Panasonic Consumer 3D camera and Micro4/3" 3D Lens

[Tim Dashwood]

The SDT750K is a consumer product but it does 1080p60, has the same 1/4.1 chips as the AG-3DA1, a tiny interocular, and will be priced around $1400. It will record to a single file in side by side squash (960x1080 per eye.). I wonder how much light loss there is in the lens?

Panasonic site

According to PCWorld there may also be a micro4/3 3D adapter lens on the way for Lumix cameras (including the AG-AF100)
Panasonic Goes 3D With New Camcorder and G-Series Lens - PCWorld

[Alister Chapman]

The SDT750K according to the literature is actually a 2D camcorder with an add on lens adapter. Might be useful with that tiny interoccular for self shoot POV type productions. What's interesting is that if they can do a split/squash lens for this can it also be done for a 4K camera such as RED for a one piece single lens system giving around 2K per eye.

[Bruce Schultz]

Originally Posted by Alister Chapman

What's interesting is that if they can do a split/squash lens for this can it also be done for a 4K camera such as RED for a one piece single lens system giving around 2K per eye.

Perhaps a micro 4/3 adapter to PL, Canon, or Nikon would work on a Red. Love the 4K divided by 2 idea.

[Petri Teittinen]

Originally Posted by Alister Chapman

What's interesting is that if they can do a split/squash lens for this can it also be done for a 4K camera such as RED for a one piece single lens system giving around 2K per eye.

That's actually pretty much what I did with the Loreo 3D Lens-in-a-Cap on a RED One camera.

[Tim Dashwood]

So it seems that what we are ultimately looking at here are two new 3D lenses. One for 1/4.1" and one for micro 4/3. Here's the press release on the micro 4/3 3D lens.

PANASONIC ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT OF WORLD'S FIRST* INTERCHANGEABLE 3D LENS FOR LUMIX G MICRO SYSTEM**

SECAUCUS, NJ (July 27, 2010) – Continuing its record of 3D technology leadership, Panasonic today announced the development of the world's first* digital interchangeable twin-lens, making it possible to shoot 3D with an interchangeable lens system camera. As a new member of Panasonic's powerful lineup of interchangeable lenses as part of the LUMIX G Micro System**, the twin-lens will allow high-quality shooting in 3D. Panasonic plans to release this new lens for sale before the end of the year.

"This year will be remembered as the 'First Year of 3D Era' and Panasonic has already taken the lead by launching 3D-capable VIERA™ televisions and Blu-ray™ 3D Disc Players," said Darin Pepple, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "With Panasonic's development of a twin-lens capable of 3D shooting, the company is providing consumers with a way to capture their own 3D content, which they can then enjoy watching in the comforts of their own home. Panasonic is dedicated to evolving the 3D ecosystem, letting consumers create and display lifelike 3D images in their homes."

Currently, 3D shooting with an interchangeable lens system camera is possible only by using panorama systems or by combining two lenses and two CCDs. However, these systems are not ideal and have difficulty capturing moving objects. Panasonic's new 3D lens for the LUMIX G Micro System features two optical systems installed within the diameter of the lens mount, creating stereo images from the left and right lenses that are then processed with a 3D image processing system. Thanks to Panasonic's advanced technologies in optical technology, image processing systems, and lens barrel design, the 3D lens will be compact in size.

This new compact 3D-capable interchangeable lens will be easy to handle and allow instant 3D shooting, without distortion or time lag between left and right images – even when shooting moving objects.

*For a digital interchangeable lens of July 28, 2010.
** Compatible models to be announced at a later date.

Of course we all know it isn't actually the "first" since the Loreo 3D Lens in a Cap 9005 has been available for micro 4/3 for some time now. The difference here is that it appears no prisms have been used (good light performance) but the interaxial is very small (limited usage, but good for portrait work and close-up drama.) If they are 2:1 anamorphic then even better.

I'm excited that this lens will likely work with the AG-AF100.

[Tim Dashwood]

Originally Posted by Bruce Schultz

Perhaps a micro 4/3 adapter to PL, Canon, or Nikon would work on a Red. Love the 4K divided by 2 idea.

Micro 4/3 sensors are good for adapting PL, Canon or Nikon lenses because micro 4/3 uses a very short back flange so there is lots of room to build an adapter. That's why the Panasonic AG-AF100 is so interesting to me. Adapters already exist to put virtually any type of lens on that camera. However, trying to adapt a micro 4/3 lens to those other mounts wouldn't work out because there would be too much flange back distance already taken up my the PL, N or EF mount.
The best thing would be for Red to simply produce a micro 4/3 mount for the camera. Maybe they already have? I don't know.

[Petri Teittinen]

So I'm SOL with my Panny HVX200, then?

[Bruce Schultz]

With the advent of a firmware hack from Tester 13 for the Panasonic GH1 micro 4/3 camera we can now apparently use that camera in 1080P @ 50Mbs mode rather than it's unusuably noisy AVCHD codec. This opens up even more possibilites for the 3D micro 4/3 lens.

Panasonic GH1 Video Hack

[Tony Reidsma]

Could you please help me understand something.

Does this camera shoot in wide screen? I realize it is NOT HD, but is it widescreen?

Also, is there a lens I can put on my 7D to shoot 3D?

I've shot stereo with a pair of 7D's with nice results, but I don't have the cash for a beam splitter at the moment.

Thanks > Tony

[Heinz Bihlmeir]

I am not impressed by the PANASONIC solution. If used with a 16:9 HD camcorder this approach reduces the actual frame resolution to 960 x 540 pixels, rescaled by the „Crystal Engine Pro“ DSP to a 960 x 1.080 side by side picture. Are we now back in SD times.

[Tim Dashwood]

We have to assume each eye would be optically/anamorphically squeezed to 960x1080 so that the Viera 3DTV can display it properly. The vertical resolution would always be 1080 lines. I can't see them choosing to 1/2 scale each eye optically and then electronically scale up the vertical from 540 to 1080.

[Petri Teittinen]

Yeah, it's bound to shoot full frame 1920x1080 which contains both eyes in Side-by-Side (Half) configuration, i.e. 960x1080 per eye. The TV set will then "expand" the image horizontally so both eyes are seeing an image with proper aspect ratio. I do wonder about that very narrow interaxial distance, though...

[Heinz Bihlmeir]

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

We have to assume each eye would be optically/anamorphically squeezed to 960x1080 so that the Viera 3DTV can display it properly. The vertical resolution would always be 1080 lines. I can't see them choosing to 1/2 scale each eye optically and then electronically scale up the vertical from 540 to 1080.

The lenses are not anamorphic. There are pictures form the press release here which show the processing steps. News : Panasonic HDC-SDT750 3D Camcorder :

[Petri Teittinen]

Appears to be worse than I expected. Oh well.

[Pavel Houda]

Originally Posted by Heinz Bihlmeir

The lenses are not anamorphic. There are pictures form the press release here which show the processing steps. News : Panasonic HDC-SDT750 3D Camcorder :

Thank you for the info Heinz. It is actually pretty much what we are experiencing at home, unless we do a local video ourselves, or until more than couple of frame packed BD DVD's are on the market (or unless we go and see a movie - which is not at home).

Most video we can create ourselves is anamorphically squeezed (unless we produce two streams and use dual projector), and if it started interlaced, or were broadcasted (which means 1080i max), by the time most de-interlacing gets done with it, we have the same situation as with that Panasonic camera.

Internet generally compresses the video even worse, so the Panasonic solution is IMHO similar to the Fuji and 3D-"HD" broadcast, and it all ends up good SD quality, but is not a true HD.