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Cameras for immersive spatial VR
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Robert Brown (RLBrown)
Feb 17, 2025, 9:03:23 PMFeb 17
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Hello SVMUG members and friends,
You may remember a few months back, I speculated on how an example video, the Alicia Keys rehearsal, was produced. Anyone could tell that fake speaker columns in the rehearsal room contained the VR cameras. But what were these cameras? From the size of the enclosures and the look of the lens front element, I thought that maybe it was the Canon Dual Lens on the Canon R5 camera. Professional beg to differ. The Canon sensor can't produce the resolution required.
Interestingly, one professional commented that the video quality was not particularly good. I thought it was pretty good, but other people have higher standards.
First, review some definitions.
An immersive video spans the entire field of view, which should be a complete sphere around you. However, a 180-degree coverage of what you see without turning your head is often called immersive. In many productions, 144-degree coverage will do.
A spatial video has left and right-eye views so that the 3D world is conveyed to the senses. It is not necessarily immersive; for example, it can be viewed in 3D through a window.
The Blackmagic Ursa Cine 3D camera, costing about $30K, is touted as the industry leader. It can produce 180-degree field of view spatial videos, recording directly to the MV-HEVC format if desired. However, this camera is just now being shipped. It could not have been used for the early Apple productions, such as the Alicia Keys rehearsal. Apparently, neither was the Canon setup.
So what was used? Apple may have a custom rig. You can mount two cameras with fisheye lenses side-by-side. Run the video through a little mathematical manipulation, and you will get the finished product.
A picture was posted of two Next cameras rigged together. Whether this was the rig or not, Next was Steve Jobs' company, which Apple acquired upon his return to the CEO position.
It would be interesting if Apple decided to market their own VR camera, at a price point significantly lower than presently available.
— Robert Brown
You may remember a few months back, I speculated on how an example video, the Alicia Keys rehearsal, was produced. Anyone could tell that fake speaker columns in the rehearsal room contained the VR cameras. But what were these cameras? From the size of the enclosures and the look of the lens front element, I thought that maybe it was the Canon Dual Lens on the Canon R5 camera. Professional beg to differ. The Canon sensor can't produce the resolution required.
Interestingly, one professional commented that the video quality was not particularly good. I thought it was pretty good, but other people have higher standards.
First, review some definitions.
An immersive video spans the entire field of view, which should be a complete sphere around you. However, a 180-degree coverage of what you see without turning your head is often called immersive. In many productions, 144-degree coverage will do.
A spatial video has left and right-eye views so that the 3D world is conveyed to the senses. It is not necessarily immersive; for example, it can be viewed in 3D through a window.
The Blackmagic Ursa Cine 3D camera, costing about $30K, is touted as the industry leader. It can produce 180-degree field of view spatial videos, recording directly to the MV-HEVC format if desired. However, this camera is just now being shipped. It could not have been used for the early Apple productions, such as the Alicia Keys rehearsal. Apparently, neither was the Canon setup.
So what was used? Apple may have a custom rig. You can mount two cameras with fisheye lenses side-by-side. Run the video through a little mathematical manipulation, and you will get the finished product.
A picture was posted of two Next cameras rigged together. Whether this was the rig or not, Next was Steve Jobs' company, which Apple acquired upon his return to the CEO position.
It would be interesting if Apple decided to market their own VR camera, at a price point significantly lower than presently available.
— Robert Brown
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