3D Video Camera
Most film lovers know that 3D movies were a huge draw with movie-going audiences in the 1950s. In fact, the early 1950s are called 'the golden age of 3D.' We've all seen the pictures or documentaries depicting audiences packed into movie theaters, with everyone wearing 3D glasses and being entertained, typically, by some grade B film that seemed to jump out at them. But did you know that the earliest confirmed public showing of a 3D film happened in 1922? Moreover, the actual origins of this technology date way back to the early 1800s! So, just how much has this technology changed over the years, and how does it translate into the electronic components that go into modern devices? One of the most widely used three-dimensional gadgets available on the market now is the 3D video camera. These remarkable devices allow consumers to see life as it is, with all the depth and realism of the physical world. So how did these great video cameras evolve from previous technologies, and how do today's versions work?
In the early days of 3D technology came the 'stereoscope.' This was a gadget which allowed the viewing a pair of separate images, with one image depicting left-eye viewing and the other depicting right-eye viewing. When put together, they were the same scene or image, but could be viewed three dimensionally. The earliest of such devices was invented by English scientist Sir Charles Wheatstone. In 1838, Wheatstone wrote of 'stereopsis,' from the Greek words 'stereo,' meaning 'solid,' and 'opsis,' meaning 'sight.' Stereopsis is the process by which people perceive three dimensions from two highly similar overlaid images. It is the impression of depth perceived when something is viewed with two eyes, when the two eyes are located at different lateral positions on the head, creating binocular vision. This binocular vision allows for the creation of two slightly different images, and this difference is what provides depth perception. If humans had only one eye, naturally, no one would see in 3D. This early stereoscopic invention used a pair of mirrors placed at 45-degree angles to a user's eyes. Each of these mirrors reflected a picture located off to the side, simulating simultaneous left-eye and right-eye views of the same scene or object. Since its first use, the stereoscope has evolved and is actually stilled being used today. In fact, the popular toy View-master, known to kids since 1939, is a form of a stereoscope. After a brief period off the market, manufacturing of View-master reels began again, and they are just as popular as ever.
As has already been established, in order to see an image three dimensionally, two eyes are needed and spaced a wee bit apart. This slight difference creates two separate images at slightly different locations. When put together, the brain merges the two images into three dimensions, rather than just two. So must a video camera must work in the same manner. The electronic parts that go into a 3D video camera actually must capture two sets of images. In order to do this, it needs two lenses and two image sensors. This technology is what creates the stereoscopic, or 3D effect. It actually, in essence, fools the brain into thinking it's seeing the images on the screen in three dimensions. With some 3D video cameras, the two necessary lenses are built right in, while in other cameras, a double-lens kit is sold separately, as an accessory. This actually allows users to attach and detach the accessory as they choose. When you want to film in three dimensions, you affix the 3D accessory. Conversely, when you want to film in two dimensions, you take off the 3D accessory.
A big question users have about 3D video cameras is how to view what has been recorded. There are a few different ways this can be accomplished. Some 3D video cameras have special LCD (liquid crystal display) screens that allow for 3D viewing without the use of 3D glasses. This technology is known as 'parallax barrier,' and cameras that use it have the glasses, in essence, already installed on the display, so there's no need for glasses. Other such cameras do not require glasses and can work with a media viewer dedicated for 3D. Still others require an output to a 3D-capable television along with use of 3D glasses.
Regardless of which type of 3D video camera you choose, know that three-dimensional technology is really only getting started. The future for this industry is beginning to boom, as engineers develop more advanced electronic components, producing more exciting ways to view the world with greater realism than has ever been dreamed possible.
In the early days of 3D technology came the 'stereoscope.' This was a gadget which allowed the viewing a pair of separate images, with one image depicting left-eye viewing and the other depicting right-eye viewing. When put together, they were the same scene or image, but could be viewed three dimensionally. The earliest of such devices was invented by English scientist Sir Charles Wheatstone. In 1838, Wheatstone wrote of 'stereopsis,' from the Greek words 'stereo,' meaning 'solid,' and 'opsis,' meaning 'sight.' Stereopsis is the process by which people perceive three dimensions from two highly similar overlaid images. It is the impression of depth perceived when something is viewed with two eyes, when the two eyes are located at different lateral positions on the head, creating binocular vision. This binocular vision allows for the creation of two slightly different images, and this difference is what provides depth perception. If humans had only one eye, naturally, no one would see in 3D. This early stereoscopic invention used a pair of mirrors placed at 45-degree angles to a user's eyes. Each of these mirrors reflected a picture located off to the side, simulating simultaneous left-eye and right-eye views of the same scene or object. Since its first use, the stereoscope has evolved and is actually stilled being used today. In fact, the popular toy View-master, known to kids since 1939, is a form of a stereoscope. After a brief period off the market, manufacturing of View-master reels began again, and they are just as popular as ever.
As has already been established, in order to see an image three dimensionally, two eyes are needed and spaced a wee bit apart. This slight difference creates two separate images at slightly different locations. When put together, the brain merges the two images into three dimensions, rather than just two. So must a video camera must work in the same manner. The electronic parts that go into a 3D video camera actually must capture two sets of images. In order to do this, it needs two lenses and two image sensors. This technology is what creates the stereoscopic, or 3D effect. It actually, in essence, fools the brain into thinking it's seeing the images on the screen in three dimensions. With some 3D video cameras, the two necessary lenses are built right in, while in other cameras, a double-lens kit is sold separately, as an accessory. This actually allows users to attach and detach the accessory as they choose. When you want to film in three dimensions, you affix the 3D accessory. Conversely, when you want to film in two dimensions, you take off the 3D accessory.
A big question users have about 3D video cameras is how to view what has been recorded. There are a few different ways this can be accomplished. Some 3D video cameras have special LCD (liquid crystal display) screens that allow for 3D viewing without the use of 3D glasses. This technology is known as 'parallax barrier,' and cameras that use it have the glasses, in essence, already installed on the display, so there's no need for glasses. Other such cameras do not require glasses and can work with a media viewer dedicated for 3D. Still others require an output to a 3D-capable television along with use of 3D glasses.
Regardless of which type of 3D video camera you choose, know that three-dimensional technology is really only getting started. The future for this industry is beginning to boom, as engineers develop more advanced electronic components, producing more exciting ways to view the world with greater realism than has ever been dreamed possible.