Making 3d films more possible for independent film-makers with Sony’s new professional 3d camcorder2 min read

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For many years, the creativity of independent film-makers have been very constricted by budget problems and lack of funding, especially so when they wish to make a 3d film because professional 3d equipment were just too damn expensive.

But thankfully for technology and its crazy never-ending advancement, professional 3d equipment is becoming more and more affordable. Especially with the launch of Sony’s new professional 3d compact camcorder, HXR-NX3D1P NXCAM .

The “˜ready-to-go’ HXR-NX3D1P camcorder’s functions have been designed to offer a new level of manoeuvrability, workflow convenience and ease of use, while maintaining professional quality output.

The camcorder supports the user-friendly and widely used AVCHD codec, along with twin Sony G Lenses, and “˜Exmor Râ„¢’ CMOS sensors, and image processors, to deliver professional quality 3D shooting, while 1920×1080 full HD left and right images enable realistic HD recording.

Several features have been included to ensure an efficient workflow:

• Double full HD recordings are encoded in the H.264 MVC (Multi-Views Coding) then packed into a single file. When the file is imported to compatible editing software such as Sony Vegas Pro 10.0d, it can be treated as L and R synchronised images without importing twice

• Also, the supplied Content Management Utility 2.1 software is able to split the single 3D file into L and R video stream files which can be edited in AVCHD compatible 3D editing software.

• The G Lenses allow a x10 long zoom ratio in 3D, delivering more flexibility in shooting situations. The glasses-free 3.5″ Xtra fine 3D LCDâ„¢ monitor with approximately 1229K pixels (2562×480) makes 3D picture control easier, as there is no need for shutter or polarised glasses to view the 3D effect, while 96GB of internal flash memory enables around 7.5 hours of 3D recording (memory cards can also be used as an alternative recording media). The detachable XLR adaptor and ECM-XM1 shotgun microphone offer high-quality Linear PCM recordinng.

• Finally, the HXR-NX3D1P NXCAM Professional 3D Compact Camcorder has been created with the viewing experience in mind. SteadyShotâ„¢ Active Mode 3-way camera shake stabilising technology smoothes up/down, left/right and rolling movement and ensures minimal shake, even during hand-held shooting, to maintain a comfortable viewing experience. The HDMI signal type is selectable from Side-by-Side or Frame Packing, depending on the user’s 3D monitor. Content can be both created and viewed in 2D where 3D playback options are unavailable.

The launch of the HXR-NX3D1P is planned to be available in Singapore from July 2011 onwards