Cyclopital3D 3DA1 User Manual

Cyclopital3D

Stereo Base Extender for the

Panasonic AG-3DA1

What’s in the package:

1 Stereo Base Extender
1-15mm Mounng Clamp
1-15mm Mounng Base
2-15mm 18” carbon fiber rods

NEW!

2-Hard Front Glass Covers
2- 37mm Rear Caps
2–Custom lens hoods
1- Hard sided case

Cyclopital3D Stereo Base Extender for

Panasonic AG-3DA1

This Stereo Base Extender (SBE) for the Panasonic 3DA1 helps
you to produce amazing 3D images of more distant subjects by
maintaining accurate depth portrayal when you use longer than
normal focal lengths. It is especially useful for capturing the action
in sporting events, getting up close at concerts, or shooting
wildlife while maintaining your distance. Anytime you want to get a
close look at your subject without getting too close to it.

The camera allows you to “zoom in” increasing the scale of "X"
and "Y" up to a factor of 5.6X Zoom. Now, using the Cyclopital3D
Stereo Base Extender, you can increase the scale in the "Z"
dimension too! The SBE increases the interaxial (lens spacing) by
4 times from 58mm to 200mm. The 4x interaxial makes your

subjects appear four times closer than they actually are; if you

also zoom to make them four times bigger, then it’s like you have
moved your camera to a position four times closer.

Using the SBE with lesser values of zoom will add depth to the
scene, but the expanded scale in Z can also make the world
appear somewhat “miniaturized.” Zooming in without the base
extender will make the world look “bigger,” but also “flatter” with
less depth, particularly in the subjects themselves. Taken to
extreme, zooming without increasing the stereo base can cause
“card-boarding,” where the subjects do not show the “roundness”
one sees in the real world, instead subjects may look like they are
painted on cardboard cutouts.

Errors in the scale of X and Y (errors in the aspect ratio) of an
image are clearly visible (and often “disturbing”) with less than a
20% difference in the scale of X vs. Y. Fortunately, our sensitivity
to scale errors in the Z dimension is much more “forgiving”.
However, as the error in the scale of Z approaches 200% the
“artifacts” mentioned above (miniaturization and card-boarding)
become more and more apparent.

Having a Z-scale to “play with” is the miracle of 3D
cinematography.

tool to address the creative opportunities of 3D depth and opens up a
whole new dimension of possibilities!

The SBE gives you an important and much needed

Event Broadcasters and Film-makers will quickly discover this
Stereo Base Extender to be an indispensable addition to their
tool kits. Optimal depth portrayal is a major key to achieving
fantastic results with 3D film and video and the Cyclopital3D
Stereo Base Extender further enables professionals to reach
their goals.

Installation:

To install the Stereo Base Extender to the camera you should
use the 15mm Rod Mount system included in your package.
You must first remove the four small screws from the camera’s
front bezel. Then, install the new bezel supplied with the adapter

using the same screws you removed from the camera bezel; we

recommend leaving the new bezel on the camera for quicker
and easier installation. The new bezel also opens up access to
the factory installed lens rings which can be used for wide-angle
lenses and filters. The bezel is purely cosmetic and is not
required for use with the Stereo Base Extender.

Tips for use:

•

To use the adapter you will need to zoom in until there are
no obstructions seen on the sides of the image- you will see
the black sides of the adapter until it is appropriately zoomed
in.

•

This SBE is only needed for subjects farther than about 4m
from camera. It is important to remember that your subject
should generally be the closest object in the scene. When
using the SBE, objects in the foreground closer than 4m
could cause excessive deviation and make the image
uncomfortable to view in 3D, depending on the background.

Care and Maintenance:

•

Install the front covers on the Stereo Base Extender to
protect the front glass of the unit when not in use

•

If you drop the Stereo Base Extender it will break. Please
treat it with the same care you would give to any expensive
camera lens. If the unit sustains impact damage it may be
possible to repair it using super glue (cyanoacrylate), which
bonds well to the composite material used in its construction.

•

If internal mirrors of the unit gets dirty, Cyclopital3D can
disassemble the unit and clean them for a small fee.

• Note: This unit is NOT waterproof. If you get it wet, it is possible
that condensation could result inside, which is difficult to eliminate.

Warranty

Your adapter comes with a Limited Warranty against defects in workmanship and
materials for 30 days from the date of purchase. The limited warranty does not apply if the
product has been damaged by accident, mishandling, misuse, abuse, or alteration.

All rights reserved, Cyclopital3D, Inc. 2012