There are several techniques currently employed for shooting 3D with control over what appears in front of the screen and what appears behind the screen.

In traditional side-by-side and beamsplitter 3D rigs, by toeing-in both cameras, the two images ‘converge’ at a distance where objects in front of the convergence appear in front of the screen, while objects behind it are in the back. While this technique provides flexibility in positioning the convergence point, the images can exhibit keystoning or distortion, due to the fact that the cameras are at slight angles to the image plane.

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In this article, discover the technology that makes up the Phantom 65-Z3D system, from camera to optics to lens control.

Camera – Phantom 65 Gold Camera

The Phantom 65 Gold is a 4K digital cinema camera that delivers nearly 10 megapixels at full resolution. It has a 4096 x 2440 sensor that is the same size as a 65mm film negative, so it achieves 65mm depth-of-field and field-of-view. When used in 3D mode (1080 pixel height) the camera can run at speeds up to 300 frames per second, and provides shutter speed control down to 2 microseconds (1/500,000 second), giving you precise control over the amount of blur or clarity in each scene. Exposure time can also be set in increments of one microsecond. The excellent sensitivity of the CMOS sensor (ISO 320) and wide dynamic range combine to give you an image quality that rivals film.

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Panasonic’s new 3DA1 integrated 3D camcorder opens up 3D acquisition to all levels of the professional market. In this article, we explain what AbelCine sees as the primary applications for this breakthrough camera.

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In terms of 3D camera rigs, the Panasonic 3DA1 is very easy to operate and set up on set, however, it is still more complicated than your traditional 2D camera configuration. The 3DA1 combines two cameras into one body, but outputs two separate video streams over HD-SDI. These two video streams can be used for on-set monitoring or to feed a 3D recorder. The 3DA1 also has a HDMI output, which combines the two video streams that can be fed directly into a 3D television. Here are some examples of how the 3DA1 could be used on set.

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Not all production is large Hollywood features or network broadcast television series. In fact, these areas represent only a small fraction of the professional production industry. Smaller crews and location production on tight schedules, with limited resources in production and post, are far more the norm than the exception. Yet the physical design and workflow of most 3D technology has not been built for these types of productions. Until now, there have not been professional 3D tools designed for “the rest of us.”

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