3D (Stereoscopic) Photography

• Depending upon the task, I have four cameras that I use for stereoscopic (3D) photography. The Fuji FinePix W3 is my favorite, since it has a built in 3D lenticular viewer. When I'm shooting fireworks, I use the GoPro 3D Hero System fastened to my helmet, and shoot video. The resolution is lower than the Fuji FinePix W3, but I can extract individual frames from the video at a later time. I also have a pair of twin pentax cameras with 18 - 200 mm zoom lenses mounted on a bar with a fixed lens spacing of 145 mm. This is great for photographing subjects further than about ten feet away. (The gears used to couple the two lenses using a timing belt were designed using OpenSCAD and printed on my 3D Printer.) For lenticular photography (which when printed on a 600 DPI printer requires 15 images for a 40 LPI lenticular lens), I use my Nikon D40X with a homemade slide bar, so that I can shoot a series of photos, moving the camera a precise distance after each shot.
• My favorite way to view 3D photos is on my 3D TV. My Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Blu-ray 3D player can read 3D MPO files from a USB flash drive, and display these in 3D on my TV. I can also display 3D photos on my iPhone 4 with the aid of a Hasbro My3D Viewer. Another alternative is to have Image3D create ViewMaster type reels. Finally, I can print 4 x 6 stereo cards, and view these using a Loreo Deluxe 3D Viewer. Here are some of my stereoscopic photos, formatted as 3D Stereo Cards. You can print these, cut them to size, and view them using the Loreo Deluxe 3D Viewer or even an old stereo card viewer from an antique shop.
• Lenticular Photos require approximately 15 photos (depending upon the resolution of the lenticular lens and the resolution of the printer). These photos are taken by moving approximately 2 inches to the right after each shot, to produce a 3D effect that has more depth than that produced by a traditional sterescopic (3D) camera. The Cascade Stereoscopic Club had a display of lenticular photos at the 2012 Oregon State Fair, including six of my photos. Two sources of lenticular lenses in retail quantities are VueThru and MicroLens.
• I've experimented briefly with Phantograms (pop-up 3D), but have not yet produced any that I'm happy with. I hope to spend more time on phantograms in the future.
• I am a member of the Cascade Stereoscopic Club, which meets in the Portland, Oregon area on the fourth Monday evening of each month. I am also a member of the CSC Steering Committee, which helps plan club activites. New members are welcome. The club meetings are a great place to learn about 3D (Stereoscopic) Photography, cameras, software, and other aspects of the hobby, and to improve your skills.
• If you have Red Cyan 3D Glasses (or another method of viewing 3D photographs), please visit my Stereoscopic (3D) Photo Gallery.