Category Archives: Cameras

3D, 3D Tech, Cameras, Editing

World’s First 4K 3D Civil War Battle videos

I realized last night that the 4K 3D videos I posted on Youtube are the world’s first ever Civil War era battle re-enactments posted online in 4K 3D format. Kind of cool.

The videos were created using dual Lumix GH-2 cameras, each shooting a 1920×1080/30p video stream.

These were edited and mastered in Sony Vegas Pro and output as full width side by side videos – meaning 3840 pixels wide by 1080 high.

This is then uploaded to Youtube with several “tags” set to tell Youtube how to encode the video properly. When viewed on Youtube, two new viewing resolutions appear: 1440 HD and 2160 4K. Even if you only have a typical 2K monitor, either of the higher resolutions looks much, much cleaner in 3D!

Important – This remains experimental! I can only view the videos in correct format using Firefox. Chrome tells me I do not have HTML5 compliant hardware. I could play all but one video on an LG 3D TV using the LG Youtube app. However, when I played the videos on the same TV using a Sony BluRay player’s Youtube app, the videos have the wrong aspect ratio (3840×1080 instead of 1920×1080). A separate video I mastered as 3840×2160 side-by-side 3D did better, but means I have to double the file size (data rate) to get the same image quality.

We can argue about whether or not paired 2K streams are really 4K video. In one sense, they are half vertical resolution 4K. But when 4K is used to stream 3D, we end up with half size images on the left and right anyway. The effect is therefore the same in terms of what gets delivered.

Additionally, Digital IMAX theaters, as of now, are thought of as 4K theaters but they use dual 2K projectors (they will be upgrading the theaters eventually). Digital IMAX provides a more immersive and louder sound experience, but the Digital IMAX screens are just a little bigger than regular movie screens – and not like the 70 to 90 foot tall original IMAX screens.

In other words, dual paired 2K streams used for 4K 3D end up being roughly equivalent to having been shot in 4K on both cameras due to how the 3D left/right pair has to split the 4K image anyway.

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Cameras

Close up of flower taken with Olympus E-PM2

Click through for larger version on Flickr. I was testing an E-PM2 and used a Hoya close up filter (handheld as it was the wrong filter diameter) to test the camera’s close up ability using the kit 14-42mm lens. The E-PM2 is economical and is shooting better photos than my GH-2. Now, I won’t give up my GH-2 but I am impressed!

These were taken using P mode and all camera default settings, output to JPEG, not RAW. Beautiful color rendition. The camera turns on and focuses very fast. I have not yet tested the video capabilities of the E-PM2.

The E-PM2 does not include an eye viewfinder but the VF2 is available separately from Olympus to add a viewfinder. I have one for a different Olympus camera and it works fine for my uses.

I was at an event this past weekend where there were several people lugging their very large well known brand name cameras with equally very large telephoto lenses. I am so glad I shoot micro four thirds and travel light!

Olympus E-PM2 Test

 

Olympus E-PM2 testOlympus E-PM2 Test

Cameras, Still photography

How-to: Make a fake diopter adjustment for an LCD Viewfinder Hood

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I have a couple of Nikon 1 J1 and J2 cameras that I bought used/refurbished for 3D shooting. I originally thought I would use these cameras for only 3D – but I find I really like these cameras for many reasons – 1″ sensor, very compact, excellent image quality, very sharp lenses, and very good low light capability. And with some close up filters, they’ve become one of my “go to” cameras for close up/macro photography.

But as you know, cameras with only an LCD viewfinder (no electronic eye viewfinder) can be tough to use in bright sun. They are a hassle for those of us that need to wear reading glasses (and only reading glasses) for close in viewing since we have to find and put on our reading glasses every time we take photos.

To solve this, I bought an LCD viewfinder hood. Unfortunately, none of these have diopter adjustments to correct for eye variations among users. Dumb omission! Without a diopter adjustment, I cannot get a clean focus.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI solved this by busting a lens out of a retail store cheap reading glasses set and just taping it in front of the existing lens. Crude – but it actually works! Now  I can see the LCD panel in focus without my reading glasses – even in bright light 🙂

I used gaffer’s tape to mount the lens as nothing else would stick to the rubber eyepiece. I thought this idea might be helpful to others.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA