Loreo 3D Lens-In-A-Cap turns your SLR into a bug-eyed stereoscopy machine

You want 3D, huh? Well, do you want it bad enough to endure perpetual Johnny Five jokes? Because this 3D Lens-In-A-Cap not only looks like the beloved robot from the 1980s movie, it also seems to be using technology from the same era. The aperture can be opened up to a maximum value of F11, meaning your light intake will be, erm... frugal, while the minimum focusing range is a distant 1.5 meters away from the sensor. Still, it'll get you two perfectly paired snaps and the Canon EOS mount version can be had now for $166. What are you waiting for -- the future's just a few clicks away.

[Mac Daddy Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:10AM]

hehe....Johnny Five jokes....

[Mister Warmth Posted Jul 8th 2010 11:25AM]

"You want 3D, huh?"

Actually, no. Nobody cares about 3D except consumer electronics marketing departments that have convinced themselves they've struck gold.

[Mister Warmth Posted Jul 8th 2010 11:27AM]

"You want 3D, huh?"

Actually, no. Nobody cares about 3D except consumer electronics marketing departments that have convinced themselves they've struck gold.

[ruasoh Posted Jul 8th 2010 12:29PM]

@Mister Warmth
And what about the people with 3D monitors that they use to play games in 3D? I'm sure that wasn't a concern when they bought their monitors, right?

[FabDex Posted Jul 8th 2010 12:35PM]

@Mister Warmth So you actually did a survey of everyone in America and came to the conclusion that "Nobody cares about 3D" ?

Thanks for sharing your conclusion with us !!!!!!

(narrow minded egotistical idiot)

[enGadget iGadget Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:14AM]

Wall-E just filed a lawsuit.

[BuryTheCastle Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:15AM]

Johnny Five... It's gonna suck when the Robotic Overloads finally come and get us.

Anyone wanna bet J5's gonna be king?

[A25i Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:56AM]

@BuryTheCastle
I dont know if you all know this. But Johnny 5, he's gay.
A total rear assembly lover.
Im sure our robot overlord will be something Gundamesque from Japan.

[Tommy Five Posted Jul 8th 2010 11:15AM]

@BuryTheCastle I'll bet on that.

[TypeMRT Posted Jul 8th 2010 11:26AM]

They're already here! http://m.flickr.com/photos/16504242@N00/3787346213/sizes/m/in/set-72157621940631680/

[Timmmmmm Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:18AM]

Does the 3D effect even work that far away?

-2D person.

[montymintypie Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:18AM]

This lens has been around for years - they updated it recently though, which is why it's popped up here.

[montymintypie Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:20AM]

Also, the actual source is here:
http://www.loreo.com/pages/products/loreo_3dlenscap9005.html

[FabDex Posted Jul 8th 2010 12:36PM]

@montymintypie Actually, it's a new lens. Others have been around but this IS a new model.

[montymintypie Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:18PM]

@FabDex "updated it recently though"

Just saying the lens-in-a-cap has been around for ages, although from what I've read, this new 9005 model is a big improvement on the original.

[nanascho Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:19AM]

I just crossed my eyes with that picture to see it in 3D.

[montymintypie Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:19AM]

@nanascho Ah, didn't notice it until now!

[davepermen Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:28AM]

@nanascho heh awesome.. it was too obvious for me to actually think of it :)

the perspective difference could be a little stronger, but then the device would look more and more wide :)

i right now do the photos by hand (by doing two photos). works quite well so far

http://cid-789d02f1fca626e0.photos.live.com/self.aspx/Ferien%20in%20Schweden%202010/DSC%5E_0575%5E_3D.jpg

or

http://cid-789d02f1fca626e0.photos.live.com/self.aspx/Ferien%20in%20Schweden%202010/DSC%5E_0399%5E_3D.jpg

are some examples.

[not that geeky Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:33AM]

@nanascho

I was able to do it too!!
first time ever I can :D

ps1. easier to see if you open the sole image in a separate browser window
ps2. *epic* headlining pic :D

[A25i Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:59AM]

@nanascho
HA! Just cross a lil, then cover the outer two images with hands... voila 3d one left in the middle. Awesome.

[Old fogie late bloomer Posted Jul 8th 2010 11:04AM]

@nanascho

Ha ha thanks for the heads-up, that didn't even occur to me.

[FabDex Posted Jul 8th 2010 12:37PM]

@davepermen Nice job !

[pavelgr Posted Jul 8th 2010 9:45AM]

I am dizzy after trying that! Stupid eye-crossing 3D!

[Digital1 Posted Jul 8th 2010 10:10AM]

Johnny 5 Alive!

[giulio Posted Jul 8th 2010 10:35AM]

While the optical quality is gonna suck I bet this will sell pretty good. I'm gonna call it now - the Nintendo 3DS will make 3D photography main stream.

[meta Posted Jul 8th 2010 10:43AM]

f/11?

Ugh. To think I almost bought one of those.

[DeanXeL Posted Jul 8th 2010 10:46AM]

That's funny I saw someone taking pictures with one of those a few weeks ago in Leuven, Belgium during a streettheatre festival. I snapped a picture of the guy with the camera from far away but didn't think much of it at the time...

[earlycj5 Posted Jul 8th 2010 10:47AM]

Honestly F11 is probably fine. You want a decent DOF for 3D I'd imagine. Blurry 3D wouldn't be much fun.

Just turn up the ISO, if you can afford to add this to your lenses then you should have a decent DSLR.

[Old fogie late bloomer Posted Jul 8th 2010 11:02AM]

@earlycj5

Yeah, they should make it compatible with that Nikon that has the six-figure top ISO... problem solved.

[zelannii Posted Jul 8th 2010 11:37AM]

sooooooo, you take 2 snaps quickly alternated between 2 lens locations?

But since it's not simultaneous, 3D shots involving any type of movement are essentially not possible. If it comes to that, and you still need software to compile the 2 images together later anyway, why not simply move the camera 1 foot and take another shot? Since it's only good for static environments, this is merely a convenience at the expense of being able to use the lens of your choice. I vote Nay on this product.

[davepermen Posted Jul 8th 2010 12:17PM]

@zelannii no, it does the two pics at the same time, both with half width afaik. looks like that on their web page, at least.

and yes, for static shots, just taking two pics works great (see my post above for some examples, made with a cellphone)

[CubeGuy Posted Jul 8th 2010 6:37PM]

@zelannii
Don't forget that EOS cameras include the amazing T2i and the 7D. Both do full HD video. I'm betting you could get full-frame 3D in standard definition with this lens.

[seeloesix Posted Jul 8th 2010 12:46PM]

awesome

[ukskater01 Posted Jul 8th 2010 3:18PM]

Will it blend!

[raimondious Posted Jul 8th 2010 3:54PM]

I have the old version of one of these and I love it. It's kind of gimmicky for sure, but only as far as any 3D photography is.

Begin Rant
Just because it seems like Hollywood is jamming it down people's throats doesn't mean it doesn't have value at all — there's a huge hobby stereophotography culture and we're welcoming this new 3D bubble because it means we get a bunch of new toys for cheap in a few years once it either bursts or the current models become obsolete.
End Rant

This lets you turn the camera you already own into a stereo camera for cheap, and the quality is good enough. Plus, they sell viewers specifically for the format of photos it produces so you can make packs of stereos along with the viewers for people who can't freeview — I've given a lot of those as gifts, and people love them.

Here are some photos taken with various versions of this lens: http://www.flickr.com/groups/loreo3d/pool/

[keato Posted Jul 9th 2010 12:15AM]

Anyone know what the workflow would be like for dslr video production?

Once you have the left/right images on each frame, Im guessing youd use editing software to cut the video in two - but then how do you export it to a format playable on 3d tvs?