The GH1 could be turned into a high-tech 3D camera suitable for broadcast use at the BBC and Sky, if the efforts of one company are anything to go by.
The company, named Beampath, has recently been working on a 3D rig for the Panasonic GH1 and is seeking collaborators.
David Cole of Beampath writes that they have switched from the 5D Mark II to the GH1 in the hope of achiving a perfect sync via Vitaily Keslev’s modified firmware and some modified remote controls.
Says David Cole:
This is not our first rodeo with DSLR 3D rigs. In fact, our first rig was 5D Mark II based. We failed to achieve adequate sync with the 5D’s and hopes that the Magic Lantern firmware enhancement would come to our rescue has faded. But, there is good cause to be optimistic about the GH1. Most importantly, the GH13 firmware has opened up a world of possibility in image quality and customization of camera functionality to enhance 3D. Secondly, even with our current setup, it does work… sometimes.
The company has also recognised two interesting pins on the GH1’s circuit board labeled CMOS HD and CMOS VD. That implies to me that VD is video data, providing a stream that is encoded and stored on the card, whilst HD is an output for HDMI? Could both be possible at once or do the pins represent something else entirely? Do let me know your thoughts on that David.
The project is currently under development and the main issue is that for shooting 3D both GH1’s must boot up and record perfectly in sync. This is currently only possible sporadically, and David needs the help of Vitaliy Keslev to look deep into the firmware and come up with a way of syncing the cameras perfectly, possibly via a USB connection. It is only after shooting something in 3D with the rig that David notices if the cameras are in sync or not.
If the project produces a reliable 3D rig, David is confient of the results.
If we’re successful in twinning GH1s, we’d have a Full HD X2 stereoscopic camera with output specifications that meet or exceed the requirements of the major stereoscopic content distributors (e.g. BSkyB, BBC, Discovery…)
The rig currently employs two 9-18MM Olympus lenses and both GH1s are running the hacked firmware. The camera is AC powered and their current attempts at perfectly syncing the cameras involves the following equipment:
1) A twinned shutter-release remote switch, which places the appropriate resistance value to toggle recording onto the remote pins of each GH1 simultaneously. 2) Twin power control. This is the heart of our attempt to sync the GH1s and it MAY be destructive to the cameras (however we’ve been at this for two months and have yet to have a single hiccup).
Good luck to David and the team at Beampath. If you think you may be able to help their efforts, do get in touch with David at his blog. I hope to interview David soon about the latest goings on with the project.
