How do I figure out Camera Presets?

mediumaevum · February 20, 2013, 4:58am

I want to do camera tracking, but I can’t figure out any camera settings (focal length, Optical Center etc.) for my Sony Handycam CX116.

I tried Google, but it brings up all sorts of ads, no serious technical information that I actually need!

Please help me!

Richard_Marklew · February 20, 2013, 5:23am

I tried Google, but it brings up all sorts of ads, no serious technical information that I actually need!
I’d suggest the first thing you do is learn how to use a search engine, sensor and lens info here from the 4th link down when googled Sony Handycam CX116 http://www.sony.ee/product/cam-high-definition-on-memory-stick/hdr-cx116e/technical-specifications#tab

Optical center is the centre of the image (half the width/height)

This is also the kind of info you might find in the manual that came with the camera or as with the link above the manufacturers website.

GodOfBigThings · February 20, 2013, 5:27am

I’ve never done camera tracking so I don’t know abou all the info you require. But I can tell you about the focal length.

From this page here:http://www.sony.ee/product/cam-high-definition-on-memory-stick/hdr-cx116e/technical-specifications

[TABLE=“class: node, width: 941”]
[TR=“class: alt”]
f (35mm conversion): Camera mode (mm)
16:9 Mode . 37-1075 / 4:3 Mode . 45-1325

[/TR]

f (35mm conversion): Memory mode (mm)
16:9 Mode . 39-975 / 4:3 Mode . 36-900

[/TABLE]

This means that when shooting in 16:9 mode, and shooting fully zoomed out, the angle of view is equivalent to a 39mm focal length lens on a full frame sensor camera.

Or if you don’t get the jargon, this is directly the angle of view to be set for blender’s camera. Note that this only applies with the default camera settings, if you have any presets set up, then blender will be tring o help too much by adjusting for the sensor size.

Similarly, fully zoomed in, the effective focal length is 975mm (which is 25*39, since it’s a 25x camcorder).

I’m no sure about “Camera mode” and “memory mode” since I’ve never shot with a camcorder, but I assume that camera mode is for stills and memory mode for video.
If you are somewhere in between, and the camera displays the zoom factor (like 12x/22x) on the screen then you can calculate the effective focal length.

If you want to find out how to track the footage when you are zooming in and out during the footage, you should try searching for it, if someone doesn’t answer it here.

dfaszer · February 21, 2013, 9:13pm

This tutorial from cgcookie.com talks about how to use photography techniques to improve your renders:

mediumaevum · February 24, 2013, 3:49am

GodOfBigThings:

I’ve never done camera tracking so I don’t know abou all the info you require. But I can tell you about the focal length.

From this page here:http://www.sony.ee/product/cam-high-definition-on-memory-stick/hdr-cx116e/technical-specifications

This means that when shooting in 16:9 mode, and shooting fully zoomed out, the angle of view is equivalent to a 39mm focal length lens on a full frame sensor camera.

Or if you don’t get the jargon, this is directly the angle of view to be set for blender’s camera. Note that this only applies with the default camera settings, if you have any presets set up, then blender will be tring o help too much by adjusting for the sensor size.

Similarly, fully zoomed in, the effective focal length is 975mm (which is 25*39, since it’s a 25x camcorder).

I’m no sure about “Camera mode” and “memory mode” since I’ve never shot with a camcorder, but I assume that camera mode is for stills and memory mode for video.
If you are somewhere in between, and the camera displays the zoom factor (like 12x/22x) on the screen then you can calculate the effective focal length.

If you want to find out how to track the footage when you are zooming in and out during the footage, you should try searching for it, if someone doesn’t answer it here.

Thank you very much