5D3 Magic Lantern RAW Stereographic 3D Discussion

[AnotherDave]

Would it be possible to include a feature in Magic Lantern that would allow you to sync two 5D Mark IIIs up to do 3D?

[Rick M]

Guy in this thread (http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=5553.0) has a somewhat workable solution for you. Might not be perfect, but it's probably the best you'll get at the moment.

[S3Dcentre]

Hey this does not offer a solution to working in Camera RAW ML footage. The Pocket wizards offer a 'seemingly' workable solution to shooting h264, but not in Camera RAW. Even in h264 there are sync issues when triggered with pocket wizards.

[SDX]

It's surely possible, we have access to the timers for video, BUT:
How do that hardware-wise? Somehow the cameras need to be connected and we have to be able to send data from A to B. Without complicated electrical work and use of the USB ports (and PTP) I don't see a way.

EDIT: nvmd

[S3Dcentre]

Hey Magic Latern Community & Development Team:

We are two researchers (Patryk Stasieczek & Paolo Pennuti) at the Stereographic 3D Centre at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (Vancouver, Canada).

We are doing DSLR 3D tests using your ML raw module to shoot 3D raw footage with our Canon 5D III's.

The improvement we can get using your raw module in comparison with the H.264 is amazing... our understanding is that it can be even more surprising for 3D purposes (the immersive quality of stereoscopic 3D footage can really benefit from sharper and more detailed RAW footage).

We successfully recorded 3D using Magic Latern in H.264 videos using two 5D3 DSLRs synced with the Pocket Wizards mod  (http://3dfilmfactory.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93:gen-lock-canon-5d-mark-ii-cameras-and-shoot-3d) but we experienced that it is impossible to use this trick to sync two 5D3's running on the latest ML builds when we shoot in raw. We think that because ML is putting forward an incredibly fast writing speed for RAW image-sequences, we aren't able to trigger a shutter to sync between two cameras.

Considering the lighting bolt and the motion detection modes that you added to the last versions of ML, we have many reasons to think that you can be technically capable of a software improvement in order to "genlock" two Canon 5D3 cameras. The major issue we are looking to resolve is motion synchronization in the footage in order for it to be immersive and true to reality in both right and left eyes.

If it is possible, it would be great for us to start to communicate with you in order to find a solution to this problem, as we feel that if ML embraces the current trend in S3D technologies, there will be more investment towards Magic Latern as a standard build in contemporary stereographic cinema.

Relatively many people are shooting 3D videos using Canon DSLRs, and the stereographic 3D community is ready for something to sync their DSLR cameras.

We are currently working on our comparison footage between ML RAW S3D and ML H264 S3D, and it will be posted in this forum discussion soon.

Can you help us (we would be glad to support this kind of research with our tests)?

Best,

Patryk and Paolo
HQP, Graduate Researchers at the S3D Centre at Emily Carr University of Art & Design
http:/www.s3dcentre.ca

[SDX]

Map (via a script) the button which triggers the RAW module to record, with the half-press shutter button.
Connect both cameras via a trigger cable (those jack ones). Halfpress on one camera should now cause a halfpress on the other one as well, and, since the keys are mapped, also to record. This should be possible with the current capabilities.

Now from theory to praxis.

The code should look something like this: (it's a PicoC script)

Code Select Expand


/*
@title RAW Sync
*/

printf("Connect both cameras with sync cable (male-to-male jack)!\n");

while(1)
{
    if (last_key()== SHOOT_HALF) {
        click(LV);
        printf("recording started - quitting\n");
        exit;
    }
}

This code was typed in here and was not tested. Also, I never wrote ML picoC before

EDIT: forget it, scripting was removed, as well as the function to bind half-press with LV button. Give me a sec, I'll investigate the possibilities.

[ItsMeLenny]

How does stereodatamaker sync?
http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/sdm/index.htm

[SDX]

It's a USB switch. I guess the cameras then communicate using PTP.

[SDX]

We do, however, not need it on our DSLRs, since they all have trigger-jack connectors. The only thing the guys need is a 2.5mm jack male-male cable (as you also would use for stereo audio) and the ability to start movie recording on a half-press.

The halfpress-recording function has, however, been removed. Which I can't really explain, since it's very usefull.

[Midphase]

We are two researchers (Patryk Stasieczek & Paolo Pennuti) at the Stereographic 3D Centre at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (Vancouver, Canada).

So you two are who we should blame for this?