Canon Introduces Their First Dual Fisheye Lens for Stereoscopic 3D 180° VR Capture in 8K

[InchMetric]

Would this be good for wedding videos ?

I was imagining that because of the ability to effectively pan in post.
But 3D?

 

[pauloancarvalho]

I was imagining that because of the ability to effectively pan in post.
But 3D?

It will be fantastic for weddings, dance shows, skateboarding, vlogs, everything you can imagina filming with a wide angle and then reframing in post. I love the GoPro MAX because of that reason, although it's very time consuming in post, keep that in mind. I'm very excited for this lens!

 

[koenkooi]

My understanding is the lens projects two 17.5mm tall (circular) images side by side. The real world view overlaps, but each image gets a separate part of the sensor to be projected on. Software is used to combine the two images into a 3D model of the scene. AFAIK, the model's resolution can't exceed that of each image, which is well under 8K.

The Canon app will de-fish the fisheye images and give you a "rectilinear 180" 8k image, consisting of both viewpoints merged/stitched. So each side is "double" 4k, with the centers having that actual resolution and the edges having way, waaaaay less resolution.

 

[InchMetric]

In a way. You could film the first dance, pointing at the couple, for example. You could then watch it back and see what uncle bob was doing in the corner at the time. On second thoughts maybe not such a good idea

But joking aside. You would get a 3D video of the dance and the ability to see the audience.

My thought is that this all is obtainable with a conventional fisheye lens without the dubious need for 3D.

 

[koenkooi]

For those that have asked yes the lens does 3D, that’s why it has two optics. But it also does more than that.

If you use a headset, which can be an Oculus or just a simple Google Cardboard box that your smartphone slots into. You get a video were you the watcher have the ability to look around the frame. Given the 190deg angle of view this provides you are able to see all the way to the left and right and up and down. As I said that is controlled by the person watching the video, not the one recording it.[..]

I just assembled a google cardboard clone kit and watched some VR180 and VR360 clips on youtube. It was a lot more immersive and fun that I had been expecting for a €10 kit.
The Canon promo was a lot more impressive viewed that way.

 

[entoman]

You cannot charge the distance between lenses. Only the focus difference between eyes.

Yep, I edited my post yesterday and apologised for the confusion…

 

[skrubol]

About the subscription services, I assume (hope) that the output from the camera will still be a conventional file that will be readable by many video editors. I'm sure there are open source video editors (or at least non-subscription) that can deal with splitting the image, de-fisheye-ing, and re combining the result, it might just not be as smooth a workflow, and may not correct the distortion as well as the official workflow.
I wonder what the firmware update will be for, making selecting AF easier? Ability to just show one side on the viewfinder (zoomed appropriately?)

 

[Antono Refa]

The Canon app will de-fish the fisheye images and give you a "rectilinear 180" 8k image

De-fishing can't make pixels out of nothing. Like upscaling, it will work nicely close to the center, but the corners will look mushy.

Also, de-fishing takes time, which would require more hardware and/or time, limiting its usability for video and real time.

 

[koenkooi]

[..]I wonder what the firmware update will be for, making selecting AF easier? Ability to just show one side on the viewfinder (zoomed appropriately?)

It's a manual focus lens....

 

[Ian K]

My understanding is the lens projects two 17.5mm tall (circular) images side by side. The real world view overlaps, but each image gets a separate part of the sensor to be projected on. Software is used to combine the two images into a 3D model of the scene. AFAIK, the model's resolution can't exceed that of each image, which is well under 8K.

I agree. But suggested a way they could still achieve 8K, which they are claiming

 

[LogicExtremist]

In a way. You could film the first dance, pointing at the couple, for example. You could then watch it back and see what uncle bob was doing in the corner at the time. On second thoughts maybe not such a good idea

But joking aside. You would get a 3D video of the dance and the ability to see the audience.

If you used it for weddings, with the 190 degree view, which allows you to see 10.6" backward when held up at 5 feet high as you calculated, you'll also be able to get a great shot of the photographer's shoes!

 

[landon]

Looks cool.
So it's not $50? Ohhhh, $50 is the subscription fees

 

[Nemorino]

When I was a kid in the 60's, my father gave me his old Exacta Varex SLR and he also had the 3D adaptor for it.

The first camera with two lenses for stereoscopic pictures was announced in 1849! But it is still a niche. Maybe with the VR stuff it is getting more successfull.

 

[pauloancarvalho]

If you used it for weddings, with the 190 degree view, which allows you to see 10.6" backward when held up at 5 feet high as you calculated, you'll also be able to get a great shot of the photographer's shoes!

You just reframe it, like a GoPro MAX or any other 360º camera. In fact, you'll need to do it anyway for distortion correction.

 

[SonicStudios]

Looks amazing, be fun to experiment with R5 and Ninja V+. Not really bothered by subscription based post prod, their not alone

 

[chasingrealness]

This kind of thinking says interesting things about what may be to come in the ILC market. I may be wrong but I think it could be argued that the pandemic made widespread adoption of VR or VR-adjacent experiences much more viable.

 

[LogicExtremist]

You just reframe it, like a GoPro MAX or any other 360º camera. In fact, you'll need to do it anyway for distortion correction.

Thanks, I was only joking. Many people taking snapshots of things on the ground with their ultrawide smartphones do great shoe photography!

 

[pauloancarvalho]

Thanks, I was only joking. Many people taking snapshots of things on the ground with their ultrawide smartphones do great shoe photography!

So true!

 

[Australisblue]

This looks like an interesting lens/es. Just my curiosity, I assume the 3D effect would become less and less effective the more you rotate from what was directly in front of the lens during recording as the lenses effectively become closer and closer together the greater the angle?

 

[Bdbtoys]

The Canon VR Utility should be included with the cost of the lens. If there isn't an open (non-pay) solution to processing images, this lens went from "I could get this and have fun with it" vs "I can't justify the continued cost to just have fun with it"... especially on a lens that costs what this does. If it turns out the only way to use images is with the subscriptions , I am definitely passing on it.