What stereo base should I use for 3D photos and video with two iPhone 4 cameras?
Asked 7/14/2013
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I want to rig two iPhone 4 phones to capture 3D photos and video. What distance should I place between the two lenses for a natural-looking stereo effect, and is there a formula for calculating it? For reference, the iPhone 4 lens focal length is 3.85mm (about 30mm full-frame equivalent field of view).
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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There's nothing to calculate unless you are working with long distances (where you'd want to exaggerate the effect, such as for aerial photography of surface features) or macro-type close-ups (where a "true" effect would be the equivalent of trying to look at a bug on the end of your nose, each eye seeing only a 3/4 profile of the subject). For a realistic effect under more ordinary circumstances, use the average human interocular distance — about 2.5" or 60-65mm — unless technical considerations (the size of the cameras/lenses) get in the way, forcing you to go wider. That will give the view an image similar to what they would have seen with their own eyes.
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
13y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For normal, natural-looking 3D, you usually don’t need a complex calculation. A good starting point is the average human interpupillary distance: about 60–65 mm (roughly 2.5 inches) between the two lenses.
That spacing gives a perspective similar to what our eyes see, so the 3D effect looks realistic for everyday scenes.
You’d only change the stereo base significantly in special cases:
- Long-distance subjects: use a wider spacing to exaggerate depth.
- Very close or macro subjects: use a narrower spacing, because a normal eye-width base can make the 3D look unnatural or uncomfortable.
So for two iPhone 4s shooting ordinary scenes, place the cameras about 60–65 mm apart if the hardware allows it. If the phones are physically too large to get that close, use the smallest practical spacing.
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