diff --git a/samples/cpp/calibration.cpp b/samples/cpp/calibration.cpp
index 256ec6c0ed..ba5c210b21 100644
--- a/samples/cpp/calibration.cpp
+++ b/samples/cpp/calibration.cpp
@@ -213,13 +213,18 @@ void saveCameraParams( const string& filename,
     
     if( !rvecs.empty() && !tvecs.empty() )
     {
-        Mat bigmat((int)rvecs.size(), 6, CV_32F);
+        CV_Assert(rvecs[0].type() == tvecs[0].type());
+        Mat bigmat((int)rvecs.size(), 6, rvecs[0].type());
         for( int i = 0; i < (int)rvecs.size(); i++ )
         {
             Mat r = bigmat(Range(i, i+1), Range(0,3));
             Mat t = bigmat(Range(i, i+1), Range(3,6));
-            rvecs[i].copyTo(r);
-            tvecs[i].copyTo(t);
+
+            CV_Assert(rvecs[i].rows == 3 && rvecs[i].cols == 1);
+            CV_Assert(tvecs[i].rows == 3 && tvecs[i].cols == 1);
+            //*.t() is MatExpr (not Mat) so we can use assignment operator
+            r = rvecs[i].t();
+            t = tvecs[i].t();
         }
         cvWriteComment( *fs, "a set of 6-tuples (rotation vector + translation vector) for each view", 0 );
         fs << "extrinsic_parameters" << bigmat;