3D Acquisition Comes Into View

3D cameras were out in full force at recent 2010 NAB Show, showcasing a growing segment supported by advances in technology.

Cameras were targeted for both the high-end sports market as well as smaller budget documentaries and corporate productions.

Sony has led the industry in terms of its cameras being used for virtually all of the live 3D events broadcast to theaters and homes in the past two years. Companies specializing in stereoscopic 3D processing technology, including 3Ality and Pace Digital, have both used two standard Sony HDC-1500 HD cameras, mounted side by side on a special rig. It started in 2007 with a test presentation of 56th annual NBA All-Star Game, live from Las Vegas. The Sony/Pace (leveraging Pace's Fusion 3D) partnership continued with the live 3D broadcast of the Masters Golf tournament, which coincided with the NAB show opening in April.

Sony displayed its HDC-P1 box-style HD camera for use in 3D rigs. With 2/3-inch sensors, built-in image imversion (allowing the camera to be mounted horizontally or vertically) and 14-bit A/D processing, the camera facilitates shoulder mount rigs that can capture images in all of the most common HD formats, with 1080p @24, 25 and 30 fps as an option.

Ikegami Electronics exhibited HD cameras and equipment designed for the production of stereoscopic 3D programming, as well as HD cameras for 3 Gbps-SDI 1080/60p HD image capture. Also on hand was the company's solid-state memory (Flash) GFCam HD ENG camcorder, which included 24p capture capability. Camera models exhibited that support the 1080/60p standard included the new HDL-50DL POV box camera and the HDK-79EC/HS dual-processor HD Super Slow-Motion camera.

For 3D, Ikegami exhibited its new CSU-3D camera-switching unit, which supports up to four pairs of HD cameras for use in shooting stereoscopic 3-D television productions. The CSU-3D is a vital component for shooting major events in 3-D HD, such as football and baseball games or rock concerts. The CSU-3D, working together with an MCP (maintenance control panel) and four OCPs (operation control panels), provides extensive set-up control for optimization of each camera and subsequent parallel operational control for the four pairs of HD cameras. The CSU-3D ensures that each camera pair shares any subsequent camera adjustments, thus maintaining matched camera settings for 3D HD image capture.

For the budget-conscious, Panasonic displayed a new handheld 3D camcorder, with 1/4-inch image sensors called the AG-3DA1 at a cost of about $21,000. The familiar-styled camcorder might be limited in its cope (it's not going to be used to shoot a major feature like "Avatar"), but can provide them captivating 3D effect audiences are coming to expect.

Other Cameras to Look Out For
ARRI introduced its new Alexa prototype camera, which uses a single, high-resolution sensor for up to 4K image acquisition. The digita camera weighed 5.8 kilograms; roughly comparable to a 16mm camera. ARRI claimed Alexa's LF3 sensor has a latitude of 13 stops and basic sensitivity of 800 ASA. It's a PL-mount camera, and simplicity is the key; most buttons have a single function only.

In the category of high-speed cameras, Vision Research showed its Phantom HD Gold camera that it introduced last summer. The company showed a new camera as well. For-A displayed its new lightweight variable frame rate camera, the VFC-7000, which shoots up to 700 fps at 1280x720. Also Scitech/IDT presented its Redlake high-speed cameras, which have been used in prominent Hollywood productions\ throughout the past year.

I-MOVIX launched SprintCam Vvs HD, a new ultra-slow-motion system for live HD broadcast production. Featuring the outstanding quality, performance and usability of SprintCam technology, SprintCam Vvs HD operates at frame rates from 25 to 2,500 fps (up to 100 times slower than the live action) and provides instant replay at native high-definition resolution and image quality.

Two versions of the SprintCam Vvs HD were available: a standard camera version, or optimized for shoulder-mounted portable shooting, providing an unprecedented level of convenience and creativity in ultra-slow-motion action.

The SprintCam Vvs HD system comprises: the latest generation of high-speed HD camera; an operational control panel providing real broadcast quality color matrix and control of frame rate choice; a slow motion remote allowing the user to select a video sequence and instantly replay it with an HD-SDI output for live broadcast or storage on any SDI recorder for a later use; and the camera control unit, providing control of the slow-motion instant replay, camera control, and data interface between camera, EVS server, or SDI recorder.