Just read this ad from Sony of their future single lens 3D camera:
Sony Global - Sony Develops High Frame Rate Single Lens 3D Camera Technology (http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/200910/09-117E/)
I wonder how they will solve all the complex 3D issues. But it shows, the market is moving.
Maybe Panasonic will speed up their developement which they announced at NAB 2009.
There is also a Dutch company with a single camera (two lense) 3D solution, still very expensive (between 30.000 - 45.000 Euro): 3D-one Home (http://3D-one.com)
But once the market is growing, prices will drop, I am sure.
Best regards,
Jürgen

That's a great find Juergen. I think the primary market for this style of device is sports broadcast, where long zoom lenses with tiny i/o are required.

Sony has also a name for the camera: HFR 3D
At the end of October they will present a demo in Los Angeles at SMPTE conference:
Development of 240fps Single Lens 3D Camera | SMPTE Annual Tech Conference and Expo (http://smpte2009.org/development-240fps-single-lens-3d-camera)
Maybe someone from LA can have a look and report here.

How do you get stereoscopic vision with just a single lens?

How do you get stereoscopic vision with just a single lens?

The diagram shows 2 mirrors angled at 90 degrees, splitting the image into two parts. These individual images are then bounced and captured by separate image sensors. What surprised me is how much glass is involved...look how many lenses and relay lenses there are.

What puzzles me is that this lens has just "one eye". Even if you split the image, you have changed the single viewpoint. Of course, I'm sure Sony knows a lot more than I do about how to achieve this.

Hey Paul i've gone back and forth with a few people about this very same point, I've been doing a few different 3d concerts and being able to move to this type of camera would save production a lot of time and money (regardless of the cost of the camera) but I cna't for the life of me figure out how you can offset the images enough from one lens to create any sort of meaningful 3d image. But like you said the engineers at sony are smarter then i am so if there's a way to do it they know how.

Hello,
See this video: YouTube - Sony Single Lens 3D Professional Video Camera (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALP7JXHdHsA&feature)
from my friend Al Caudullo.

Yoshihiko Kuriko Chief Engineer of Sony explains how this 3D camera works.
“20mm is enough”

Marco Neiva.
3D Stereoscopic Supervisor

The video doesn't really explain how this is achieving separate images all that clearly. Just how Sony achieved the optical separation using mirrors is very clever, the optics involved are probably a lot more complicated than the simple picture of the image being split and reflected to two sensors.

It actually looks fairly simple, if I am interpreting it correctly... the two splitter mirrors are just slightly apart from each other (20mm apparently), and so each gets a slightly offset view.

Interesting development, could open up 3D significantly by making it possible for a mainstream consumer camera not too far off in the future - would make a good complement to a 3DHDTV too...

If I interpreted the interview correctly, it sounds as if this is more of a synthisized 3-D, rather than one produced by true binocular vision. His choice of wording was also very peculiar IMO, even though I realize English is not his native language.

all that's required is an offset between the two viewpoints - they seem to have concluded it can be done with as little as 20mm "separation" - doesn't seem like much, but perhaps it's enough to create convincing 3D with the right lens. Since 3D seems to be "hot" right now, there is probably a lot of experimentation going on in the labs...

...there is probably a lot of experimentation going on in the labs...

Absolutely. Just have a look at this camera, presented at IBC 2009 in Amsterdam:
3D-one Home (http://www.3d-one.com/)
It's a two-lens solution from a Dutch company at 720p and 1080p with a price tag of 29.900.- Euro to 44.800.- Euro (depending on the format). So definitely not for the consumer but with no 2k ability also not for cinema.
Nevertheless, I think, Panasonic has to hurry up with their two-lens camera - at NAB 2009 they showed a dummy and I was told by a senior Panasonic official, that this will take another 3-4 years until it will hit the shelves; but it seems, the market is in such a rush that Panasonic should hurry up.

Basically all this shows, that huge and expensive mirror-rigs and complicated synchronization of two cameras will be over in the near future and production will become much easier and we can concentrate on the creative process instead getting headaches because of the technical difficulties.
Best regards,
Jürgen

Has anyone looked at the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W1 camera for its capabilities in the amateur category? Granted it is not for any use other than home movie and photo production but at $600 it seems like a reasonable way to create 3D photos. I haven't found a website actually selling the camera yet so maybe the talked about $600 is not legitimate.

the only asset of the Fuji camera is the integrated management of 3d from the shot to the display (or even print).

But if you just need sterescopic pictures, For 600$ you can easily get 2 cameras (if not camcorders).

nVidia is selling the Fuji here: Fujifilm FinePix REAL 3D W1 (http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_finepix_real_3d_us.html). It takes just SD video, but it is optically aligned, integrated, with matched characteristics of the optics and sensors as well as genlocked. It fits into coat pocket. In addition it has glassless stereoscopic preview in the finder. I am not aware of any similar solution that can be had for their price. Reviews are somewhat mixed though. I think that such product and much more are needed or 3D might fade into obscurity yet again.