3D Camera - How They Work

How Does 3D Camera Work?

Think of the human eyes, we see the world in 3 dimension (height, length and depth), but the lens on a camera can only see 2 dimensions (height and length), the depth cannot be seen with 1 lens (or one eye for that matter). This happens because we see 2 images (one with the right eye and another one, slightly different with the left eye, then our brain merges the 2 images to create a 3 dimensional image), and the same is true with camcorders and digital cameras. They need 2 pairs of lenses to “see” a 3D image, one takes an image slightly to the right, the other, to the left and then, the camera or camcorder “brain” assembles the 2 images into 1 stereoscopic image.

When you go to a theater to see a 3D movie, in the back of the room, you will see 2 projectors, in the left and right side of the room that project 2 slightly different images which you can see with your special 3D glasses, that’s what happens inside a 3D camcorder, only instead of projecting an image onto a screen, it projects what ever you want to see on 2 sensors. Before moving to the top 3D camcorders, I’ll try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about 3D.

a) Do they cost more than regular camcorders?

The answer is Yes, they cost more than regular 2D camcorders and more than 3D digital cameras. If you are interested in buying a 3D camcorder, know that you do not have as many models to choose from as you might think, there are a few, but the ones that shoot quality pictures are few and might set you back a bit. As opposed to 3D digital cameras who are about $50-$100 (not talking about the high end models, but mid level cameras),camcorders have a much higher price, some models going up to $2000, although you can find some low-end models going from $150 – $200, but these only allow you to film just a few minutes and at low resolution.

Another frequently occurring misconception is that if you buy a 3D camera/camcorder, you can shoot both 3D and 2D images in full HD. Well, that’s wrong! First of all, only some camcorders and cameras can shoot both 3D and 2D, and those that can have special lenses that come off or can be blocked to shoot normal 2D, so if you want this feature, better ask before you buy. Second, 3D does not mean HD! If you buy a 3D camcorder that can only shoot 640×480 res or lower, than you do not have a HD video. If you want 3D HD, again, look or ask for this function.

b) Do you need special 3D glasses to view 3D content?

The answer to this question is a bit more difficult. Mostly yes, you need special 3D glasses to view 3D content, but nowadays, some cameras have a special coating on the LCD display that allows you to view 3D with no glasses. As do some TV’s, with the same technology, but for now, the vast majority cannot do this, maybe in the near future, you could view 3D without glasses.