1. A method for estimating camera characteristics, comprising using a computing device to perform steps for: receiving one or more input images captured by the same camera; selecting a region of each input image containing alternate views of the same arbitrary regular structure; and processing each selected region using an iterative convex optimization process that models the selected region as a low-rank matrix and repeatedly estimates and updates camera lens distortions and intrinsic camera parameters that would cause the deformation of the arbitrary regular structure in the modeled region until a rank of the matrix is minimized.