Fujifilm intros FinePix Real 3D system, Super CCD EXR at Photokina

As the announcements continue to flow from Cologne, Fujifilm is vying for some time in the limelight with two introductions of its own. The FinePix Real 3D system is built around a "newly-developed 3D processor and a twin-lens camera concept" which enables 3D capture and even 3D printing. As of now, no actual products have been revealed to take advantage of the technology, but it's evidently just a matter of time before your images are literally hanging off of your future digital photo frame. Moving on, we've got the Super CCD EXR, a "three-in-one" sensor that supposedly provides high resolution, high sensitivity and wide dynamic range. Essentially, this could lead to ultracompact cameras that provide stunning image quality without injecting high levels of noise in low-light scenarios, but sadly, there's no actual Super CCD EXR-infused camera to swoon over just yet. Check out every last detail in the links below.

Read - Super CCD EXR
Read - FinePix Real 3D System

[Tinu @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:33AM]

3-D printing? You can print out objects from your printer? Hmm. I can use the camera to snap a picture of itself and print it out. Then I have 2 cameras :-P. Then I can snap and print a car. Hehe. The possibilities are endless =).

[Jeff @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:37AM]

3D glasses coming back in style then?

[Atanas Boev @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:26AM]

No glasses. This is aimed for printouts which use lenticular sheet (think 3D post cards).

[Bob S. @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:49AM]

Cool. I spent Saturday taking 3-D shots here in Chicago, but it's a tedious process that requires a lot of postprocessing to align the photos correctly. (Although considering right now the process is entirely handheld, when you nail it during shooting, it's sweet.) I hope the FinePix system is affordable.

[Shinigami @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:26PM]

As affordable as "Intel SSD for the masses"?

[olly @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:46PM]

I take it you have never used StereoPhotomaker then?

[loosely_coupled @ Sep 22nd 2008 6:18PM]

I have always wondered about this! stereo computer images are easy to make, but I always wanted a camera to do the same. I've known about advanced machine imaging projects for robot/surveillance applications that have stereo imaging to detect depth, but I've never seen a simple 2-lens camera for consumers to do the same. Does anyone know of any custom/DIY/home-brew stereo imaging projects where someone uses a conventional camera and just moves the perspective to make 3d stereo images?

[Bob S. @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:51PM]

Yes. Take a picture. As steadily as you can, move the camera a few inches to the right. Take another picture. Repeat if desired, ideally with new subjects. Go home, transfer the photos to your computer, put the pairs of photos side by side, cross your eyes, see if it worked. If anyone laughs, tell them it's, um, steampunk or something.

[Alison Scott @ Sep 24th 2008 1:57AM]

I will probably buy it even if it isn't affordable...

Twinned cameras of the kind demonstrated are already available from third parties (I have one made by Co van Ekeren, for example). The new announcement today is that the StereoPhotoMaker work will be handled by in-camera processing. If so, I do hope they'll offer us an equivalent to RAW! (Actually, we know that they will offer the separate images, because they mention the choice of flat image as a bonus of a twin-lensed camera).

[mrrookie @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:07AM]

It's looking at me...

MAKE IT GO AWAY!

[Gus @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:42AM]

eeeeeee vaaaaaa?

[yuriythebest @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:18AM]

awesome news! I can't wait for a nice camera to come out which is capable of capturing 3d photos and videos that I can view on my iz3d stereoscopic monitor. trully great news.

[Alex @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:23PM]

Fuji has without a doubt made the biggest accouncement @ Photokina 2008 with this news.
They've developed a twin lens 3D camera prototype.
They have addressed the flickering and ghosting on LCD panels when viewing 3D images.
They have developed a 3D micro printing process.

The fact that they've covered all bases (taking the picture, viewing it, printing it) shows that they have a solid game plan.
One of the reasons 3D never took off in the past was because you had to use glasses, you could not print it, and there was no affordable consumer camera that you could use to take 3D pics.

Hats off to Fuji. For nearly 182 years (first permanent photograph was taken in 1826) pictures have been flat. While there have been technologies that attempted to bring in the 3D era (3d post cards, etc.) non have garnered wide acceptance. There is no doubt that Fuji has the best chance of succeeding in bringing 3D to the masses because they are covering all the venues (take pic, view it, print it).

[monkey @ Sep 22nd 2008 4:01PM]

screw the 3d gimmick, a camera that shoots HDR with no bracketing is a massive leap forward. post production and vfx folk will swoon.

[yuriythebest @ Sep 22nd 2008 4:37PM]

What solutions have you used to come to that conclusion?

[CBC Design @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:16PM]

It's very easy to be cynical and poke fun at the idea of 3D photography but I wonder if people that do this have ever actualy seen state of the art 3D photos and videos? They are truly stunning and quite honestly it's difficult to be impressed with 2D once you have seen what modern 3D systems can achieve. I think this is great news and I look forward to getting my hands on a proper digital 3D camera that can capture live action in all 3 dimensions.