Fuji 3D

Any idea where I can find the Fijinon Finepix Real 3D in Canada ??

Thanks.

Apparently the camera is out of production, not even Fujifilm has the camera listed on their web site.

You can buy the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 new on Amazon.com or used on eBay.  Amazon CD has both new and used.

Neither B&H or Adorama in the USA have the camera for sale.

I don't know of any large photo stores with an internet presence  like B&H or Adorama in Canada but there may be one.  Try Google.

Thank you Sailor. E Bay surprisingly more expensive them Amazon new.. except it comes from Japan... no other made?? Nikon, Panasonic, Sony ..??

No other "major" camera manufacturer (except Panasonic, the Lumix 3D1) has/had introduced a dedicated stereo digital cam similar in function or image quality to the Fuji W1 or W3 models. Many users consider the 2 Fuji "solutions" to be of lesser image quality than desirable (I do not). Superior image quality can currently be obtained by custom-pairing two quality cams proven to have good synchronization in such arrangements. These are certainly not "pocketable"...

There are a host of current minor players, the WeeView SID for instance, that work well, but it is a "video" solution. Then there is the older HTC EVO 3D android phone with a dedicated (but low res) stereo camera (and glasses free autostereoscopic screen) built-in. And there are cheap "toy" stereo cameras on eBay, that record poor images in anaglyph mode only.

Sony had an interesting device that looks like a set of recording binoculars (Sony DEV-3).

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-DEV-3-Digital-Recording-Binoculars/dp/B005I2YUTC

Thank you. May be I should just used my quality cameras and lenses to take same photo from different angles- and see how the stereo App works ....

Interestingly, Fujifilm still has this camera listed on their product website:

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/3d/camera/finepix_real3dw3/

So, I wonder if it is actually discontinued?

The single cam "cha-cha" method is what I use for 95% of my stereo images. Works quite well for static subjects.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/turbguy/albums/72157605869812056

You REALLY MUST use StereoPhotoMaker freeware to align the two images. I don't know if StereoPhotoMaker is Mac compatible. It used to be Windows Only.

It is discontinued.

watchfull wrote:

Thank you. May be I should just used my quality cameras and lenses to take same photo from different angles- and see how the stereo App works ....

There are several solutions available.

This site has some low cost 3D cameras, a special mirror Loreo 3D Lens in a Cap, and a 3D viewer. They also have some 3D tutorials.

3D Cameras - Loreo Products Online

For cha cha images the distance between the left and right images varies with the subject distance.

Bercovitz Formulae for stereo base.

BaseCalc: A free pocket-sized stereo base calculator - www.stereoscopie.fr

BaseCalc - Android Apps on Google Play

Jasper Engineering has a high quality slide to allow you to take cha cha images the desired distance apart. Other companies like Manfrotto sell high quality slides.

Jasper Engineering: Stereo Photo Slide Bars

Amazon.com: Manfrotto 357 Rapid Connect Adapter with Sliding Mounting Plate 357PL - Replaces 3273: Camera & Photo

You can also use low cost slides but they don't work as well. I went with a low cost slide and had to crudely modify it to make shifting the camera quick. I removed the worm gear and use a metal "Bulldog" clamp to set the slide distance. I added a Stroboframe so I could shoot with the camera in either landscape or portrait orientation. This kit collects dust since the images from the W3 are more than good enough for me.

eBay - 2 way Macro Shot Focusing Focus Rail Slider for CANON NIKON SONY Camera D-SLR

Amazon.com: Stroboframe 300-115 Vertaflip PHD Camera Platform (Black): Camera & Photo

For macro 3D you want a double slide so you can move the camera closer or further as well as side to side.

eBay - 4 Way Macro Focusing Rail Slider Holder Mount for Nikon Canon Camera Lens Flash

Wow.. thank you so much for the detailed info... it looks to me that the Fuji 3D will be the easy way to go- if I understand correctly how it works...?   Once  I take a shot, will it come out as one 3D image, or 2 images that need to be processed...??

If it’s one 3D Image, is it ready for viewing ( with the proper glasses of course ) ?

Thank you very much for your help .

The Fuji W3 is very convenient (it''s a slippery beast, make sure you use a hand strap, AND keep your fingers away from near the lenses, else you get "pinky-selfies" in the corners).  I process all my Fuji files to correct minor mis-alignment, but typically, these are very small adjustments

The main file save choice is .mpo, which is a single file that contains both left and right views.  I think it also outputs .jpg files side-by-side.   StereoPhotoMaker will easily open both file types.  Getting a Mac program to open an .mpo might be an issue. Others might want to chime in about this.

How do you intend to view the output?  3D TV?  Glasses-free autostereoscopic display?  Printed views?  Note: the W3 itself has an good autostereoscopic screen for viewing.

watchfull wrote:

Wow.. thank you so much for the detailed info... it looks to me that the Fuji 3D will be the easy way to go- if I understand correctly how it works...? Once I take a shot, will it come out as one 3D image, or 2 images that need to be processed...??

If it’s one 3D Image, is it ready for viewing ( with the proper glasses of course ) ?

Thank you very much for your help .

The LCD on the back of the W3 is a lenticular screen so you can see the W3 images in 3D on the back of the camera.

The camera can save a single MPO file that includes both the left and right images or create a side by side JPG of the two images. It can also be set to shoot only 2D JPGs.

As I said in reply to your other post, some 3D TVs can show MPO files but I don't know about side by side 3D images. For side by side you normally use a hand held viewer like my old one or a virtual reality viewer (they are really cheap if they use your cell phone for the images).

I normally run my MPO files through StereoPhotoMaker and produce cross eyed JPGs for viewing but I have been know to put some side by side JPGs on my cell phone and put that the phone my hand held viewer or the cheap viewer from eBay.

Why don't you download the W3 manual and give it a read.

Fuji Finepix Real 3D W3 Manual 01 - $00 U2_20-EN.indb - .pdf

Thank you Wayne.

I ‘d like to watch the images  projected on a large screen  if possible, or on TV with or without glasses.

Not sure if a 3D TV eliminates the need for glasses ...??

watchfull wrote:

Thank you Wayne.

I ‘d like to watch the images projected on a large screen if possible, or on TV with or without glasses.

Not sure if a 3D TV eliminates the need for glasses ...??

How Does 3D TV Work? - Amazon.com

threed123 wrote:

I'm not sure why people are dissing the Fuji W3. It takes excellent pictures, which are just as satisfying as two 35mm pics from better cameras. See this link. I have over 100 from my trip to Africa. These are not 16:9, but you can take them in that format also. Sure, they aren't pixel heavy, but shown on a large 3D TV, they are fantastic.

A 1920x1080 TV (i.e. 1080p) is only 2 M pixels. Even if you crop your 10 M pixel images they should still look fine on a 1080p TV.

Plus the camera also has a zoom option, which I use often. It does flatten depth somewhat, but still useable.

This is a digital zoom, not an optical zoom. Some portion of the center of the 10 M pixel image is enlarged to give you a 10 M pixel output.

The reason why the image looks flat is that when you zoom out you are shooting more distant subjects. To give them the same 3D look you get with closer subjects you need to shoot with a wider interocular distance - hyper stereo.

Stereo photography techniques - Wikipedia

Since the distance between the lenses of the W3 is fixed your zoomed out images will look flat.

You can fix this in StereoPhotoMaker by increasing the separation of the two images. You will lose a bit of the sides of the images since the sides won't overlap anymore.

I think it is harder to fix macro shots in SPM so they look natural.

Check these out: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/62078305. The Fuji W3 isn't good for video, though. I also have a Panasonic 3D1 pocket camera and took hundreds of pics in Germany and glad I did. The video is better on the 3D1, but not perfect. Both can be had used. Sure, they cost more than when they first came out, but a quickly disappearing.

From reading all the interesting posts, I am wondering : How far can I be from the object  in order to see the 3D effects, on a computer or TV. ( with proper glasses). .??

The Cross eyes effects does not work for me...

For example- Can I take a shot of a street and still get the effects...?or do I need to be very close to the object...?

Thank you .

To fully use the stereo depth on the Fuji W3, the closest object in a scene that also includes elements at infinity distances should be about 6 feet. The stereo perception (aka, "disparity") fades with distance. For most viewers, the perceptible difference between infinity (which is "flat") and the farthest subject can be on the order of 30-40 yards. YMMV. This limits the disparity between the closest and farthest elements to maintain viewing comfort. Scenes with too great a disparity will produce viewer discomfort.

For greater perception of stereo depth at larger distances, the separation between lenses must be increased. Such work results in hyperstereo views. Since the W3 has a fixed separation (aka, "stereo base" or "interaxial"), normal use prevents this. HOWEVER...THE W3 has a selectable "CHA-CHA" mode that permits capture at variable separations (you must move the camera the desired amount horizontally between two shots). In this case, post-processing the result will probably be mandatory to re-align the two views, unless you use special hardware to move the camera exactly horizontally between the two shots. And nothing should move in the scene during the time it takes to take the two shots.

Note that you can successfully photograph closer objects with the W3 in normal mode, and produce comfortable viewing, but you must not include image elements that are also at large distances (unless the background is uniform, such as a cloudless clear blue sky). Or, you can use the CHA-CHA mode and only shift the camera by small amounts (smaller separations), and then you CAN include distant elements.

"Normal" mode means the W3 takes two images (a stereo pair) synchronized (at the same instant).

This answer your question?

-
Wayne
See more at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/turbguy/

Thank you, a bit technical 😉 but got the idea...

watchfull wrote:

Any idea where I can find the Fijinon Finepix Real 3D in Canada ??

Thanks.

You can also try Kijiji. Search “Fujifilm w3”. There is currently one listed in the greater Toronto area for $400. I was able to get one last year for under $200. I really like the camera. I have a 3D LG TV that I can view the .mpo files on. Unfortunately, you can’t find new 3D TVs anymore either but you should be able to find a used one on Kijiji as well.