The Panasonic AG-3DA1P is such an important camera that it is worth dealing with it over 2 or even 3 parts. Now that I have had the opportunity to have a small play with it in the flesh so to speak, an introduction to 3D seems to be an obvious starting point as against simply doing a technical review of the camera.

The reason for this is that there are some things in the realm of 3D that will have never affected a shooter with a ‘standard’ 2D camera. Actually, in truth 2D is a misnomer as in its own right as of course, everything we SEE is in 3D, and by using light, and shadow and scaling and framing, we do our best to give the viewer an impression of depth.

The difference between that and shooting with a 3D camera is described by Barry Braverman (a 3D expert and the leader of the 2^nd unit shooting the 3D sequences in Avatar) thus:

• 2D=scale
• 3D=size
• 2D=frame
• 3D= a window

In fact he goes on to say that when shooting in 3D, you can throw away everything you have ever learnt about 2D! The simple major reason for this is that in 3D you also have to deal with a new factor, that of a convergent point.

So what is that?

The convergent point is the spot where the optical axes of the left and right lenses used in a 3D camera, converge and this indicates the vertical reference plane when viewing a 3D image. With the AG-3DA1, the convergent point can be set to the subject you want on that reference plane so that the image of the subject from the left lens is completely superimposed on the image from the right.

When the image is then viewed (using 3D glasses in this case) a subject located closer than the convergent point is displayed “in front” of the screen, and then of course, an object further away than the convergent point is “behind” the screen.

It is this placement of the convergent point that can make or break footage. On a recent Masterclass I attended specific to 3D shooting, changing the convergent point made for some footage that could almost make you physically ill (and I understand some people can get extremely queasy). The problem is that the eyes ‘see’ the image, but the brain I imagine just cannot properly interpret an image alien to it and reacts accordingly. Other senses can then get affected, especially balance.

The most evident of this type of shoot was having a very wacky convergent point set and then shoot someone walking up a set of stairs toward you. It just looked so “wrong” you had to see it to believe it!

Shooting for the first time

In my excitement at using the AG-3DA1 for the very first time, very unlike me I simply charged the battery, threw in the two supplied SD cards (one for each video channel) and went for a 20 minute drive to get some initial footage. My thought was to get some local shots, and as I don’t own a 3D television, take them to the local Retravision store for playback. They could also keep them for and give a “local” feel to  product demos. (For those unaware, I live in a small country town 300Kms south east of Perth. If you are even remotely interested, the Google Earth reference points of my “Shed” are    (33°57'20.46"S  and 116°11'.33.33"E on Google Earth).

Sadly, the local Retravision doesn’t have a 3D TV either (“we don’t have the proper viewing environment”) so I’ll have to go to the next town, 20 minutes away where I am assured they do!

This plan, ignoring the lack of a local 3D TV, fell apart immediately however, as in the viewfinder upon turning on the camera, there was a persistent SD card error referring to “pairing.”

Now I knew that you MUST have two SD cards inserted, one in each slot under the viewfinder to capture the left and right channels, so I assumed one card, although Panasonic supplied and brand new, was a dud. Buyong SD cards here is as easy as finding Panda bear steaks, so I needed to return home to get a fresh card. Swapping them in and out didn’t make any difference to the error, so I did what I should have done at the start; RTFM.

When using SD cards in the AG-3DA1, they MUST be formatted in-camera beforehand I discovered, or they Simply Won’t Work. By then, it was too late (and getting dark) so the continuation of the 3D exploration will have to continue the next day. Along with therefore Part 2.

This also gives me time to read the manual.

By David Hague

David is the owner and publisher of AusCam Online. He has a background in media dating back to 1979 when he first got involved with photojournalism in motorsport, and went from there into technology via a 5 year stint with Tandy Computers. Following that, he ran a software distribution company on the Gold Coast and was one of the first to recognise the potential of Microsoft Windows.

Moving back to WA, David wrote scripts for Computer Television for video training for the just released Windows and Office 95 among others, and was then lured to Sydney to create web sites for the newly commercial Internet in 1995, building hundreds of sites under contract to OzEmail including Coates Hire, Hertz Queensland, John Williamson, the NSW Board of Studies and many, many more.

He went back into full time journalism as the Managing Editor for Channel 7's 'Gadget Guy', Peter Blasina's publications VideoCamera and Pixelmag, before starting Australasian Camcorder magazine when these publications were shelved. He lives at Sydney's Avalon Beaches nearly on the ocean front with dog Budweiser and in his spare time is a nut for motor sport, road safety, fishing, science fiction - especially Dr Who - and technology.

David can be contacted via david@auscamonline.com 

Comments(1):

1. 3D

   As a past 3D photographer (working with photos) I'm always very interested in this kind of gear. One thing I would try if the software will allow it, is to swap right and left video... in theory it should look like the photos I got (when I mixed up left and right). The dimensions are very strange, a person standing in the foreground will look like a person shaped hole, while all background objects will appear to be right in the front. With 3D, you have to become aware of what is comfortable to look at, and which is not. having something very close to the lens can cause pain if you try to look at it in shot... and you must also consider that if your own eyeballs can do contort like a yoga master, that not everybodys will... make 3D that's hard for people to watch and you'll turn them off, not just your own work, but everyone elses. Done properly 3D is a beautiful art form, which should be thought of as an art form and never as a silly gimmick. It takes time to understand 3D, but a good photographer should come to grips with it fairly quickly.

   Wednesday, March 30, 2011 Wolfie

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