My GoPro 3D setup

[3D diver]

Thank you.

That Eye-of-Mine case is interesting, but you can't control both cameras and they aren't quite aligned properly. For now you have to use the H3's like I'm using the Looxcies, i.e. mount their underwater housings side-by-side, shoot simultaneously, and fine tune the time alignment in your video editor.

I had a small wrench rubber banded to the bottom of my tray in case one of the mount bolts loosened. To aid in time alignment I would rattle the wrench after starting each camera to create a spike in the audio track. But when editing I found my exhaust bubbles created enough audio spikes so I didn't need the wrench noise after all.

 

[benhdavis]

Just a couple more questions. I am unsure how to get the interaxial distance on the gopro hero3. The hero2 website said 33mm I can't think of anyway to keep them in their cases and get them that close.

Also, are you doing your initial editing to get it into SBS in cineform?

 

[3D diver]

The Hero 2 interaxial is achieved by inverting the left camera in the housing.

There is no "official" Hero 3 3D setup but, as you are aware, there is a new fixture for mounting them in separate cases:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/gopro-video/473124-3d-mount-solution-hero3.html

There is also a 3D system for the 3's for land use for sale here:

3DGuy.tv | The Ultimate Site for All Things 3D/4K & 4K3D

I used to use cineform to prep my 3D videos for editing in Pinnacle 16 and, later, Sony Vegas 12 but the new Studio 2.0 doesn't work with either editor anymore (support requests to Pinnacle, Sony and GoPro have failed to yield a solution) so I am doing everything in Sony Vegas.

Vegas automatically creates 3D subclips from the Hero2 right and left clips and has 3D alignment adjustment tools that are just as easy to use as Cineform's and do not require creation of a duplicate set of "converted" files. (I'm getting low on disk space.)

For my Looxcie 3D editing I have to time-align the clips before combining them as a 3D subclip. (and you would have to do this with a Hero 3 setup too).

 

[Jetsers]

great thread. I have no clue how I hadn't seen this one before.

Just made a pvc mount and handles, and am working on finding a lighting solution next.

Next dive is less than a month away. Can't wait!

 

[3D diver]

Thanks.

I've been tinkering with other cameras lately, as much to work up the learning curve of 3d without synchronized cameras as anything. After several dives with the Looxcie 3's, I've picked up a second Looxcie HD. The Looxcie HD's are very narrow so I can reduce the housed lens-to-lens spacing to 2 1/4":



I also just ordered a pair of the new DRIS shorty impact lights with the video head. This will save me the hassle of swapping lights between rigs on two-dive days.

 

[3D diver]

Update:

My Hero 2 3D housing flooded right before the Hero 4's were released. The 4's don't support 3D, but the 3+ blacks do---and their price dropped---so I bought a pair & 3D housing. DRIS had a sale on the Impact lights so I got two more of those too.

Here, then, are my current camera configurations:



The rig on top is a 5-camera, Looxcie HD based, "cameras-pointing-everywhere" rig with my holographic diffuser modified lights.

The lower rig is the new GoPro 3+ 3D rig with 4 DRIS Impact shorty's with video heads.

 

[toozler]

Do you stitch together the footage from the 5 cameras for ultra-wide video?

 

[3D diver]

I've done two dives with 3 cameras forward and two to the rear. If I get a second dive tomorrow I'm thinking of trying all 5 forward---one straight and the remaining four pointed at the "corners"---to mimic a wider angle stitch.

Here's the one video I've posted with the 5 camera rig. I don't have any actual stitching software, so it's all approximate:

 

[3D diver]

So...it appears the recent forum move has disabled many of my video links. They are still available on YouTube, just the forum links are disabled (apparently). You can get there by copying the link and searching in YouTube or Google.

As for an update on my rig. I am still shooting 3D and have begun tinkering with 360 View video using a pair of Kodak SP360 4K cameras.

Edit: the support folks fixed the links.