3D

Why Qoocam EGO uses a rare type of 3D viewer

Qoocam EGO uses a rare type of 3D viewer

I received a sample of the Qoocam EGO for review and it turns out that it uses a rare type of 3D viewer.

Kandao Qoocam EGO is a 3D camera with removable 3D viewer
Kandao Qoocam EGO is a 3D camera with removable 3D viewer

Kandao Qoocam EGO is a new 3D camera with removable 3D viewer.  Although 3D hasn’t really become mainstream yet, Kandao is hoping that some of the increasing number of VR headset users could be interested in capturing their memories immersively.  Qoocam EGO had a successful crowdfunding campaign and will be shipping this month.

I received a review copy for testing last week and have been very impressed with the build quality of the camera.  One thing that struck me was the unusual 3D viewer.

A 3D photo I shot in 2013, in parallel SBS, shot with Nikon D600 and Loreo 3D lens
A 3D photo I shot in 2013, in parallel SBS, shot with Nikon D600 and Loreo 3D lens

Normally, 3D images are shown side by side, usually with the left image for the left eye, and the right image for the right eye (occasionally, they are reversed for cross-eye viewing).

3D viewers or stereoscopes are usually relatively simple.  They have a way of limiting the left eye’s view to the left side of the side-by-side image, and the right eye to the ride side of the image.  A common design uses lenses and a barrier between the left view and right view, so that the left eye can only see the left side and vice-versa.

Photo of stereoscope by Judson McCranie
Photo of stereoscope by Judson McCranie

The Qoocam EGO has a removable 3D viewer, but the viewer is unusual because it is designed for viewing side-by-side images that are rotated 90 degrees.  Through mirrors and lenses, the images are re-rotated and appear in a normal horizontal orientation, somewhat like the Tri-Delta Prism stereo system.

Tri-Delta Prism Stereo Viewer was a 3D camera for landscape oriented photos
Tri-Delta Prism Stereo Viewer was a 3D camera for landscape oriented photos

It’s not easy to show the Qoocam EGO’s screen because the image reverts to a standard 2D image as soon as you remove the viewer, but in the shot below, you can see that the landscape images are rotated on their side, head to head.

The images on the screen appear rotated 90 degrees
The images on the screen appear rotated 90 degrees

The reason for this unusual design is the same as that of the Tri-Delta: it is designed for showing horizontal landscape-oriented 3D photos without cropping.

Qoocam EGO can view 3D photos and videos in landscape format
Qoocam EGO can view 3D photos and videos in landscape format

This effect only appears on the Qoocam EGO’s screen when the 3D viewer is attached.  The 3D photo and video files themselves are in standard side-by-side format.

I look forward to posting a review of the Qoocam EGO soon.

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Mic Ty

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    • Thank you my friend. Yes it is interesting to see a new 3D camera instead of a 360 camera. I wonder what VR users will think? We’ll see.

  • I’m curious to see whether the EGO will go into normal retail before the summer holidays. I didn’t want to pre-order, like I did with the QooCam 4K, because of customs clearance. Which fixed IPD does the viewer have? Does a deviation from this IPD have a negative impact? (What are the kids saying 🙂