Sony mirrorless cameras have become one of the best and most popular cameras on the market. With small cameras like the Sony a7C and high-resolution systems like the a7R IV, there are plenty of options for almost any type of photography. This seems especially the case when you put 144 Sony cameras together into a synchronized system.
On the outskirts of Madrid, Spain, there is a company called Digital Peris. Founded in 2021, Peris Digital is a subsidiary of Peris Costumes, a company that has been designing costumes since 1856. The apparel company’s small digital division creates high-resolution digital scans high resolution using an impressive rig of 144 Sony cameras.
The cameras that Peris Digital uses for its equipment are Sony a7C and Sony a7R IV. The Sony a7C is great because it’s a relatively inexpensive full-frame camera and one of the smallest in its category. The Sony a7R IV is a more conventionally sized mirrorless camera; however, it offers a lot of resolution with its 61-megapixel full-frame sensor.
The primary lens used with these cameras is Sony 85mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.8. These two lenses are two of Sony’s cheapest full frame lenses right now. However, they produce great results. The only high-end lens used in the rig is the Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM lens. This is one of the sharpest lenses from Sony today.
Interestingly, the Sony 135mm GM lens is often used as a portrait lens due to its wide focal length and aperture. However, it looks like Peris Digital is taking advantage of its resolution to produce the most detailed scans.
Incorporating two cameras and three lenses into the rig pictured above allows the company to create incredibly detailed 3D scans. The most interesting thing is that Peris Digital has managed to synchronize all the cameras to trigger the shutters at exactly the same time. This, along with some post-production work, produces results that are said to be better than regular CGI.
The method of taking multiple images of a particular scene or object and then converting them into a 3D digital model is known as “photometry”. This technique seems to be the preferred choice of many in the industry due to its speed and accuracy. Even triple-A game developers prefer this method over CGI to produce better results faster.
For most of us, something like this might not be reasonably possible. This is mainly due to such setup costs. At current retail prices, the Peris Digital unit will almost certainly cost over $250,000, and this doesn’t even include the required lights and space. Still, it’s fascinating to see how modern cameras are changing the industry globally.
