A new calibration algorithm for multi-camera systems using a planar reference pattern is proposed. The algorithm is an extension of Sturm-Maybank-Zhang style plane-based calibration technique for use with multiple cameras. Rigid displacements between the cameras are recovered as well as the intrinsic parameters only by capturing with the cameras a model plane with known reference points placed at three or more locations. Thus the algorithm yields a simple calibration means for stereo vision systems with an arbitrary number of cameras while maintaining the handiness and flexibility of the original method. The algorithm is based on factorization of homography matrices between the model and image planes into the camera and plane parameters. To compensate for the indetermination of scaling factors, each homography matrix is rescaled by a double eigenvalue of a planar homology defined by two views and two model planes. The obtained parameters are finally refined by a non-linear maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) process. The validity of the proposed technique was verified through simulation and experiments with real data.