3d camera
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DIY stereoscopic splitter takes your pictures to the third dimension
Don't feel like shelling out the cash for a 3D camera? Instructables user "courtervideo" has put together a little device that harnesses the magical, mysterious power of something called a "mirror" to let you grab stereoscopic 3D images with your regular ol' 2D camera. The method is pretty straight forward: two large mirrors places beside the camera reflect the image you're trying to capture onto two smaller mirrors, which are then photographed. The result can then be viewed through a stereoscope, which will send one half of the picture to each eye, resulting in a 3D image. We like to think of the stereoscope as the Victorian precursor to Chinavasion Video Glasses. Sounds like fun to us! Hit up the source link to get started.
Takara Tomy's toy camera shoots in 3D, costs as much as a grownup 2D camera
Sure, we can't all afford the $500 Fujifilm is charging for the Finepix Real 3D W3, but that's no reason to make a "toy" version of the thing and charge $70. Regardless, that's what Takaira Tomy has done, creating a tiny pink (or white) version that does the same basic thing but in a very basic way. Instead of dual 10 megapixel CCDs capable of shooting 720p video you get dual 0.3 megapixel sensors that can't shoot video with any p's at all. Pictures are recorded to SD and must be printed out before being spied through a fold-up viewer. Sure, playing with this could be fun for a little while, but for that price we'd rather just stick with two dimensions and get a basic but full-function compact instead.
Canon's Wonder Camera, and other future concepts that tease us from behind glass
Canon had a lot to show for itself at its annual expo today, from the EOS 60D to the (working!) Multipurpose 4K concept, but the best goodies are of course the ones just a few steps outside of today's technological limits. One display in particular that caught our eye was the 2010 Image Creation set, featuring the bold Wonder Camera Concept from July. Nothing functional here, not even in sleight-of-hand video render form, but the models are quite the lookers. Joining the "SLR Style Concept" (as it was being called here, according to the accompanying placard) were the 3D Cam, Image Palette (display), Image Navi Cam (point and shoot), and MR HMD (helmet) -- all aesthetically Kubrick in nature. Not that we mind, of course; we find it best to go ahead and accept our future for the glossy white design motif that it'll assuredly become. Elsewhere, we happened upon the purported "world's largest CMOS sensor" -- not that we'd argue with what we saw -- and the more compact 120 megapixel CMOS, along with (separately) its panoramic camera prototype body. You can live vicariously through us in the photos below. %Gallery-101173%
Fujifilm ships second-gen Real 3D camera, calls it W3
W2? We don't need no stinkin' W2. Fujifilm skipped right over that for W3 when deciding what to call its second-gen Real 3D camera. The W1 model didn't exactly fare well in the hands of reviewers, but hopefully the rather more sleek looking W3 can do the deed, offering a larger, 3.5-inch glasses-free 3D LCD display along with HDMI 1.4 output and dual 10 megapixel sensors. Yes, the same number of pixels as before, but this version can make better use of them, stepping up to 720p video recording from the former's VGA. You'll get all that for the same price as the old one: $499. Find out what it's like in our detailed hands-on.
Fujifilm introduces Finepix Real 3D W3 camera, we go hands-on
When reviewers call your product "the worst ____ ever made," do you give up and move on? Or do you build a second model and try to prove them wrong? After introducing the world's first consumer stereoscopic 3D shooter to dismal reviews, FujiFilm chose door number two, replacing the camera with a thinner, lighter, and easier-to-use version that addresses a host of complaints and costs $100 less to boot. The FujiFilm FinePix Real 3D W3 adds a larger 3.5-inch, 16:9 LCD screen, a 720p video recording mode, and HDMI 1.4 out for dropping images and videos right into your 3D-ready TV. Oh, and it actually feels like a real camera this time, our favorite feature by far. We got some hands-on time with the new cross-eyed shooter, read on for more! %Gallery-99488%
DXG-5D7V, 'the only 3D video camcorder,' now available for preorder
Panasonic may have the first 3D camcorder we'd actually ever consider purchasing, but technically speaking DXG has been sitting on the stereoscopic gold mine for months. This past week, the budget camera company's 3D View pistol cam got real, in a Hammacher-Schlemmer package that'll set you back $600. That outlay buys you not only the twin-lens VGA shooter you see above, but also a companion 7-inch, 800 x 480 3D media player, both of which are outfitted with glasses-free parallax barrier LCD screens. It's not a terrible deal considering the alternatives on offer, but we're not down with the $200 luxury tax Hammacher and company tacked on top, and we're a little wary about the way that ram is staring at us. Cameras are expected to ship August 6th; press release after the break.
Panasonic reveals HDC-SDT750 3D camcorder, is super proud of itself (updated with video)
Never mind the extensive leaks, Panasonic, you've got a right to be proud about the HDC-SDT750. After crowing about its end-to-end 3D experience, Panasonic has finally made its HDC-SDT750 camcorder official, which looks like it will be the first of its kind to hit the market. Sure, this is just a baby step: the 3D mode is enabled by snapping on an included 3D conversion lens that splits the image in twain to be recorded as right and left images by the standard 1080p sensor. That means each side will only be 960 x 1080, so you can't quite shoot Avatar in your backyard just yet, but it should look fine on standard 3D televisions. Unfortunately, you can't do much more with the 3D video right now other than pump it out over HDMI straight from the camera -- at least with the 3D stills that you can snap you can load them onto an SD card and play them off of AVCHD-compatible Blu-ray players. Still, these are exciting times to be alive, and you can always shoot in 2D with the no-doubt great 3MOS camcorder underneath (which seems to be very similar to the HDC-HS700) while you wait for the rest of the planet to catch up. The SDT750 will be out in October for a hefty $1,399 asking price. PR is after the break. Update: The "after the break" lounge has now also been enriched with some video of the SDT750's official unveiling [Thanks, Jan].%Gallery-98342%
3D video dives deeper with custom dual-camera case
Underwater stills are Eric Cheng's passion and -- from what we gather -- livelihood, but the award-winning editor of Wetpixel is presently experimenting with faster and deeper photography. Discovering German shop Digi-Dat, he wound up with this custom BS Kinetics DuoDive case, which turned his pair of Sony CX550V camcorders into a totally badass underwater 3D camera that will no doubt make manta rays pop out of his screen. If you'd like to follow in his fins, €2,900 (about $3,700) will buy you a similar pair of synchronized stereoscopic goggles, but note that it takes the shop four to five weeks to integrate the watertight LCD and all the LANC-based controls. See another shot of the carbon-fiber-clad contraption after the break, and hit our source link for Eric's full story.
Loreo 3D Lens-In-A-Cap turns your SLR into a bug-eyed stereoscopy machine
You want 3D, huh? Well, do you want it bad enough to endure perpetual Johnny Five jokes? Because this 3D Lens-In-A-Cap not only looks like the beloved robot from the 1980s movie, it also seems to be using technology from the same era. The aperture can be opened up to a maximum value of F11, meaning your light intake will be, erm... frugal, while the minimum focusing range is a distant 1.5 meters away from the sensor. Still, it'll get you two perfectly paired snaps and the Canon EOS mount version can be had now for $166. What are you waiting for -- the future's just a few clicks away.
Transformers 3 is using the Arri Alexa Pace cameras from Avatar to go 3D
After a bit of back and forth, Transformers 3 has been confirmed as yet another action flick jumping on the 3D train. The good news (unless you were really happy to hear that Megan Fox would no longer be a part of the franchise) is that they're filming in 3D as opposed to converting it in post production (like Clash of the Titans, Alice in Wonderland and The Last Airbender) as revealed by master of the 3D camera himself, Vince Pace. Apparently nothing would do for Michael Bay but Jimmy C's best, requiring the cameras used in Avatar and the upcoming Resident Evil flick. Just in case you were wondering, our friends at Cinematical have put together an impromptu list of recent/upcoming 3D movies that will be using a 2D to 3D conversion process (Harry Potter, Narnia, Piranha 3D) and those originally shot in 3D (Tron Legacy, Saw VII 3D) -- so you know what to expect before you put your cash down for a ticket.
Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 can shoot 3D panoramas with new firmware
Think Sony ain't serious about 3D? Think again. The Japanese giant has just outed a promised firmware update for its ultra-slinky NEX series of shooters that will allow users to shoot 3D panoramas. Panorama stitching was already one of the touted features on these cameras, but with a little extra software magic they'll now be able to collect "depth information" as well. We don't know how strong a 3D effect you're going to get, but since this is a free upgrade and a new way to play with your toy, we suggest grabbing the firmware first and asking questions later. Hit the source link for the download.
Aiptek leads the affordable 3D camcorder rush with its i2
Aiptek has certainly done its part to lower the prices of consumer electronics like pico projectors and pocket-sized camcorders, and now it looks set to destabilize the 3D camcorder market -- a market that doesn't even properly exist yet, with only Fujifilm's $600 FinePix Real 3D W1 filling the need. Aiptek was showing off its i2 camcorder, a Flip-like device (even with a pop-out USB connector) that has been augmented with a second five megapixel CCD. It's capable of recording 720p video and is set to retail for about $250, making it a relative bargain. The camera is set to launch in Asia in July, where we figure it'll take about 30 seconds for someone to paint one up like Domo Kun.
Fujitsu shows off 3D-enabled desktop PC, Lenovo prepping 3D laptop?
We're not sure there are any PC makers not working on 3D-enabled desktops and laptops at this point, but it looks like we can now add two more to the watch list: Fujitsu and Lenovo. Of the two, Fujitsu is by far the most forthcoming, as it's actually now showing off an all-in-one desktop PC that not only packs a 3D LCD, but a built-in 3D camera that will let you capture 3D images and video that can be viewed with the included 3D glasses. What's more, while the prototype on display is decidedly boxy and bolted down, Akihabara News is reporting that it will hit Japan before the end of the year. Details on Lenovo's offering are decidedly light by comparison, with DigiTimes only reporting that the company will release a 3D-enabled laptop using polarized glasses sometime in the third quarter of the year, with Wistron said to be providing the display panel.
Sharp busts out world's first 3D HD camera for mobile devices
Oh yeah, things just got real. Sharp has announced an industry first today, with its 720p-recordin' 3D camera module. Intended for mobile devices like smartphones and point-and-shoot digicams, this miniature wonder will be sampling in July and hitting mass production before the end of the year. Not much else is known about it at this point -- we can guess it'll cost a pretty penny when it debuts -- but Sharp has penned an effusive press release, which you may explore just past the break.
Sony EX3 prototype 3D camcorder spotted, destined for retail channels? (update: we've got specs)
Well what do we have here? We've just been handed a picture of what we're told is Sony's EX3 prototype 3D camera, with changeable lenses and a penchant for capturing life in the third dimension. That's unfortunately all we really know at this point, but if this two-eyed beaut does go to market (and we hear that it most certainly will), it looks like Panasonic's 3D camcorder will have some healthy competition. And hey, we're all for having more options. Update: A trusted source just chimed in with some specs, and it's looking like Sony's basically just crammed the guts of two PMW-EX3 studio cams into a single shell for this prototype. That's not a bad thing: behind those proprietary hot-swappable lens cartridges are the same two three half-inch CMOS eyeballs that stream 4:2:0 MPEG-2 video at 1080p to SxS memory cards at 35Mbps per eye, or send uncompressed 4:4:4 footage over a new pair of HD-SDI outputs. Our source was pretty excited about how close together those eyes were, too -- he whispered something about an industry-first 1.5-inch interocular distance, before vanishing into the darkness without a word on price or availability. Update 2: The EX3 has three CMOS chips, not two. [Thanks, The Advanced Kind]
James Cameron convinces NASA to use 3D camera on next Mars mission
What do you do once you've broken your own record for the world's highest-grossing picture film? Well, you go offworld, of course. James Cameron, in his infinite benevolence and multidimensional wisdom, has convinced NASA bigwigs not to forgo the inclusion of a high-res 3D camera on the Curiosity (aka Mars Science Laboratory) rover, which is set to depart for the red planet in 2011. Budget overruns had led to the scrapping of the autostereoscopic idea, but the director-man -- who has been involved with this project for a good few years now -- felt the results of the mission would be far more engaging if people could see them in 3D. Hey, if he can make us watch the Blue Man Group reenactment of Fern Gully, don't bet on Cameron failing to make extraterrestrial rubble interesting with his 3D voodoo.
DXG's 3D View sacrifices HD, but makes 3D video recording pocketable
It's not a trade that we'd ever willingly make -- dropping to standard definition for the sake of some 3D shenanigans, but DXG is offering you the choice anyway. The budget cam maker has just announced its 3D View stereoscopic shooter, which interestingly comes with a separate 7-inch LCD display (800 x 480 resolution) for playing back your recorded footage without requiring glasses -- thanks to some parallax barrier magic. We might be tempted to spend the $400 this package costs just to get a preview of what the Nintendo 3DS -- based on the same spectacle-free technique -- might look like, but retail availability isn't expected until June, which is just that tiny bit too far out for our limited attention span.
OptiTrack mixes motion capture with a virtual camera for delicious, Avatar-esque results
We knew virtual camera systems are starting gain traction, particularly in the world of cinema and within James Cameron's little set of toys, but it's pretty wild to see one in action. NaturalPoint is showing off its OptiTrack motion capture system at GDC, a budget-friendly multi-camera setup (if $6k is your idea of budget-friendly), but it also has a prototype of sorts of its upcoming virtual camera system. The camera's orientation and movement is actually tracked in the same way a motion capture suit is, and if you're in the same tracking space as a motion capture actor you can do "real" camera work with a live 3D rendered preview of the action. The shoulder-mounted camera has controls for virtual tracking and dolly moves, along with zoom, and has zero problem delivering that shaky handheld look that's all the rage in visual effects these days. There's no word on much this will retail for, but despite the fact that we have absolutely zero use for it we totally want one. Check out a video of it in action after the break. %Gallery-88029%
Boeing announces compact, energy-efficient 3D camera
Yes, even the military has gone 3D. Helping it in that endeavor is Boeing, which has just announced a tiny new 3D camera that's one-third the size and consumes one-tenth the power of comparable 3D imaging systems. While it will also be made available for commercial use, it seems like military will be first in line to use the cameras, with Boeing noting that it's potential applications including "mapping terrain, tracking targets and seeing through foliage," and adding that it's already testing the camera on unmanned aerial vehicles. The biggest drawback to the camera at the moment is that it's only able to take 3D still images, but Boeing says it will "soon" add 3D video capability as well. Details are otherwise pretty hard to come by, as you might expect, and pricing is no doubt best left unsaid. [Thanks, Graham]
Sony confirms plans for consumer-friendly 3D cameras
If you had any doubt that Sony was getting all hot and bothered by the prospects of 3D everything in the very near future, a recent interview with Digital Photography Review should settle that. Masashi Imamura, President of Personal Imaging and Sound at Sony, said that the company is focused on tackling the third dimension on every front, and while we already know it is meeting the needs of Hollywood, with cameras like the HFC Comfort-3D and the HDC-F950, now comes the focus on Joe Consumer, specifically referencing Fuji's Real 3D W1. Of course, we're also expecting something a little higher end from the company, with earlier talk of 3D Alphas, but first-things first, and while Mr. Imamura didn't see fit to tell us when to expect a consumer-friendly 3D shooter, we can't imagine it'll be long now.
