# 3D photography



## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

I have been experimenting with 3D photography. I have built my own stereo camera kit and gave it its first test yesterday. Results are not too bad

To view them in full stereo, you will have to 'squint' - That is, with your nose in line with the centre, slowly go cross eyed merging the images left & right images. When they match, you will see it in 3D...

My next job is to build a stereo viewer and print stuff out on a card.


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## yustr (Sep 27, 2004)

Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you cross your eyes they'll get stuck in that position? :laugh:

Fantastic work. It took me a few moments to get the hang of it but once I did the 3D aspect jumped right out - of the pic in the middle. :Wow1:

I particularly like the patio shot with the plant stands and fence. ray:

How 'bout a pic of the rig?


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

I used to be good at going cross-eyed .. now though it gave me a headache :laugh: .. I'll have to try again later .. maybe remove my glasses too !


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

yustr said:


> How 'bout a pic of the rig?


Here you are:










Two Canon A610 cameras on a flash bar to hold them together fired by a USB trigger.

The trigger is a Ricoh CA1 release unit slightly modified to accommodate two USB cables to the cameras.

The mini tripod has rubber bands round the legs to keep them together and is used as a handle - that allows one hand to hold the camera and the other to use the trigger release. For moving objects, it is vital that both cameras fire at the same instant!

The cameras have been subject to what is called CHDK (Canon Hack Development Kit) ... Before I get banned for 'hacking', I had better explain:

The SD Memory Card in each camera has been made 'bootable' with and the programme running the usb trigger is on the SD card. Normally the USB port on the camera is used only for uploading images to the computer

Once it is possible to run programmes for the camera via the SD card, all manner of stuff is available such as built in timelaps, motion detection, shooting in raw, 3D video (2 cameras)

There is special software available for the PC that will take a stereo pair and 'register' the two images, crop, save etc.

The CHDK is only available for Canon cameras.. You only need two cameras if you want to do stereo pairs or stereo video (3D). Juts using one camera, you can run the timelaps etc... great fun and interesting potential...


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

It is possible to create a stereo pair with one camera but with still objects only.

Take a photo of an object then move the camera horizontally by 3.25 inches to the left and take the photo again.

produce the two images side-by-side at say, 600 pixels each wide (max). It is important for the 'squint' method of viewing, that the first photo (the one taken on the right) is reproduced on the LEFT. The second image taken on the left must appear on the right.

Some folk cannot do the 'squint'. In that case try reversing the images IE right on right & left on left. Then try 'parallel' viewing, concentrating the right eye on the right image and the left eye on the other...


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

A few more from a trip into town this afternoon:


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## Mack (Nov 8, 2004)

Can't hold my eyes crossed for long enough. Will try again tommorow. I warn you though, if I stay cross eyed I will clame!:grin:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Squinting works for me if I take my glasses off, but then it's just 3D fuzzies :grin:


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## loosebolt (Feb 7, 2011)

if i hold the tip of a finger at bottom center of the image's and slowly bring it back while focusing on it im able to lock in on the 3d effect


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Hi loosebolt

Yes, you have got it. the other important thing is not to be too close to the monitor. 

One thing I have realised though, I am making the stereo pairs too large to be viewed as full size (640 pixels each image = 1280 in total)

However, I have the resize images in my TSF profile set to 800pix, giving me an on screen of 400 pix each image. That seems to be reasonable on my Dell 24" 1920 pix monitor. That returns each image 4.25" wide (8.5" total width)


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

A few more from Yesterday. It was my sister's funeral & I dedicate these to her memory.


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

I'm sorry to hear of your loss Donald, my condolences to you and your family - If the service was held there, she's resting in a beautiful spot.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Sorry to hear of your loss Donald ..


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Thanks folks.

I was unable to attend the funeral in Yorkshire, so I went to our local church at the same time and have a very private service all by myself. I gave her a good send off.


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## Mack (Nov 8, 2004)

Sorry for you Loss Donald. Beautiful dedication of photographs.


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Very sorry to hear about your sister. My condolences go out to you and the family.

BG


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## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

sorry to hear this sad news Donald - my thoughts go out to you and your family


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Thank you, folks...


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## royst206 (Feb 15, 2011)

Wow, that's really interesting. I didn't even know there were such things as this. I remember those books when I was little and crossing my eyes so much till they hurt, but they were really cool!


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

I can remember back in my early childhood (late 1950's), getting a plastic '3D-Viewer' off a packet of breakfast cereal, each box had a random few 3D-pics identical to Donald's. It was a binocular-type affair, with a slide-mount for the pic-strip to slide into, approx 3-4 inches from the lenses - It worked brilliantly :grin:


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

WereBo said:


> I can remember back in my early childhood (late 1950's), getting a plastic '3D-Viewer' off a packet of breakfast cereal, each box had a random few 3D-pics identical to Donald's. It was a binocular-type affair, with a slide-mount for the pic-strip to slide into, approx 3-4 inches from the lenses - It worked brilliantly :grin:


haha I remember that too .. rarely see that cereal any more either .. was it one red and one blue lens they had ??


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Having built up a stereo rig with the on board software and the software on the computer, I am wanting to take it with me when on a photo shoot day...Accordingly, I want to either build or buy a stereo viewer like the old Victorian viewers. They come up for sale on eBay from time to time, but there is a company in the US who do the lenses and the wooden bits as a kit set. I might go with that later. However, I am holding off because a friend says he has an ex military stereo viewer...


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

@ DF - The viewer had clear lenses, it was rather like a pair of binoculars or opera-glasses, but with a plastic flat plate (to hold the pic-strip) where the large front-lenses would be.

The cereal was 'Weetabix' :grin:


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

I was pretty certain about the brand .. I seem to remember a different style of "glass" though .. however I could be mixing "memories" ... aka "losing it!! :laugh:


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Is this what you mean?


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

haha anything's possible Don .. I thought I remembered a cardboard cutout pair of glasses with red blue lenses .. but I also remember that item you showed there .. who knows what I remember any more .. just goes to show that I should trust myself the least .. :laugh:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

The blue-red lensed glasses are what's used at cinemas etc. for their 3D films - The movies are impossible to watch without them, as the RGB components are deliberately misaligned for the lenses to work proper-like.

Google to the rescue :grin:, this is what I remembered.... *Link*.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

all clicking in to place now .. thank god I am not going quite so senile as I thought for a short while .. 

I recognise that weetabix one and of course now I know why the red & blue had stuck in my mind .. along with don's link I can now forget all 3 items again until something pulls at the3 memory again :laugh: 
Thx ..


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## JohnthePilot (Mar 30, 2006)

I remember my father buying an old victorian viewer, identical to this, with a collection of sepia prints. It was whilst waiting for my turn to use the viewer that I learnt the skint method.


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

These stereo images where take to test the shutter synchronisation. If one shutter was even the slightest out of synch, moving objects would not be in the same position.

Mrs G feeding the ducks/swans/geese & Gull in Poole Park, Dorset.






























Gulls in flight - great 3d effect.










This is a severe test of synchronisation - If one shutter lagged behind the other, the water drops would not be in the same space!
(Someone tossed a packet of washing up soap in the fountain, hence the froth on the surface!)









Side noteL Yes, the fountain is perfectly upright. The impression that it is leaning to the right is an optical illusion created by the slopes of the background! :smile:


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

DonaldG said:


> Side noteL Yes, the fountain is perfectly upright. The impression that it is leaning to the right is an optical illusion created by the slopes of the background! :smile:


Is that why all my photos look like they have been taken askew :laugh: 

Thanks for the tip Don .. Nice photo's even in mono ..


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