The King Inn Viewer

For Information Only. The Viewer is no longer available. We still sell the mounts.

Refer to Web Site (www.skep.com/3D/Kinginn/kinginn.htm) for a complete technical analysis of the King Inn Viewer

The King Inn 3-D camera, multi-viewer, mounts and mounting press appeared on the photographic scene in Taiwan in 1990. The system was exhibited for the first time by Q-VU at NSA in San Antonio in 1991. Very few of the twinned twin-lens King Inn cameras were made. They used spliced Chinese Seagulls. Only two or three were imported into the U.S.

In Taiwan, where the system was intended for the high end wedding market, it was a bust. All manufacturing was discontinued after a year.

Q-VU was the sole importer of the King Inn illuminated 6 x 6 viewer. By December, 2002, 12 years after the introduction of the King Inn concept, it was sold out. At that point, we had sold about 200 viewers, plus 30 or so in the special fitted carrying case. This case had fabric on the outside with the words "King Inn" woven into it and many of the units had a transparency pair inside. King Inn viewers occasionally pop up on e-Bay.

In the U.S. the King Inn 3-D Multi-Viewer filled a niche as about the only economy lighted stereo transparency viewer on the market for 6 x 6 (2 1/4" x 2 1/4") stereo transparencies. The unit contains two 6-inch fluorescent tubes, switchable for front or back lighting, allowing either slides or prints to be viewed. As a practical matter, we have found that viewing prints with the King Inn is not particularly useful, because of the low angle of illumination. But the extra bulb does act as a spare.

An adapter was provided for 110-volt operation. For 220-240-volt operation in Europe and Australia, an electronics store could provide an adapter for 6-volts in the appropriate milliamp rating. While the maker provided for operation from four AA cells, Q-VU has not found it easy to get enough voltage out of commonly available AA cells to do a good job. Perhaps the new breed of lithium batteries will have sufficient "milliamp draw" to make this possible.

Another handy accessory provided was a 2 x 2 full frame slide adapter for 35 mm stereo fans.

With Russian Sputnik stereo cameras becoming increasingly available and dropping in price, there is an increasing interest by stereographers for medium format stereo.

The King Inn Viewer filled the bill for these stereo fans. It was indeed a bargain. European viewers are two or three times the price. For those who like superior optics, an achromatic lens kit for around $75 was available. It is a simple, five-minute operation to remove the standard equipment lenses and replace them with the achromats. This unit was made by Alan Lewis in Texas, from whom it is still available.