Building a Stereoscopic Camera

With so few stereoscopic camera options on the market, why not build your own? A custom stereo rig offers flexibility in baseline, image quality, and features that no consumer camera can match.

Why Build Your Own?

Better image quality: Use cameras with larger sensors and better lenses

Adjustable baseline: Set the exact separation you need for your subjects

Higher resolution: Modern mirrorless cameras far exceed any dedicated 3D camera

Lens choice: Wide angle, telephoto, macro—whatever the shot requires

Option 1: StereoPi

The StereoPi is an open-source Raspberry Pi-based stereo camera platform.

Features

Dual Raspberry Pi camera modules

Customizable baseline (various cases available, not infinitely customizable, but some)

Real-time preview

Captures synchronized stills and video

Open-source software

Pros

Affordable (~$100-150 for complete kit)

Hackable and customizable

Active community

Cons

Small sensors (typical Pi camera limitations)

Moderate image quality

Requires some technical setup

Difficult to use in the field

Option 2: Dual Budget Cameras with Synchronized Remote

Another simple approach: mount two identical cameras side by side and trigger them simultaneously.

What You Need

Two identical cameras (same model for matching color/exposure)

Mounting bracket or custom rig

Synchronized remote trigger (wired or wireless)

Tripod

Camera Suggestions

GoPRo HERO 3+ Stereo Housing (Discontinued, but available used)

Action Cameras such as the Timnut aka Onlincam

Building the Rig

What I did was use the tripod mounts for the cameras to mount them to a quick release Arca Swiss plate mounted to a rail. The rail is marked and allows me to quickly adjust the distance between the cameras. Due to their width, they can only get as close as 70mm, but you can slide them further apart as well for hyperstereo shots. But it is best to keep it the same for a session, to make it easier to process the photos later, so you know the baseline to set.

These cheap cameras come with an RF remote to trigger the shutter, which conveniently is not tied to a specific camera, so pressing it will take a synchronized photo on both cameras at the same time. At least that is the hope, it sometimes doesn’t, but most of the time it does, on a long shoot, if I am careful to not take too many shots that look the same, it’s not too much of a problem to filter out the misfires. The timing also isn’t perfect, it is good enough for most things, but not millisecond accurate for sports or anything.

The biggest problem I have with these cameras is that they have really wide angle lenses, so things can get distorted, like a fisheye effect. It is worse than on a typical GoPro, so beware. I was able to counteract it a bit in post, as they say, but it’s not ideal for still photo work. I have some scripts on github that convert photos from these cameras and try to compensate for the lens distortion at the link below.
More Info on my rig and software…

Option 3: DSLR/Mirrorless Rig with Shared Bulb Trigger

For the highest quality, a dual Sony rig with synchronized shutter release produces professional results.

What You Need

Two matched DSLR/Mirrorless Cameras

Two Matching lenses

Stereo mounting bracket

Mounting rail

Bulb trigger splitter cable

Sturdy tripod

My Setup

I built a rig with a pair of Sony α6000 digital SLR Cameras with SmallRig Camera Cages that allow them to be mounted in weird ways, such as upside down or on their sides on a quick release rail like the above rig. To trigger them, I use a pair of PROfezzion Wireless Shutter Release Remote Controls which are RF and allow using multiple receivers on the same channel with the same remote. With one camera upside down, the lenses can get as close as 105mm, with them mounted on their edges.

Using a L Bracket I mounted the cameras with the tops together, I can get the lenses as close as a baseline of 75mm, which is basically touching with a standard lens. There’s no way to get a 65mm baseline like human vision, but this isn’t too bad.

If you don’t use an RF trigger, there are some Sony to 2.5mm shutter trigger adapters that you can combine with a Y adapter to drive 2 cameras instead, for a (cheaper) hard-wired solution. Both this and the RF option get you pretty good timing, far better than the timing in option 2.
More Info on my rig and software…

Tips for Any DIY Rig

Match your cameras: Same model, same firmware, same settings. Even small differences cause alignment headaches.

Level carefully: Both cameras must be perfectly horizontal and aligned.

Lock exposure: Use manual exposure so both cameras capture identically.

Sync white balance: Set a specific Kelvin value rather than auto.

Test your sync: Photograph a stopwatch or moving object to verify simultaneous capture.

Plan for post-processing: Even well-matched cameras need alignment in software. Budget time for this step. See editing software for hints.