3D (3 dimension not Nikon D3!) Project - frame capture question

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tfboy

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Xavier
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Through work, I'm considering making a 3D time lapse film using a pair of cameras, most likely a pair of Nikon dSLRs, but can be anything else depending on what's available.

I've pretty much worked it all out, how to set up a rig for stereoscopic capture, but my biggest outstanding issue is how to sync the cameras up.

What I need is a method to reliably capture frames at a predetermined interval from each other, but both cameras need to capture at exactly the same time. Ideas so far:

  • Control device (PC with GPI / serial) triggering the frame captures on both cameras using the remote shutter release connection.
  • Can Nikon Capture or any other software support multiple cameras simultaneously?
  • Set the cameras up to fire automatically using the interval timer. But how accurately can the cameras be synchronised?


Any thoughts on the above or other ideas?

I reckon this would be a really exciting project and I have the means to compile the images in post to produce a stereoscopic video and have the fancy tools to project in 3D. Annoyingly, it's the relatively simple timing of the capture that I'm stuck on right now! :rolleyes:

Cheers. :)
 
tfboy said:
Through work, I'm considering making a 3D time lapse film using a pair of cameras, most likely a pair of Nikon dSLRs, but can be anything else depending on what's available.

I've pretty much worked it all out, how to set up a rig for stereoscopic capture, but my biggest outstanding issue is how to sync the cameras up.

What I need is a method to reliably capture frames at a predetermined interval from each other, but both cameras need to capture at exactly the same time. Ideas so far:

  • Control device (PC with GPI / serial) triggering the frame captures on both cameras using the remote shutter release connection.
  • Can Nikon Capture or any other software support multiple cameras simultaneously?
  • Set the cameras up to fire automatically using the interval timer. But how accurately can the cameras be synchronised?


Any thoughts on the above or other ideas?

I reckon this would be a really exciting project and I have the means to compile the images in post to produce a stereoscopic video and have the fancy tools to project in 3D. Annoyingly, it's the relatively simple timing of the capture that I'm stuck on right now! :rolleyes:

Cheers. :)
Click to expand...

You could try doing it with something like the pocketwizards. I know they can be set to trigger cameras. If you set them on the same channel then they would trigger at the same time. Hook the other end to an intervelometer and you have your timelapse. Sounds easy, but I have no idea how well it would work in practice.
 
Or flash in the pan sells some cheaper ones, while I think they're supposed to work as remote shutter releases as well, he sells them as flash triggers as he has limited faith in their ability to do both (if memory serves).
 
Messiah Khan said:
You could try doing it with something like the pocketwizards. I know they can be set to trigger cameras. If you set them on the same channel then they would trigger at the same time. Hook the other end to an intervelometer and you have your timelapse. Sounds easy, but I have no idea how well it would work in practice.
Click to expand...

:thumbs: Sounds good to me, provided they both react the same, but surely there wont that be much difference. It could be tried with some cheaper fleabay ones first to see if you get the results you are after.
 
Thanks for the ideas.

Next question, where to get a suitable intervelometer compatible with a pocketwizard / cheap fleabay thingy?

Buying a set of pocketwizards + transmitter is pricey for an experiment ;)
 
Can't help you with where I'm afraid. But another idea; Get two standard wired remote shutters, and strip the cables back and splice them together so you have one button, but two end going to the camera. Would be cheaper than the pocket wizard idea.

Actually, just another though; How about 2 cheap wireless remote shutters of the same make, set to the same channel etc, but again only using one button. That might work, but not sure how to connect the intervelometer.
 
with regards to the 'intervelometer' you could build one with a 555 timer cheaply that would be able to flick a relay or similar....but that is a reasonable ammount of fiddling and the final product wont be very compact.
 
Nikon sell remote cables with banana plugs on the end so you can trigger them how you like. Easy to rig something up with a couple of those, but they need the screw in plug you only get on the higher end bodies.
 
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