DrT’s Red Button Page

Here is how I got to know the red button: I started in stereo photography in 1988. I was ready to buy a Life-Like viewer for Reel 3-D until I walked into a store in Chicago and tried one. I was not happy with the optical aberrations of the optics. So I kept my money and, in the NSA Convention in Cincinnati (1988), I got my first red button for $65. 

I still have and use this viewer. It has so much sentimental value that I will probably never sell it. As you can see from the picture below, this viewer has my name scribed in Greek. Michael Chikiris asked me to do this for his viewer (which he got from me) in the Green Bay NSA Convention (1999). I tried it first on my own viewer for practice (I used a Dremel tool with a diamond attachment). So now there are two viewers with this signature.  To my knowledge, these are the only two viewers in existence.  Michael passed away in 2004. I do not know what happened to his viewer.  I still have mine :)

Close up of MY red button viewer which I got in 1988. 
For 10 years this was the ONLY stereo slide viewer 
I owned and used.

My book has everything I know about 
these viewers... and more :-)

Fifteen years later, this remains my favorite stereo slide viewer!

I have written everything I know about it in a book which you can buy from me if you like. The information that follows comes mainly from this book.  

Why I like the Red Button

Stereo viewers come in many forms, from cheap, point-to-the-light varieties to more sophisticated, expensive viewers with built-in illumination. It is generally accepted that the best viewers were made during the golden era of stereo photography (1950-1955). Most of these viewers can be found today in the used camera equipment market. The most common, and my personal favorite, is the Realist ST-61 (red-button).

The optics of this viewer are excellent. A few other top quality viewers have equally good lenses but there are some expensive viewers whose lenses suffer from noticeable chromatic aberration. In addition to the optics of the Realist ST-61, I like the way it looks, feels, and fits in the face. Sometimes I wonder if my preference is due to the fact that this was my first viewer and I have grown accustomed to it. I guess I am not alone.

The word must be around that the Realist ST-61 stereo viewer offers the best value for its money, because it is getting harder and harder to find. The price of a used ST-61 in excellent condition was fixed at around $60 for a long time, but it is now climbing to $80 or more. [Note: This was written in 1994; today the price is easily over $100] Today one could find a Realist stereo camera at a lower price than the viewer. This is surprising, considering that back in the 50s the camera cost eight times as much as the viewer.

When cleaned and polished, the Realist red button viewer 
should be handled with a glove!

A bit of History

The Realist red-button viewer (official model number ST-61 or 2061) is the first Realist-format slide viewer ever made and, in many respects and for many years, a model to study, copy or compare against. It was introduced together with the Realist stereo camera in 1947 at a cost of $19.75. It was the only Realist viewer available until 1952 when the Handi-viewer was introduced ("not intended to replace the original Realist Viewer ST-61 which is still the finest stereo viewer on the market") at a selling price of $9.50. The Realist green-button viewer was introduced in 1954 at a selling price of $24.50.

Most people will agree that this viewer contributed a lot to the success of the Realist camera and the stereo revolution of the 50s. The David White company understood the importance of coming out with a complete stereo photography system, not just a camera. This includes a good viewer to view stereo slides. "The well designed, lighted Realist stereo slide viewer, used to show the brilliant color slides, became the (David White) company’s star ‘sales representative’. To the person new to stereo vision, one glimpse into the three dimensional slide viewer developed an interest in owing the camera themselves."

Without any numbers on hand we can safely assume that more Realist red button viewers have been sold than any other viewer. This is based on the fact that the red button viewer has been in production longer than any other viewer and that the Realist camera is the best selling stereo camera of all times. Unlike the "indestructible" Realist camera, some viewers were damaged and retired from service. But there are still plenty around in use or waiting to be put to use. Also, unlike the camera which has fallen behind the current technology in terms of automation, the viewer is still as good as a viewer can be. Progress in this area has only brought cheap plastic lenses and plastic components that wear out fast. Compared to what is available today in terms of new stereo viewers, the Realist red button is one of the best viewers to use.

 

Maintenance and Improvement Summary

1

 Clean the lenses The easiest thing to do and very important.

2

 Clean the switch contacts This is important for flicker-free operation.


3

 Use a bright light bulb and fresh batteries Best bulb choice: Halogen screw-base, rated 2.5V/0.8A (2W). The frosted envelope option results in uniform light with no shadows or bright spots.

4

 Clean the exterior of the case This helps minimize dirt built up that is difficult to remove later.

5

 Handle with care Do not store in a humid or hot environment. Do not leave batteries in for a long period of time. Do not drop!


6

 Clean and lubricate internal components You will need to take the viewer apart to do that. You can then clean the back side of the lenses and adjust the focusing and interocular for tight and smooth operation.



7
Widen the apertures for 7-p or 8-p		 This conversion will let you see the full frame and correct window for slides mounted in 7-p or 8-p mounts without any ill-effects on slides mounted in 5-p mounts. It is a little-known secret that the best 7-p slide viewer is a modified Realist red button viewer.


8

 Paint/repaint light compartment; use flat reflector This is recommended for those who want the best lighting conditions, especially with a viewer modified for 7-p or 8-p.

9

 Clean all electrical contacts This is an important part of a first-time service. For routine maintenance only the switch contacts need to be cleaned.



10

 Polish case, repaint logo It is possible to clean and polish the case and make the viewer look better than new. Also, the Realist logo in the red button switch needs to be cleaned and repainted from time to time. A polished viewer is very slippery. A set of friction pads at the bottom of the viewer is recommended to reduce the risk of slippage and fracture.

 

The most common cause of light flickering is the switch contact. There are two contacts involved. One is at the bottom of the red button switch. This can be cleaned using a fine wire wool and rubbing it in circular motion. The other is a pair of metal contacts. These can be cleaned with a a fine sand paper. Another alternative is to use a rotary tool with a rubber polishing attachment.

How to Take the Viewer Apart

Most people can take the viewer apart except for the lens assembly shown the left. To take this apart you first need to remove the metal springs that hold the focusing knob in place. Start with the spring next to the red knob. With the tip of a screwdriver push the spring down and to the outside. It should pop out. Then remove the focusing shaft. Be careful not to lose these springs or the two small racks that are used for focusing.

Tip: By changing the shape of the metal springs you can adjust the pressure felt while focusing. I generally prefer firm focusing so I squeeze the springs to apply extra pressure.

7/8P Modification

The apertures of the red button viewer are not wide enough to show the entire 7p of a slide mounted in a 7p mount. (See my discussion on formats). What's worse the apertures are asymmetric so if you try to view a 7p slide with the unmodified red button viewer, the stereo window will be off, set by the apertures, not your mounting.

It is possible to modify the red button to show the entire width of the widest RBT mount (33mm). In the pictures below I am showing a red button widened to 36mm. The first step for this modification is to take the viewer apart. There are two pieces that need to be widened. One is the upper battery case. The other is the piece surrounding the lenses.

Here is how to go about widening the apertures: First mark the material that you want to have removed. Then use a file or a rotary tool to remove the material, slowly and carefully. After cleaning, I paint the light compartment white and I install a new (flat) reflector.

I offer a complete viewer reconditioning/aperture widening services.  Click here to read the details.

New vs. Old

Through its production the red button viewer remained relatively unchanged except for a few details. These details can provide dating information as follows:

Switch button color and logo: Very early viewers have a red button switch with a different logo filled with black paint. These viewers are very rare and demand a premium in resale value. Most viewers have the usual red button switch with the logo painted white. Later viewers have a black button with the logo painted red.

Focusing knob: Very early viewers have a black metal focusing knob. The majority of the viewers have the usual red knob. Later viewers have a black plastic focusing knob.

Plating of contacts: Early viewers have unplated contacts. The majority of the viewers have plated contacts. Later viewers have unplated contacts. Plating is useful in reducing the rate of oxidation in the contacts.

Reflector and painting: Early (but a quite large number of them) viewers have a flat reflector and painted lamp compartment. Later (but not very late) viewers have a concave reflector and are not painted. Even later viewers have a flat reflector (made from inferior plastic which is now off-white) and are not painted.

Quality of lenses: Earlier and later viewers tend to have better contrast.

Other: Newer viewers have different side screws (larger). Older viewers carry the ST-61 product ID number while newer viewers carry the 2061 product ID number. These viewers also have a different instruction manuals and come in different boxes. The color of the instruction manual and box is deep green for older viewers and light green for newer viewers.

Left: Two types of reflectors found in RB viewers: concave and flat.

Right: Older boxes and instructions came in green and white boxes. The color was changed later to what you see here.

Other Realist "Buttons"

Button Color/Name

Viewer Type

Red Button

 Regular mainstream "red button" viewer with achromatic lenses. Model number is either ST61 or 2061.

Black Button

 Later "red button" viewer. Possibly no different than regular red button. Carries 2061 model number.


White Button

 Single-element version of red button. This viewer is known to come in either black or (more common) brown case. Optical quality does not match the red button because of the inferior lenses. Model no. is 2064

Gold Button

 Special version of this viewer, w/model number 2066. Fitted with 4-element lenses of 35 mm FL and sold with Realist macro camera. Intended to view macro slides but can be used with any 5p slides (field of view is limited so it is unsuited for 7p slides)

Green Button

 This is a totally different viewer. Has AC/DC capability and no similarity in appearance with the red button. Model no. is 2062.
The "Green Button" Realist viewer is a totally different viewer. It was introduced in 1955, possibly in response to Kodak's introduction of the Kodaslide viewer. I has good lenses and dual AC/DC operation but the controls are not as solid and reliable as the red button's.
Home Sale Toys Info3d DrT

DrT-3d@att.net

Updated: May 2006