Abstract: A method of determining a focal distance between a principal camera and a target object utilizes first and second video cameras mounted in spaced apart positions relative to a principal camera. A first video image from the first video camera is displayed on a video monitor and a second video image from the second video signal is superimposed onto the first image. First and second controllers are provided for positioning the first and second video images, respectively, on the video monitor. First and second position signals corresponding to positioning of the first and second video images, respectively, are acquired. When the images of a target object in the two video images are aligned, the position signals are used to compute the focal distance from the principal camera to the object.

Abstract: A method of determining a focal distance between a principal camera and a target object utilizes first and second video cameras mounted in spaced apart positions relative to a principal camera. A first video image from the first video camera is displayed on a video monitor and a second video image from the second video signal is superimposed onto the first image. First and second controllers are provided for positioning the first and second video images, respectively, on the video monitor. First and second position signals corresponding to positioning of the first and second video images, respectively, are acquired. When the images of a target object in the two video images are aligned, the position signals are used to compute the focal distance from the principal camera to the object.

Abstract: A camera focusing system employs left and right video cameras flanking a principal photographic camera. The video cameras are coupled to respective video monitors, each of which has a vertical cursor line superimposed in the middle of the screen representing 90°. A cursor controller allows this line to be moved left and right. As the line is moved left or right to track a desired point of focus on the camera subject, the value increases or decreases from 90°. Software interprets the cursor displacement and determines a real world angular value based on calibration of the focusing system. The angular values are then used to compute the focal distance between the principal camera and the subject. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.