In this paper we present our global approach to accurate 3D reconstruction with a calibrated multi-camera system. In particular, we illustrate a simple and effective adaptive technique for the self-calibration of CCD-based multi-camera acquisition systems. We also propose a general and robust approach to the problem of close-range partial 3D reconstruction of objects from stereo-correspondences. Finally, we introduce a method for performing an accurate patchworking of the partial reconstructions, based on 3D feature matching.