3D videography with GH2

[david_duffin]

With Avatar having captured an Academy Award for cinematography, and several manufacturers having introduced consumer 3D televisions, it's starting to look like 3D may be here to stay.  Presumably it's not an impractical crock as I'd kinda like to believe...

I've recently purchased a GH2 with 14-140mm zoom for capturing video clips and noticed that a 3D lens is also available.  I'm curious about the technology used when recording a clip with this lens.  Since the camera has a single sensor, would the firmware key successive frames from the double light path separately as left- and right-eye frames and record them successively in an interleaved fashion?  Could I hope to edit the AVCHD output with available software/supplied codecs and preserve the 3D nature of a clip?

Kindly excuse my ignorance, I'm new at this...

[Rhossydd]

With Avatar having captured an Academy Award for cinematography, and several manufacturers having introduced consumer 3D televisions, it's starting to look like 3D may be here to stay.  Presumably it's not an impractical crock as I'd kinda like to believe...

Frankly with the technology they're using it's not exactly going to be great quality.

I've recently purchased a GH2 with 14-140mm zoom for capturing video clips and noticed that a 3D lens is also available.  I'm curious about the technology used when recording a clip with this lens.  Since the camera has a single sensor, would the firmware key successive frames from the double light path separately as left- and right-eye frames and record them successively in an interleaved fashion?

Looking at Panasonic's site for the lens tells you most of what you need to know http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/lens/g_3dlens.html
ie it puts two squeezed images side by side on the sensor.

Could I hope to edit the AVCHD output with available software/supplied codecs and preserve the 3D nature of a clip?

I guess so, but you'll need to do some more home work on what format is needed to display this. I'd guess a Blu-Ray burner will be needed at the least, but you'll need to finds out if 3D needs non standard fiel structures or tags.

Paul

[david_duffin]

Many thanks.

David

[rovanpera]

you get half resolution with the panasonic 3d lens, both images are recorded to 1 frame...

[Rhossydd]

you get half resolution with the panasonic 3d lens, both images are recorded to 1 frame...

That's the way 3D is recorded for everything.
The idea that 3D is somehow 'high definition' is rather dubious marketing talk. It needs an HD signal to compress both pictures down to, what is in effect, standard definition width pictures.

[Peter McLennan]

The very idea of a "3D lens" short changes the system from the start.  What about convergence and interocular adjustments?  It seems to me that, until these variables are available to the photographer, this concept will remain in the toy category.

[Robin Balas]

With Avatar having captured an Academy Award for cinematography, and several manufacturers having introduced consumer 3D televisions, it's starting to look like 3D may be here to stay.  Presumably it's not an impractical crock as I'd kinda like to believe...

I've recently purchased a GH2 with 14-140mm zoom for capturing video clips and noticed that a 3D lens is also available.  I'm curious about the technology used when recording a clip with this lens.  Since the camera has a single sensor, would the firmware key successive frames from the double light path separately as left- and right-eye frames and record them successively in an interleaved fashion?  Could I hope to edit the AVCHD output with available software/supplied codecs and preserve the 3D nature of a clip?

Kindly excuse my ignorance, I'm new at this...

GH2 can't currently record 3D video, only stills. At least mine can't do that with the Pana 3D lens. Some people is tricking the camera by blocking the contacts on the lens to record side by side 3D video and somehow fixing it manually in post. I haven't researched that yet. I rather use my GOPro cams in a 3D setup for what I am doing. GH2 is for 2D video in my opinion, the 3D lens is cr*p and have no AF or MF.

[Peter McLennan]

I rather use my GOPro cams in a 3D setup for what I am doing.

I recently tested a GOPro camera and loved it.  I also immediately saw 3D potential.  Can you share your experiences?