebay and elsewhere. Either way I win.

Personally I'm a lot more bummed out about the new camera not having flash sync at
higher shutter speeds. I use fill flash for outdoor photography all the time with my
Sputnik. This past weekend I shot a roll at a local parade. It was a bright sunny day, and
my Vivitar 285H at full power brought out facial detail that would have otherwise been lost
in deep shadows. I was shooting Provia 100F pushed a stop, so mostly f22 at 1/100, and
the shots came out so well that I'm not feeling an overwhelming need to upgrade cameras
at the moment anyway.

I've heard that the 3D World camera's highest flash sync speed is 1/60. With a powerful
enough flash I could still get what I want on sunny days with that. Their website claims
flash sync at 1/30 which is just too slow, unless I want to carry around a professional
lighting array. (I'd need to use ISO 50 film at f22 to shoot anything on a sunny day at 1/
30, and would thus need a hell of a lot of light to have any impact on shadows.) I'm
curious what sort of results those testing this camera have gotten. My understanding is
that at higher speeds this type of shutter is never fully open, and thus a flash will only
illuminate a band of the image at 1/125 or higher. This has long been a complaint about
the Kiev cameras. Are there any strategies to get the benefits of fill flash at higher speeds
with this sort of shutter?

Jim Harp

--- In MF3D-group@yahoogroups.com, "jamesbharp" wrote:

> Personally I'm a lot more bummed out about the new camera not having

flash sync at

> higher shutter speeds....
> I've heard that the 3D World camera's highest flash sync speed is

1/60. ... Their website claims

> flash sync at 1/30 which is just too slow, unless I want to carry

around a professional

> lighting array.

To quote Marvin Gaye:

"People say believe half of what you see,
son, and none of what you hear."

The version I have syncs at 1/125th! The issue of flash sync was
brought up in the NSA feedback report, so hopefully the final camera
will be in your favor. The wonderful thing about this company is that
they are continuously improving their product.

Sam