I bought a Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 Digital Camera a few weeks back and I am working on a Video review that I will post soon. I have been a 3D enthusiast (Stereoscopic 3D, that is) for many decades mostly using SLR cameras taking pairs of Slide photos.
The options I used were:
- To ‘strap’ two cameras together and rewire two remote shutter release cords to fire the two cameras simultaneously – which was good for moving subjects. But the distance between the center of the camera lenses was over eyes distance creating a slightly exaggerated 3D effect, or
- Using the “cha-cha” method as it has become known where you lean on one leg and take a photo and then the other leg and take another – this method is not precise and usually needs alignment in the computer. You can get closer to eyes distance apart (more realistic 3D) but does not work for moving objects as the photos are taken at different times
Obviously both methods are not ideal and a dedicated solution is better. In steps the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 Digital Camera.
Well, as you know 3D has hit the Digital Age and seems to be going strong thanks to the surge in Hollywood with films like Avatar, How to Train your Dragon, Toy Story 3, Megamind and a bunch of others (mostly computer animated). Up to this point, few manufacturers have actually produced a 3d Digital Camera for photos. Fujifilm introduced their Finepix Real 3D W1 at the end of 2009 and has now released the NEW and improved W3.
I will mention that my first impressions are good – the high quality 3D display on the back gives you instant feedback on your 3D photos and does not require 3D glasses (auto-stereoscopic display that uses a parallax method to send the appropriate view to each eye).
Browsing the photos amongst my family caused hoots and lots of “lemmi see“! It definitely has WOW factor.
Aside from the 3D LCD screen on the camera the images and video (720P 30fps 3D) can be played on recent 3D HD TVs via a HDMI cord. Fujifilm has a printing option where you can get actual 3D prints that have a lens layer called lenticular lenses that let you see the photo in 3D without glasses – a bit like those 3D postcards or 3D DVD covers you see (I will let you know what they are like when I get may hands on some of those prints).
I think it’s great to be able to record photos and video of my family and travels in 3D. I’m sure later when display technologies improve and 3D becomes more common place that I will be happy to look back at all these captured memories as if I they were still in front of me in actual 3d space!
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