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RED gives us a glimpse at its Lithium 3D camera for the Hydrogen One smartphone

Paying the asking price of $1295 for RED's Hydrogen One is difficult to justify for most consumer-level smartphone users. However, on its Facebook page the company has now given us a glimpse at why it could be a very sensible investment for commercial filmmakers and other imaging professionals.

On the social network RED has posted a picture of its upcoming Lithium 3D-camera for which the Hydrogen One is acting as a display and controller. The image caption simply says "Big things in the works for next for next year: Lithium"

It was previously revealed that the new camera will be built by Lucid, the makers of the LucidCam 360-degree VR camera, and that it will let users view 3D content in real time without the need for glasses or a headset. This should simplify things when using the camera on a movie set or similar occasions.

Speaking to Engadget, RED collaborator Phil Holland said "Lithium is designed to create very high quality H4V images. It's a lightweight stereo rig featuring two digital cinema sensors. [It] features zoom lenses and is one of the most compact and flexible ways to shoot high quality stereoscopic motion pictures ever."

By the looks of things shooting 3D with the Lithium will be less complex than with alternative systems, requiring less equipment and offering easier control through the phone plus the ability to see the 3D footage directly on the display in real time. This could make the combination of RED Hydrogen One and Lithium camera the weapon of choice for anyone requiring professional-level 3D recording. More information about the new camera should become available later this year.

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Marcelobtp

I think it solves many problems of the industry and makes it easier for "lower budget" 3d shots.
Some folks ignorant about the matter are on full rage here.
3d visualization on the go is a big problem, this is not comparable to google card box vr implementation sorry...

Jan 7, 2019
Biowizard
Biowizard

Perhaps this was supposed to be the navigation system for SeaBorne's yet-to-materialise BOATS?!

Brian

Jan 6, 2019
NottsPhoto

Someone needs to call up red and let them know 3D died in 2015.

Jan 5, 2019
tangbunna

that phone died since before release date. they knew it

Jan 6, 2019
Nukunukoo
Jan 5, 2019
Hasa
Hasa

So, how is this Jan 4 2019 announcement different from the identical-looking-product-to-the-uinitiated-eye announcement from 22nd May 2018? - (except for the bracket to attach the RED phone)

Jan 5, 2019*
Arthur Stanley Jefferson

This is going to kill my wrists!

Jan 5, 2019
Akpinxit

So apparently ,RED sell their remote controller but tells everybody that it is a cellphone ?

Jan 5, 2019
Suntan

My thoughts too.

The setup seems fine, I guess (I have no need and no exposure to pro level 3D so what do I know) but why waste time with the phone functions on this?

Jan 6, 2019
ShaiKhulud
ShaiKhulud

RED = Ridiculous Ecosystem, Damn.

We've thought about selling our URSA EF rig and buy used RED 4K body, but oh my god. That was before we've counted the accessories. Not just the body, the whole ecosystem is priced 'just because'. $200 for a wire? $3000 for 7'' preview LCD? Like what?

So yeah, $1295 smartphone as a remote and display is not as stupid as you think. In fact, it's a hell of a bargain if you're dumping your money in RED.

Jan 5, 2019
S Yu

I did wish for a FF module but...

Jan 5, 2019
Trek of Joy
Trek of Joy

That is the ugliest smartphone case I've ever seen.

Jan 5, 2019
falconeyes
falconeyes

This looks like two cameras facing downwards and shooting via a 45º mirror. DSLR = Dual Stereo Lens Reflex now?

Seriously, what can be the benefit vs. just shooting straight with two lenses at the right distance?

Also, shooting stereo is no rocket science. I do it all the time, using two equal cameras.

Jan 5, 2019
Turbguy1
Turbguy1

With further (hidden) mirrors, the interaxial might be adjustable?

Jan 5, 2019
Ebrahim Saadawi
Ebrahim Saadawi

It's using a beam splitter

Jan 5, 2019
Artak Hambarian
Artak Hambarian

Falconeyes, are you viewing the stereopairs on a 3d tv or you also have other means?

Jan 5, 2019
falconeyes
falconeyes

There are other means, I use a Google cardbox type viewer on my phone, a VR headset or an iPhone app with a screen protector which makes the iPhone act like the RED phone. But the experience isn't good this way.

My best method by far is 3D on a 4k OLED TV with polarized pixels. It is a stunning experience with no eye fatigue (with the right, unexagerated content). Would 3D have started with a quality like this, it wouldn't have died. 3D in cinemas or on lesser TVs are a gimmick and aren't ready for prime time. No wonder it didn't take off. But with technology improving, eventually it will, IMHO.

Jan 5, 2019*
Artak Hambarian
Artak Hambarian

Falconeyes, thank you for reply. So there is no flicker? My Samsung 3d tv does flicker with 3d polarized glasses, it is HD, I thought there are no 4k 3d TVs... Can I ask you to share the make and model number? ... I just searched B&H, there is only one 4k 3d model, Sony XBR-Z9D-Series...

Jan 5, 2019*
falconeyes
falconeyes

True polarized 3D cannot flicker, just reduce resolution which is invisible with 4k. Also, the glasses or glasses-click-ons weigh a few gram only.
Good 4k 3D OLED TVs are a thing of the past. I believe, the last ones were made in 2016. The recommended make is LG and size is 65". EBay may sell you a few used ones cheap.

Jan 6, 2019*
Mike Davis

This article indicates the stereo base is adjustable:

"The new camera is the first dual camera to give users full 8K video and picture capabilities converting to 4V in real-time while allowing them to shoot like professionals, with dynamically adjustable lens distances for the best 3D focus and zoom."

That author thinks this feature relates to "focus and zoom." LOL

https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2018-05/43863759-lucid-partners-with-red-to-build-8k-3d-4v-camera-for-hydrogen-one-200.htm

I'd be impressed if the stereo base can be adjusted automatically, for Near and Far distances, changing to match the intrinsic depth of the scene, to maintain a constant, but user-modifiable deviation. That way, the base would fluidly decrease as the camera-to-Near distance decreases, always taking Far distances into account, too.

I suspect only manual control; still better than a fixed-base rig, but with the two lenses side-by-side, its minimum base is greater than zero. Curious.

Jan 6, 2019
Mike Davis

Updating my comment, above... Revisiting the pictures of this new rig, I've concluded it truly is a beam-splitter - the lenses are not side-by-side, as falconeyes predicted - which means a base of 0 mm is likely achievable, making slightly larger bases possible, for close-ups - out to a base of 65mm, surely, but how much farther? Specs, please!

Jan 6, 2019
Artak Hambarian
Artak Hambarian

Falconeyes, it cannot flickr, if each eye recives information at ferquency higher than 24 frames per second, which has not been possible since tv standard is either 25 or 30 fps depending on country, thus each eye receives next consecutive frame, which was managed by synchronized blacking via controlled polarization via polarising goggles, means only half of the standard fps, i.e. 12.5 or 15 hz which cannot avoid violent flicker. So what is happening in the 4k standard to avid this? 4k standard allows up to 120 hz fps, means for 3d up to 60 hz. But does any 3d 4k tv support this? Is there content in this format? LG uses the standard that allows both L and R interlaced frames combined into normal frame eventually yielding HD. Is there content for LG standard?

Jan 6, 2019*
falconeyes
falconeyes

@Artak, you seriously confuse a lot of things here. I try to keep it simple, by remaining restricted to one specific example.

An LG 3D 4k OLED TV is an ordinary TV. 3D comes from many sources, like 3D BluRay or SideBySide video streams, nothing special for LG. A 3D and a non 3D stream have the same frame rate, there is no reduction, no flicker. OLEDs don‘t flicker anyway, even for 24fps movies. It is refreshed like 100+ Hz.

3D blockbuster movies are 2x FullHD, with left and right eye both encoded into the BluRay file, i.e., doubling #pixels of a mono FullHD movie. A 4k 3D screen can upsample the 2x FullHD signal to 4k which is 4x #pixels of FullHD, i.e., no loss of resolution or frame rate whatsoever. 3D LG TVs have the ability to polarize every other pixel differently, so each eye sees only half the 4k image. But because this is still better than FullHD, this is invisible. And because OLEDs have infinite contrast, there is no ghosting. The end effect is a TV turned into a wall hole.

Jan 6, 2019
falconeyes
falconeyes

Side note: I also have special glasses where one only sees either the left, or right image, with both eyes. Looks perfectly normal. Except that two viewers can see two totally different screens. It is supported by a few PS4 games like racing and allows a nice one vs. one gaming experience sharing a single large screen TV.

Summary: 3D has failed because this kind of quality was delivered too late for the masses to adopt. But it eventually did get delivered ...

Jan 6, 2019*
Artak Hambarian
Artak Hambarian

Falconeyes, thank you! So because of high frame rate the same frame is "repeated" 2 or 4 times, or prolonged, to avoid flicker. Now I see. But my question remains: is there true 4k 3d footage or this technology benefits from 4k refresh rate and OLED technology, and, as in case of LG, always at the expense of resolution needs to be downgraded from 4k to HD? Anyway thank you, I think I have a clue now what the current technology offers, alas, as you say, does it too late... I will try to find a place where 3d 4k TV is demonstrated.

Jan 7, 2019
Turbguy1
Turbguy1

I certainly hope that Lucid has acheived acceptable (ie, perfect) synch between left and right views. The prior product (LucidCam) was FAR from satisfactory in this (VERY important) regard...

The Fuji W3 has great synch, as does the WeeView SID. LucidCam? Not (IMO).

And, specs for the LucidCam don't even mention the interaxial distance. What more important measure is there for a stereoscopic video rig??

Jan 4, 2019*
Clyde Thomas

Awesome to remove this from my pocket and take a call in front of a client.

And so well balanced too!

Jan 4, 2019*
GodSpeaks
GodSpeaks

3D is still dead. Thankfully the 3DTV craze is also dead. Just like the curved TV. They are all silly ideas to lure equally silly consumers to spend their money.

Jan 4, 2019
Marcelobtp

Not really, 3d is dormant and will comeback with VR at full force in a few years, as just did before.
Curved displays have their benefit as well but for a niche, we may even see curved displays with 3d in the future, for wider screen aspect ratios 21:9 and bigger, gor gaming it will certainly be interesting and maybe cost effective in relation to VR.

Jan 7, 2019
Simon Zeev
Simon Zeev

The good news is that maybe 3D will be back.
I was very disappointed when all manufacturers announce that they will not make 3DTV anymore.
I shoot mostly 3D pictures and my 3DTV is getting old....

Jan 4, 2019
Turbguy1
Turbguy1

Plenty of Stereoscopic movies still being released...

Jan 5, 2019
ozturert

It is the first phone that can be used as "investment"...

Jan 4, 2019
Suntan

Not true. I use my phone to log into my Fidelity account all the time.

Jan 6, 2019
Rensol

Are they making competitor to Fujifilm w3 3d (or whatewer it was called)?
:)

Jan 4, 2019
entoman
entoman

Oooo yippee another smartphone

Jan 4, 2019
GodSpeaks
GodSpeaks

I think you missed the point of the article.

Jan 4, 2019
entoman
entoman

I missed it deliberately ;-) Smartphones are boring, 3D is boring. Yes, I know, I'm boring too, but what the ****...

Jan 5, 2019*
Terrible Photographer
Terrible Photographer

Are you kidding me?

Jan 4, 2019
cosinaphile
cosinaphile

as a sensible and cost effective cellphone, it is absolutely an unwise investment,....but perhaps as a remote viewer and controller ?...
.... that can make a phone call ?..possibly a good aux. item...part of a system...
to me, if it has level of dedication i see in apps like my Fuji or Nikon has,... it may range from almost passable to....almost useless...a bit expensive for what it provides then....

ill not mention the holographic display further

Jan 4, 2019*
Threlly
Threlly

I rolled my eyes so hard I fractured my eye sockets.

Jan 4, 2019
Terrible Photographer
Jan 4, 2019
Jonathan Stewart

I tried this phone at verizon at was very disappointed. When you switch to 3D the screen becomes very low resolution. A cheap alternative is to just download the google cardboard camera app and buy an inexpensive be headset. The photos the app makes are in 3D when viewed with a very headset.

Jan 4, 2019
DavidKennard
DavidKennard

I thought 3D was over and VR was the current fad?

Jan 4, 2019
Richmondthefish

VR isn't a fad. 3D is just stereoscopic images. VR puts you into a different world.

Jan 4, 2019
entoman
entoman

Thanks all the same but I'll stay in this one.

Jan 4, 2019
Jan 8, 2019
tkbslc

I don't get how a weird overpriced phone is part of this? Why not just build a 3D display into that giant rig?

Jan 4, 2019*
CaPi

How big is that thing? :D

Jan 4, 2019
McArchive

Bigger than a mushroom and smaller than cantaloupe calves

Jan 4, 2019
entoman
entoman

I wouldn't be so sure.

There are some very big mushrooms.

Jan 4, 2019