How to Build Your Own 3D Camera Rig for Under $20
Posted 11/18/09 at 11:00:00 PM by Eric Kurland
How Does Stereoscopic 3D Photography Work?
Stereoscopic 3-D photography has been around almost as long as photography itself. In the 1830s Sir Charles Wheatstone theorized that we see the world in three dimensions because our eyes are set about 2.5 inches apart, and see from two slightly different viewpoints. You can test this by holding your thumb at arms length. Close one eye and look at your thumb, then look with just the other eye, and you will see that there is a deviation, or parallax, between what your eyes see. Your brain fuses these two views together, interpreting the amounts of parallax as depth. This is called binocular stereopsis.
Wheatstone figured out that two cameras could be placed side-by-side and take simultaneous pictures, creating a pair of photographs from both left eye and right eye perspectives. When viewed through a stereoscope, the left eye only sees the left image, the right eye only sees the right image, and we perceive a single 3-D view.
The author's 3D photos from Comic-Con
Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, stereo photos were all the rage, with many thousands of stereo cards produced. In fact, many Victorian era homes kept a stereoscope as the centerpiece of their living rooms - sort of the entertainment center of the day. Still, the process of making 3-D images was very complicated, as it was necessary to have two synchronized cameras to take the pictures, and quite a bit of skill to align and mount the finished prints or slides for viewing. Over the years, a number of film cameras have been made with dual optics and shutters, specifically for stereography, but these still require a great deal of meticulous work by the photographer in order to properly align pictures for display.
Do-It-Yourself 3D
The 21st century has seen a resurgence in the popularity of stereography, or 3D imagery, and thanks to the availability of inexpensive digital cameras and photo-processing software, do-it-yourself 3D imagery is now possible.
The simplest method for taking a 3D photo requires just a single camera, and a stationary subject. Place your feet firmly on the ground, with your weight on your left foot, and take a picture. Shift your weight to your right foot and take a second picture. You now have a stereo pair of images, one for the left eye and one for the right eye, which can be viewed in 3D. Obviously, this technique, called “sidestep” or “cha-cha” 3D, only works for subjects that are not in motion.
To take stereographs of dynamic subjects, we will need to take two photos at exactly the same time. Japanese camera manufacturer Fuji recently released the first digital camera equipped with two lenses for 3D. Of course, for the technologically savvy, you can make your own 3D camera rig using common building materials and two digital cameras.
For this project, we’ll use a pair of matching Canon PowerShot cameras and specialized synchronization software called StereoData Maker, or SDM, which is a nonvolatile firmware upgrade based on CHDK, the Canon Hack Development Kit. SDM adds a set of features to certain Canon cameras, specifically for the taking of 3D pictures.
What You Need
- Two Canon PowerShot cameras compatible with SDM (Buy them here)
- Two 4GB SD cards
- Two right-angle metal brace clips
- Two tripod screws or 1/4-inch thumbscrews
- Cloth tape or sturdy electrical tape
- Metal washers
- Two USB cables
- Altoids tin
- Push-button switch (Buy them here)
- Two female USB connectors
- Battery holder
- Three 1.5V AAA batteries
- Hot-glue gun
- A Dremel tool
- Red/cyan 3D glasses (Buy them here)
Aside from the digital cameras and tools, the core components of the rig won't cost you more than $20! Now it's time to assemble the pieces.
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Submitted by omaikshiek6 on Fri, 06/11/2010 - 12:21am
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Submitted by goodpointpress on Tue, 06/08/2010 - 10:53pm
Hi Eric
How simpy you illustrate a big thing which really makes a big difference. I got the clear idea of how stereoscopic 3D photography work.
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Submitted by shekar55 on Tue, 05/18/2010 - 10:26pm
Shift your weight to your right foot and take a second picture. You now have a stereo pair of images, one for the left eye and one for the right eye, which can be viewed in 3D. Obviously, this technique, called “sidestep” or “cha-cha” 3D, only works for subjects that are not in motion. the process of making 3-D images was very complicated, as it was necessary to have two synchronized cameras to take the pictures, and quite a bit of skill to align and mount the finished prints or slides for viewing. Over the years, a number of film cameras have been made with dual optics and shutters.,,Thank you,. alarm malaysia
Submitted by shekar55 on Fri, 05/14/2010 - 5:59am
Over the years, a number of film cameras have been made with dual optics and shutters, specifically for stereography, but these still require a great deal of meticulous work by the photographer in order to properly align pictures for display.The process of making 3-D images was very complicated, as it was necessary to have two synchronized cameras to take the pictures. .,,.Thank you,,.Utah Travel Spots
Submitted by shekar55 on Tue, 04/06/2010 - 9:08pm
The process of making 3-D images was very complicated, as it was necessary to have two synchronized cameras to take the pictures, and quite a bit of skill to align and mount the finished prints or slides for viewing..THanks for sharing this information...free online games
Submitted by NinaRox on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 12:04am
Yes it is, and I am not even sure if the pain's worth the output, it's not very impressive.
Photography is one of my passion. Being dyslexic limited me to blog, I usually use dyslexia spelling tool to help me networking. dSLR cameras are a sure way to get a good 3d imaging photos.
Submitted by swatbolish on Sun, 03/28/2010 - 10:56pm
Cool idea and guide, i like this "rig won't cost you more than $20". Thx. registry cleaner review
Submitted by harsh7 on Thu, 03/25/2010 - 8:01am
The process of making 3-D images was very complicated, as it was necessary to have two synchronized cameras to take the pictures, and quite a bit of skill to align and mount the finished prints or slides for viewing. Over the years, a number of film cameras have been made with dual optics and shutters, specifically for stereography, but these still require a great deal of meticulous work by the photographer in order to properly align pictures for display.,,.Thank you,,.Shortcuts Keyboard
Submitted by harsh7 on Thu, 03/25/2010 - 8:01am
The process of making 3-D images was very complicated, as it was necessary to have two synchronized cameras to take the pictures, and quite a bit of skill to align and mount the finished prints or slides for viewing. Over the years, a number of film cameras have been made with dual optics and shutters, specifically for stereography, but these still require a great deal of meticulous work by the photographer in order to properly align pictures for display.,,.Thank you,,.Shortcuts Keyboard
Submitted by tommy_vince on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 1:37am
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Submitted by kq4ym on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 5:56am
The article is helpful for those who like to build stuff. Great step by step guide. For those like myself who want to plug and play I use a Minoru 3D webcam that comes out of the box ready to go for about $80. I use it daily for a live video feed at http://justin.tv/kq4ym and have posted lots of instructional 3D video at http://youtube.com/kq4ym
I find this is a great 3D webcam to get into the hobby of 3D analglyph video or still photography and used with YouTube's new YT3D tags you can view 3D using any of a dozen viewing methods including the standard red/cyan glasses, "Superbowl" Colorcode (TM), or even LC shutter glasses, and even side by side viewing - no glasses neeed.
Submitted by Milek on Thu, 11/26/2009 - 4:36pm
I've been playing around with an app for my iPhone called 3D Camera (http://www.juicybitssoftware.com/3dcamera/), and while it's fun to use, I went through the clear instructions here, and the results are fantastic. It helps that you can grab both frames at the same time. The iPhone app requires you to take two photos, and if anything moves between shots, it won't work. Great job, guys!
Submitted by AJK on Sat, 11/21/2009 - 8:24pm
Pure and simple GARBAGE
Is this what this MAG has become?
Waste of paper and time....making a usb charger or alike...
wow............ these really should be in the record book of the first part of this century...
It is not your fault at all... it was stupid to renew the subscription.....
Submitted by Pyrophorics on Thu, 11/19/2009 - 8:54am
Um, how in the world is this under $20. How many people do you think have two of the exact same cameras laying around!?
Submitted by mdkplus on Thu, 11/19/2009 - 8:18am
Eric, just want to say thanks for an AWESOME project and article. My son needed a photography project that will set him apart from his class mates and I think this one will blow them away! I found everything just like you said and your instructions are nice and clear. We are your fans! Thank you!
Submitted by Dess122Dunn on Thu, 05/27/2010 - 8:02am
Stereoscopic 3D is a huge topic in the film industry right now and is 100% digital so it delivers a stunningly realistic and fully immersive entertainment experience every time. Stereoscopic 3D productions add depth that puts you in the thick of the action, whether you’re taking a voyage through an undiscovered land or dodging object that seems to fly into the room. And unlike the old days of paper glasses, Stereo 3D glasses look like sunglasses, are recyclable and designed to fit comfortably on all moviegoers, and easily over prescription glasses. Stereoscopic 3D is not just for movie-makers, works great with Infra Red Repeater modules even though it has been popularly connected to movies, thanks to the current wave of 3D blockbuster films.
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