Single slide viewer?

After masking off most of my light box so that I can look at a single slide

without blinding myself through my peripheral vision, I had a flashback to the

eighties. No, for other reasons. ...uh, no. David Hasselhoff and KITT were

not there. -That blonde-haired guy who played the bad guy in the first Karate

Kid, and who showed up on every single sitcom as the turd-boyfriend? Yeah,

strangely enough, he was there. Still had his Izod collar flipped up, too.

 

Anyhoo-

 

Back in the eighties one of the theme-park gimmicks was to get your picture

taken and you'd buy a little keychain viewer that had a slide inside it of

yourself. Simply hold it up the light, stuff your eyeball up to it, and

oila... one half of a ViewMaster coming right up. Only it's you in the photo

and not Will Rogers or Rin Tin Tin.

 

"Ah-Ha!" I thought to myself as my tin-foil mask slid from the lightbox causing

me to get blinded yet again. There must be some El Cheapo gimmick like that I

can affix a single MF slide to and view them that way.

 

I did some searching and all I have come up with are very ancient stereoscopic

viewers and one Taiwanese Jordi Laforge (Star Trek, the Next Generation

reference) type gadget made for stereo slides.

 

I really don't need the hassle of getting into stereoscopic stuff. (Unless

there's a ViewMaster 'do-it-at-home' kit. I'd LOVE to be able to get my own

slides made into ViewMaster discs! That would ROCK!)

 

Does such a device exist? If I were to make one, what sort of viewing lens

would be required and how would I source it? I'm thinking I could use one

viewing lens from a ViewMaster and cobble together a simple funnel-like device

with a negative holder.

 

This is where the physics of lenses and my knowledge part company. I would

appreciate anyone's advice and input.

check porters.com out get the cataloge item#520058 gets 5 for $3.99 order 3 or more sets of 5 price drops to $3.49 or #520060 gets 100 for $53.99 dont forget to add in shiping.

You can find magnified slide viewers at nearly any camera shop (or could until a couple of years ago).

 

I use a light box and a loupe with an opaque skirt. I haven't been blinded yet.

(Unless there's a ViewMaster 'do-it-at-home' kit. I'd LOVE to be able to get my own slides made into ViewMaster discs! That would ROCK!)

 

 

There is such a kit, they have been around for over 50 years. Look for View Master Personal. The system has a camera, film cutter, and special reels to insert the cut slides into.

 

Unfortunately, I can tell you from experience. It is an expensive habit.

 

as for individual slide viewers, they are faily easy to find, and pretty cheap as well.

All the single slide viewers I am finding are for 35mm. I'd like one for 6x6 or 645. (If I had one for 6x6 I can make my own mask.)

 

All the other stuff I see are stereo viewers. As cheap as they are I'm sure I could also make one of them work just fine for my purposes.

 

- I would never in a million years have believed how much View Master stuff is out there!

John,

I recently bought a Hama DN77 6x6 viwer through the Australian version of a certain internet auction site for $5. It is very bright and clear and runs off the normal electricity. Good hunting !