Thanks to all for the public and private responses I received to my viewer question. Another newbie question for you learned folk -
How do you go about aligning and mounting MF3D? Is it necessary to get a rig like the one 3D World offers? For my Realist I have a piece of transparent mylar with three 35mm stereo gauges on it - two of them being Realist 5P format and European 7P format. Is there such a gauge that one can use for MF3D, something that can be placed on a lightbox underneath the MF pairs to help with alignment?
As always, I defer to your superior knowledge...
Appreciatively,
Steven

Steven Lederman wrote:

> Thanks to all for the public and private responses I received to my viewer question. Another newbie question for you learned folk -
> How do you go about aligning and mounting MF3D? Is it necessary to get a rig like the one 3D World offers? For my Realist I have a piece of transparent mylar with three 35mm stereo gauges on it - two of them being Realist 5P format and European 7P format. Is there such a gauge that one can use for MF3D, something that can be placed on a lightbox underneath the MF pairs to help with alignment?
>

Lightbox method that's used for other film sizes can work. If
you'd like to download an MF gauge or a combo 35/MF
one there are the ones I "made" some time ago free to download
and print:

http://www.photo-3d.com/mf/mf_mounting.html

I'm still of the Sputnik and Saturn Viewer MF flavor.


Mike K.

Steven Lederman wrote:

> . . . How do you go about aligning and
> mounting MF3D?

This was also discussed back in January of 2007. See
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MF3D-group/message/534

I used to do something like this:
http://stereo.thurstons.us/stereo_mounting.htm
but I've since made a better jig and simplified the
work-flow since I posted those pages. I still, however, use
the jig and wess-tab handles to move my film chips around.

> Is it necessary to get a rig like the one
> 3D World offers?

[WARNING: the following includes mention of mounting to the
window. Mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.]

Nope. I know more than one person who mounts without any
optical aids at all. I find my jig does a couple of things
for me, though.

As I have aged, my minimum focus point has moved farther
out. Without the lenses in my jig, I can't get close enough
to the slides to see the details necessary to align them.

I mount my slides "to the window" but I have a very hard
time seeing the window :( The jig helps me keep everything
stable and move just the bits I want moved. It lets me see
the interaction of movement/window in real-time. If you
mount to infinity, I think the jig has much less value.

> For my Realist I have a piece of
> transparent mylar with three 35mm stereo gauges on it -
> two of them being Realist 5P format and European 7P
> format. Is there such a gauge that one can use for
> MF3D, something that can be placed on a lightbox
> underneath the MF pairs to help with alignment?

Mike's gauge is excellent for that use.

--
John Thurston
Juneau Alaska
http://stereo.thurstons.us

> As I have aged, my minimum focus point has moved farther
> out.

Yours too? :) I thought I was alone in that respect.

Just a quick note to let you guys know that 3D World has now completed a
document with instructions for using their mounting jig. I have put it
here if you want to download it:
http://info3d.home.att.net/MountingJig.pdf

I have not read it, BTW, it might be full of errors...

George

Steven Lederman wrote:

> . . . I have a piece of transparent mylar with three 35mm stereo

gauges on it - two of them being Realist 5P format and
European 7P format. Is there such a gauge that one can use
for MF3D, something that can be placed on a lightbox
underneath the MF pairs to help with alignment?

In digging through my machines for my mounting jig files,
I've found a little historical information.

In January of 2004, Paul Talbot wrote:

> I've been trying for a long time to come up with a reliable
> "window checker" to help us all banish window violations from
> our mounted stereo pairs. I finally came up with a design
> that I think works almost perfectly with the RMM 80x132 mounts.
> Check it out and let me know how it works for you. Place the
> grid below or above a mounted slide on a light table, or in
> front of or behind a slide in your viewer. (One of the archival
> protective sleeves would be helpful to hold the slide and grid
> together in the viewer.)

Paul offered us a window "grid" or "screen" which placed a
hexagonal pattern at the stereo-window of 62mm spaces
apertures. The idea was that by viewing your slide through
the grid/screen you would be easily able to see and
correct/prevent window violations.

Then, in September of 2005, I wrote:

> Back in January of 2004, Paul Talbot offered up
> his "Window Checker" . . .
> It made such a difference in my final mounted images
> that I haven't been without it since.
>
> His isn't your traditional mounting "gauge" with near
> and far points indicated by vertical lines. It is a
> transparency with a keystone pattern printed with a
> 62mm repetition. This places the pattern at the window
> on my mounts and makes it exceptionably easy for me to
> see where aspects of my image are in relation to the window.
>
> BUT, I found a few deficiencies that I felt the need to address.
>
> A) The keystone pattern was too heavy for my taste.
> It blocked too much of my image behind the lines.
>
> B) There were insufficient horizontal lines.
> Rotational errors are my bane and I missed having
> lines all the way across the image pair.
>
> Eight months ago, Paul provided me with the CAD
> source for his gauge. I've finally found time to do
> something with it. In the end, I didn't use anything
> of Paul's except the keystone concept. My version
> isn't quite as pretty as his but it does use lighter
> weight lines and adds some lighter horizontal lines.
>
> I don't yet have a PDF of this but I have three different
> CAD formats posted:
>
> TurboCAD
> http://www.alaska.net/~thurston/images/SingleWindowScreen.tcw
> AutoCAD
> http://www.alaska.net/~thurston/images/SingleWindowScreen.dwg
> Drawing Exchange
> http://www.alaska.net/~thurston/images/SingleWindowScreen.dxf

And the files are still there. I have also placed a PDF at
http://www.alaska.net/~thurston/images/SingleWindowScreen.pdf

BUT I've just printed that pdf and think it's scale may be
off as the grid appears to be set at 63mm rather than 62mm.
I'm actually using a different grid in my day-to-day use, but
it isn't a pretty as this one. If there is any interest, I'd
be willing to clean it up and provide it for download (but I
don't wanna go to the work if no one is interested).

--
________________________________________
John Thurston
Juneau, Alaska
http://stereo.thurstons.us