Last weekend I built a dual-HD100 mounting plate with a parralax/convergence adjustment. It sounds more complicated than it is. It only cost a total of $14 CDN (that's probably around $3 for those of you in the U.S.) including the scrap piece of 5.5" x 8" aluminum and the hardware.
Let me backtrack a little.
My friend John Mihn Tran, who is also a D.P., is planning to shoot a documentary about his dad who is an ex-Vietnamese army photographer, who immigrated to Canada 30 odd years ago and then started up a very successful camera store in Calgary. He is an amazing photographer, but a really amazing stereo-photographer.
So anyway, John showed me some of the incredible 3D photography his dad shoots with two Medium format Hassenblads and I was blown away.
I am also a 3D still photographer (old Kodak system) so I of course suggested that the film be shot in 3D so that the audience can get the full effect of the 3D photos.
We had two DVX100 cameras available to us, so we clamped them together and started doing some tests. The standard-def results were pretty good for landscape shots, but we needed the lenses to be closer. I bought the DVX service manual and with the help of Scott Burton, we took the door off of the left DVX to get the two closer together. Scott also modified a vacuum belt for us to "gang" the two focus rings together.
Fast forward two months...
I received two HD100s in August for a completely different film. I was curious about testing their suitability for 3D, so I built a simple mounting plate with the help of my dad and his shop.
The concept is simple: Put two cameras as close together as possible (ideally 2.5 inches on the centre of the lens - human eye distance.) and shoot exactly the same frame. The HD100 has the ability to show a crosshair in the viewfinder, so this really helps adjusting each shot to converge on the object of interest.
The removable EVF also helps to line up the two cameras for each shot. I strapped them together with two elastic bands. It isn't pretty but it works.
I attached one quick release plate with two 3/8" screws and then the other was only attached at the front. This allowed one plate to swivel for convergence adjustment. I then used a simple eyehole tension adjuster ($2 at a hardware store) to make the convergence adjustments.
To record, I used free run timecode and set it to start as closely as my two hands could syncronize them. I then used a simple "clapper" to syncronize each shot to the frame.
So how did it work? Right now for landscape scenes it works really well, but I need to take the lens shades off and do some more modifications if I want to get those lenses closer for wide-angle close object shooting.
Here's 3 minutes of footage I created in After Effects with the 3D glasses plugin for anaglyph red/blue colour viewing. Our final screening will obviously be in a theatre with two projectors and polarized glasses, but this will give you an idea of the effectivness.
The file is 88Mb in quicktime H.264 codec at 720p24. You need a fast computer (or a mac) and Quicktime 7 to view it. I know the PC guys will complain a little, but it really is the best codec for getting material down to 2 or 3 Mbits/sec and maintain HD resolution. The source file looks amazing on my LCD monitor.
Download here:
http://homepage.mac.com/timdashwood/.Movies/3D_test.mov
For those without the bandwidth or inclination, I have posted a few jpeg screen grabs straight from after effects. If you don't have a pair of 3D anaglyph glasses (I calibrated these shots for the ones that come free with Spy Kids 3D DVD) then grab a Rosco or Lee gel swatch book and use a blue filter on your right eye and a red one on the left.
Enjoy! Tim
Let me backtrack a little.
My friend John Mihn Tran, who is also a D.P., is planning to shoot a documentary about his dad who is an ex-Vietnamese army photographer, who immigrated to Canada 30 odd years ago and then started up a very successful camera store in Calgary. He is an amazing photographer, but a really amazing stereo-photographer.
So anyway, John showed me some of the incredible 3D photography his dad shoots with two Medium format Hassenblads and I was blown away.
I am also a 3D still photographer (old Kodak system) so I of course suggested that the film be shot in 3D so that the audience can get the full effect of the 3D photos.
We had two DVX100 cameras available to us, so we clamped them together and started doing some tests. The standard-def results were pretty good for landscape shots, but we needed the lenses to be closer. I bought the DVX service manual and with the help of Scott Burton, we took the door off of the left DVX to get the two closer together. Scott also modified a vacuum belt for us to "gang" the two focus rings together.
Fast forward two months...
I received two HD100s in August for a completely different film. I was curious about testing their suitability for 3D, so I built a simple mounting plate with the help of my dad and his shop.
The concept is simple: Put two cameras as close together as possible (ideally 2.5 inches on the centre of the lens - human eye distance.) and shoot exactly the same frame. The HD100 has the ability to show a crosshair in the viewfinder, so this really helps adjusting each shot to converge on the object of interest.
The removable EVF also helps to line up the two cameras for each shot. I strapped them together with two elastic bands. It isn't pretty but it works.
I attached one quick release plate with two 3/8" screws and then the other was only attached at the front. This allowed one plate to swivel for convergence adjustment. I then used a simple eyehole tension adjuster ($2 at a hardware store) to make the convergence adjustments.
To record, I used free run timecode and set it to start as closely as my two hands could syncronize them. I then used a simple "clapper" to syncronize each shot to the frame.
So how did it work? Right now for landscape scenes it works really well, but I need to take the lens shades off and do some more modifications if I want to get those lenses closer for wide-angle close object shooting.
Here's 3 minutes of footage I created in After Effects with the 3D glasses plugin for anaglyph red/blue colour viewing. Our final screening will obviously be in a theatre with two projectors and polarized glasses, but this will give you an idea of the effectivness.
The file is 88Mb in quicktime H.264 codec at 720p24. You need a fast computer (or a mac) and Quicktime 7 to view it. I know the PC guys will complain a little, but it really is the best codec for getting material down to 2 or 3 Mbits/sec and maintain HD resolution. The source file looks amazing on my LCD monitor.
Download here:
http://homepage.mac.com/timdashwood/.Movies/3D_test.mov
For those without the bandwidth or inclination, I have posted a few jpeg screen grabs straight from after effects. If you don't have a pair of 3D anaglyph glasses (I calibrated these shots for the ones that come free with Spy Kids 3D DVD) then grab a Rosco or Lee gel swatch book and use a blue filter on your right eye and a red one on the left.
Enjoy! Tim
