diff --git a/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.cpp b/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.cpp
index efff055f33..e22c9b94c5 100644
--- a/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.cpp
@@ -1296,6 +1296,14 @@ SbVec3f View3DInventorViewer::getUpDirection() const
     return upvec;
 }
 
+SbRotation View3DInventorViewer::getCameraOrientation() const
+{
+    SoCamera* cam = this->getCamera();
+    if (!cam)
+        return SbRotation(0,0,0,1); // this is the default
+    return cam->orientation.getValue();
+}
+
 SbVec3f View3DInventorViewer::getPointOnScreen(const SbVec2s& pnt) const
 {
     const SbViewportRegion& vp = this->getViewportRegion();
diff --git a/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h b/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h
index 73895062cb..80916e39a8 100644
--- a/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h
+++ b/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h
@@ -230,6 +230,8 @@ public:
     SbVec3f getViewDirection() const;
     /** Returns the up direction */
     SbVec3f getUpDirection() const;
+    /** Returns the orientation of the camera. */
+    SbRotation getCameraOrientation() const; 
     /** Returns the 3d point on the focal plane to the given 2d point. */
     SbVec3f getPointOnScreen(const SbVec2s&) const;
     /** Returns the near plane represented by its normal and base point. */
diff --git a/src/Gui/View3DPy.cpp b/src/Gui/View3DPy.cpp
index ec29f72978..37fc027e6f 100644
--- a/src/Gui/View3DPy.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/View3DPy.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@
 #include <Base/Exception.h>
 #include <Base/Interpreter.h>
 #include <Base/PlacementPy.h>
+#include <Base/Rotation.h>
+#include <Base/RotationPy.h>
 #include <Base/VectorPy.h>
 #include <Base/GeometryPyCXX.h>
 
@@ -102,6 +104,7 @@ void View3DInventorPy::init_type()
     add_varargs_method("getViewDirection",&View3DInventorPy::getViewDirection,"getViewDirection()");
     add_varargs_method("setCamera",&View3DInventorPy::setCamera,"setCamera()");
     add_varargs_method("setCameraOrientation",&View3DInventorPy::setCameraOrientation,"setCameraOrientation()");
+    add_varargs_method("getCameraOrientation",&View3DInventorPy::getCameraOrientation,"getCameraOrientation()");
     add_varargs_method("getCameraType",&View3DInventorPy::getCameraType,"getCameraType()");
     add_varargs_method("setCameraType",&View3DInventorPy::setCameraType,"setCameraType()");
     add_varargs_method("listCameraTypes",&View3DInventorPy::listCameraTypes,"listCameraTypes()");
@@ -530,16 +533,30 @@ Py::Object View3DInventorPy::setCameraOrientation(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
     PyObject* o;
     PyObject* m=Py_False;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), "O!|O!", &PyTuple_Type, &o, &PyBool_Type, &m))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), "O|O!", &o, &PyBool_Type, &m))
         throw Py::Exception();
 
     try {
-        Py::Tuple tuple(o);
-        float q0 = (float)Py::Float(tuple[0]);
-        float q1 = (float)Py::Float(tuple[1]);
-        float q2 = (float)Py::Float(tuple[2]);
-        float q3 = (float)Py::Float(tuple[3]);
-        _view->getViewer()->setCameraOrientation(SbRotation(q0, q1, q2, q3), PyObject_IsTrue(m));
+        if (PyTuple_Check(o)) {
+            Py::Tuple tuple(o);
+            float q0 = (float)Py::Float(tuple[0]);
+            float q1 = (float)Py::Float(tuple[1]);
+            float q2 = (float)Py::Float(tuple[2]);
+            float q3 = (float)Py::Float(tuple[3]);
+            _view->getViewer()->setCameraOrientation(SbRotation(q0, q1, q2, q3), PyObject_IsTrue(m));
+        }
+        else if (PyObject_TypeCheck(o, &Base::RotationPy::Type)) {
+            Base::Rotation r = (Base::Rotation)Py::Rotation(o,false);
+            double q0, q1, q2, q3;
+            r.getValue(q0, q1, q2, q3);
+            _view->getViewer()->setCameraOrientation(SbRotation((float)q0, (float)q1, (float)q2, (float)q3), PyObject_IsTrue(m));
+        }
+        else {
+            throw Py::ValueError("Neither tuple nor rotation object");
+        }
+    }
+    catch (const Py::Exception&) {
+        throw; // re-throw
     }
     catch (const Base::Exception& e) {
         throw Py::Exception(e.what());
@@ -554,6 +571,16 @@ Py::Object View3DInventorPy::setCameraOrientation(const Py::Tuple& args)
     return Py::None();
 }
 
+Py::Object View3DInventorPy::getCameraOrientation(const Py::Tuple& args)
+{
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
+        throw Py::Exception();
+    SbRotation rot = _view->getViewer()->getCameraOrientation();
+    float q0,q1,q2,q3;
+    rot.getValue(q0,q1,q2,q3);
+    return Py::Rotation(Base::Rotation(q0,q1,q2,q3));
+}
+
 Py::Object View3DInventorPy::viewPosition(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
     PyObject* p=0;
diff --git a/src/Gui/View3DPy.h b/src/Gui/View3DPy.h
index 657bee956c..c5a9caabdf 100644
--- a/src/Gui/View3DPy.h
+++ b/src/Gui/View3DPy.h
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ public:
     Py::Object getViewDirection(const Py::Tuple&);
     Py::Object setCamera(const Py::Tuple&);
     Py::Object setCameraOrientation(const Py::Tuple&);
+    Py::Object getCameraOrientation(const Py::Tuple&);
     Py::Object getCameraType(const Py::Tuple&);
     Py::Object setCameraType(const Py::Tuple&);
     Py::Object getCameraNode(const Py::Tuple&);