Over the last few years, we’ve seen camcorders evolve along side TV’s. As HDTVs hit the market, pretty soon, we saw the
HD camcorders. Now, as
3D HDTVs start showing up, so do
3D HD camcorders.
People are no longer interested only in seeing 3D movies, but they are
also curious to film and shoot in 3D, albeit, at this moment, this is
rather an expensive caprice.
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.
Suggested Read: 3D Technology Without Glasses – How Does it Work?
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.
c) Do you need a 3D camcorder?
Before buying a 3D camcorder, think if you need it. For you to view
the 3D content, you need a 3DTV or a 3D PC monitor, if you do not own
such devices, the 3D camcorder will be useless for you.
Now that I’ve explained all there is, and answered some of the most
frequently asked questions abut 3D camcorders, let’s see what can you
buy.
We all know Sony’s great
3D HD TV’s, they look great
and they provide an excellent image, both in 3D HD or regular 2D HD.
And another thing we know very well, Sony also makes really good digital
cameras and HD camcorders. Now it’s time to move on to the 3D realm.
And Sony did just that, and made a 3D camcorder that lives up Sony’s
standards and to all our expectations. This piece of kit shoots 3D with
excellent quality, it allows you to view the 3D video while you are
shooting it without the need of special glasses. It also features a 64
GB built in memory that you can extend via SD card or Sony Memory Duo
cards and it offers up to 10x zoom when filming in HD. Lots of features,
but it should have many features if you pay $1300.
This JVC camcorder is really alike to Sony’s TD10, for starters, they
both feature 3.5” LCD display that you can see without glasses, JVC
also has a built-in
64 GB memory and it features a
optical zoom capability of 5x (half the size of Sony’s, but, good
nonetheless). An extra feature that JVC TD1 has is the possibility to
shoot
3D still images (Sony T10 can’t) and it can shoot
better images in the dark. If you are planning to buy this camcorder,
keep in mind that for all of these features you will pay $1500.
The Panasonic HDC-SDT750 was the first
3D HD camera
to hit the market. But, despite that, it can still be considered one of
the best 3D cameras available. It can shoot excellent videos at 1080p
resolution with 60 fps thanks to its advanced 3MOS System and it
features an image stabilizer that can really prove itself when shooting
and wide angle video (you can do this because it has an optical zoom of
12x and a maximum aperture range of F/1.5 – 2.8). If you like it, you
can pick this baby up for $1300.
This 3D camcorder is more of a pro’s toy. It has the feel of
something that should shoot a movie, to a family vacation, but still, if
you don’t mind the aspect, it’s a nice piece of tech to have. With this
camcorder you can shoot
full HD 1080p resolution in 3D
at 60 fps, great for sport shooting or anything that has lots of
movement, or, you can film at 30 fps for a more movie-like experience.
It has dual SD card slots, so you can keep on shooting, and for the
$1800 price tag, I’ve be shooting all night and day.
This little kit blows prices into the air (not in the bad sense of the word). It seems the guys developing the
DXG 5F9V figured out how to combine 3D and 2D shooting and 1080p resolution with a
$300
price tag. This little baby has 3.2” screen that allows you to see 3D
without glasses, it has 2x CMOS sensors with 5MPx each and can shoot
both 2D and 3D at 1080p with 30 fps. Although, if you are filming an
action clip, you might want to switch to 720p at 60 fps for a
better quality image.
I would of wanted to see optical zoom in 3D filming mode and a built-in
memory where you could actually store something (it has an internal
memory of only 128 MB, so you will need to buy an SD card, it supports
up to 32 GB). But nonetheless, a really
good 3D camcorder, and with a price that is not through the roof.
Moving on to
pocket size 3D camcorders that anyone
can afford, and opening the way is the Sony 3D Bloggie. This little
camcorder can shoot up to 1080p resolution with its 5MPx resolution, it
has a 2.4” built in display on which you can view your videos without
having to wear special 3D glasses and it can shoot up to 4 hours. It
features a
8GB flash memory, and the SteadyShot image
stabilizing technology, so your videos and stills can look perfect, and
another cool feature is the LED flash that allows you shoot video well
into the night. At $200, this is a really nice camcorder to have.
Last but not least, the
Aiptek 3D HD camcorder. This
little guy can shoot 3D or 2D videos and stills at 720p resolution with
its dual CMOS sensors and it can do this a long time, due to its
capability to use SD cards up to 32GB. After you finish shooting your
videos, you can see them on its 2.4” LCD display with no need for 3D
glasses. This little guy is the ultimate portable 3D camcorder (if you
didn’t see the 2 cameras in the back, you could mistake it for your
electronic car key). Although it doesn’t shoot 1080p resolution, this
camcorder deserves to be in this top because virtually anyone can afford
it, it has a price tag of only
$150.
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