Category Archives: Techniques

3D video of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Geyser eruption

September 18, 2012 3DM 1 Comment

3D video of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Geyser eruption – YouTube.

This is a “fake” 3D video created from a 2D video shot from the overlook several hundred feet above the geyser basin.

This video was created by time shifting a 2D video to produce separate left and right images – creating a very nice effect of the steam cloud coming out of the screen at the viewer.

To create this effect, the one 2D video was dragged to both the “left” track and the “right” track in Magix Movie Edit MX Plus. Then, using the Stereo 3D effects tools, click on the “Shift Frames” – or + options. For this video, the right track was shifted 5 frames to the left. This has the effect of moving the steam cloud forward or towards the viewer.

Because the steam cloud is constantly moving, by shifting one copy of the video sequence off by 5 frames, the left eye sees the original and the right eyes sees the original but shifted by 5 frames when the steam has moved slightly. This, in turn, is similar to having recorded a separate left and right video image. But instead, I cheated used only 1 camera.

This was shot on a single, handheld Lumix GH-2 with a 45-200mm zoom lens. My tripod was simultaneously in use shooting a time lapse sequence using a Canon SX1 which I have not yet processed.

Cameras, Techniques, Videos

High Def Video with Quad Copter FPV portable system

September 2, 2012 3DM 1 Comment

Check out the demo video and his setup for a remote controlled helicopter platform: High Def Video with Quad Copter FPV portable system – RC Groups.

This was created by ham radio operator AF9Y (for the record, I’m licensed as KF7VY).

3D, Techniques

3d photos taken with a single camera

September 2, 2012 3DM 3 Comments

While hiking I took several 3D photos using a single Canon SX1 IS camera. This works by taking a photo and then sliding the camera a couple of inches to the right and taking the same photo again. The left and right images are then combined with Stereo Photo Maker to create a 3D image.

Obviously, when handheld, camera pointing is not perfectly aligned in the left and right images. Much of the alignment can be cleaned up in Stereo Photo Maker but there will be little artifacts, like lens barrel distortion, still present. But still, this is an interesting way of easily photographing 3D photos of stationary subjects.

(Click on any image for full size – all are in red/cyan stereo anaglyph format)

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[singlepic id=173 w=640 h=480 float=]

Cameras, Still photography, Techniques, Videos

Micro four thirds astro photography

September 2, 2012 3DM Leave a comment

While the big full frame cameras have become popular for low light photography, a South African astronomer who says he’s not much of a photographer, created this gorgeous astrovideo using an Olympus E-P3 micro 4/3ds camera. Smaller frame sensors can, apparently, achieve excellent results in low light.