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Rollei goes 3D with Power Flex 3D point-and-shoot, Designline 3D photo frame
There may still be some camera makers resisting the 3D trend, but that's getting to be an increasingly dwindling lot -- the latest to jump into the game is Rollei, the 90-year old German manufacturer, which has just announced its new Power Flex 3D point-and-shoot and accompanying Designline 3D photo frame. As you can see above, the camera looks fairly unremarkable expect for that second lens, and the specs are also pretty much in line with some similar 3D point-and-shoots, including 720p video recording, 5 megapixel still images, and a 2.8-inch LCD 'round back that promises to let you see your images in something resembling 3D without the need for 3D glasses. The photo frame also apparently uses the same sort of no-glasses 3D, but thankfully packs a larger 7-inch screen -- check it out after the break. Still no word on a release over here, but both the camera and photo frame will be available in Europe next month for €300 (or just under $400) apiece.
EPFL's fly-inspired 3D camera takes omnipresence to the third dimension (video)
Just in case you were concerned that the 3D revolution hadn't yet taken over the scientific research field, EPFL is here to convince you that all is well. Researchers from a pair of EPFL laboratories have recently invented a fly-inspired dome camera that's not only loaded down with cameras to snag views from (nearly) all angles, but also equipped with an output algorithm that constructs a bona fide 3D image. The trickeration lies within the hardware platform, which calculates depth on each camera image and then reconstructs a 3D visual based on how far away things truly are. That's a far more sophisticated approach than the stereoscopic one used on existing 3D televisions, as the depth would (theoretically) change as your angle of view changed. There's an outstanding patent application on the approach, and if the world at large latches on, we could see this thing used for "video surveillance, movie making, and creating backgrounds for video games." Among other things, of course. A demonstrative vid awaits you just after the break.
Kinect theremin is just too late for the 'Day the Earth Stood Still' remake soundtrack (video)
The sound of the original theremin frightened audiences of spooky and science fictiony movies in the '50s and '60s, and while this digital replication is perhaps a little less chilling it's also a lot less physical. It's the so-called Therenect from Martin Kaltenbrunner, created using the Open Frameworks and OpenKinect libraries. To play just hold your hands up, allow the software to detect them, and then let the digital falsetto flow, as Martin kindly demonstrates for you below.
Kinect does hacker's bidding, but not for fortune or fame (update: more video)
Yes, Microsoft's Kinect has already been cracked, as you'll see on video after the break -- the motion-sensing depth camera now nods its head on command and displays real-time accelerometer data on one lucky hacker's PC. We tracked down the son-of-a-gun who did it -- as it happens, the same NUI Group member who hacked the PlayStation Eye in 2008 -- and found to our disappointment that he doesn't necessarily intend to unleash his new exploit on the world. The $2,000 prize Adafruit is presently offering for open-source Kinect drivers isn't his aim, though he does have big personal plans for the device, as he hopes to integrate it into his company's commercial visualization suite CL Studio Live. It seems that work is progressing fast, as he's already gotten video streams from both cameras to output to his computer, and he plans to upload a far more convincing video soon. Here's hoping he has a change of heart about sharing his rapid accomplishments. Update: Second video after the break! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 reviewed, deemed a worthy W1 successor for slightly less early adopters
Early reviews of Fuji's FinePix Real 3D W1? Not so hot. However, a year later the $450 refreshed W3 seems to be doing better, scoring a "Recommended" review over at Photography Blog. The camera's dual 1/2.3-inch, 10 megapixel CCDs and 3X zoom lenses are carried over from before, but a new design and more user-friendly interface is said to make a huge improvement -- even if it's still too easy to stick a finger over either of the two light portals up front. Build quality is solid and the new 3.5-inch, glasses-free 3D LCD on the back is called "impressive," far brighter than last year's parallax barrier. The machine will capture 720p 3D movies and can save both 3D MPO images and 2D JPEGs simultaneously, meaning your holiday snaps are future-proofed even if you haven't jumped on the 3D bandwagon just yet.
Microsoft LightSpace brings Surface (plus shadows) to any table (video)
It's hard not to love the crazy stuff happening at Microsoft Research, but it's also hard to imagine when any of it is going to actually start changing the way we interact with our PCs. Surface was bested by SecondLight as the coolest tech we can't buy, and now here comes another successor: LightSpace. This gets rid of the expensive table in favor of a (surely not cheap) series of projectors hanging from the ceiling paired to a 3D camera. The camera detects the relative position of things and instructs a projector to apply a Surface-like interface onto any flat surface. From there a user can literally grab any file they like and carry it over to another surface, where it will be displayed. It's all demonstrated quite handily in the video below, and while the system does look a wee bit rough at the moment, the potential is surely there. Just like it was with SecondLight, and Surface, and Courier...
Minox PX3D concept camera eyes-on at Photokina 2010
It took us a solid nine minutes of gawking at Minox's gilded DCC 5.1 in order to push through and locate the PX3D that premiered here at Photokina, but sadly, little was available other than the opportunity to snag a few glamor shots. The general idea is that this cutesy pocket camera will one day hit the market and capture 3D images that can then be viewed on-screen without 3D glasses. We're still under the impression that a parallax barrier panel will be required in order to witness the magic, but it's all still a mystery for now. It's still the most curious looking 3D camera that we've seen to date, so you can bet we'll be keeping you in the loop as this thing slowly crawls from prototype to profit maker. %Gallery-103099%
Minox PX3D concept camera produces 3D images viewable sans glasses
The doors of Photokina open in a matter of hours, and we'll most definitely be venturing over to Minox's booth in order to have a look at the PX3D. According to the barebones teaser release, this here concept camera will be able to capture 3D images that are viewable sans glasses. It should be noted that the world's first consumer-oriented 3D cameras haven't exactly seen the fondest of reviews, but tossing the glasses requirement may just flip things on its head. It's still unclear what kind of display / digital photo frame will be required to view the effect (we're guessing a parallax barrier panel will be thrown up for display), but we'll be barging in soon in order to get the full skinny.
DIY stereoscopic splitter takes your pictures to the third dimension
Don't feel like shelling out the cash for a 3D camera? Instructables user "courtervideo" has put together a little device that harnesses the magical, mysterious power of something called a "mirror" to let you grab stereoscopic 3D images with your regular ol' 2D camera. The method is pretty straight forward: two large mirrors places beside the camera reflect the image you're trying to capture onto two smaller mirrors, which are then photographed. The result can then be viewed through a stereoscope, which will send one half of the picture to each eye, resulting in a 3D image. We like to think of the stereoscope as the Victorian precursor to Chinavasion Video Glasses. Sounds like fun to us! Hit up the source link to get started.
Takara Tomy's toy camera shoots in 3D, costs as much as a grownup 2D camera
Sure, we can't all afford the $500 Fujifilm is charging for the Finepix Real 3D W3, but that's no reason to make a "toy" version of the thing and charge $70. Regardless, that's what Takaira Tomy has done, creating a tiny pink (or white) version that does the same basic thing but in a very basic way. Instead of dual 10 megapixel CCDs capable of shooting 720p video you get dual 0.3 megapixel sensors that can't shoot video with any p's at all. Pictures are recorded to SD and must be printed out before being spied through a fold-up viewer. Sure, playing with this could be fun for a little while, but for that price we'd rather just stick with two dimensions and get a basic but full-function compact instead.
Canon's Wonder Camera, and other future concepts that tease us from behind glass
Canon had a lot to show for itself at its annual expo today, from the EOS 60D to the (working!) Multipurpose 4K concept, but the best goodies are of course the ones just a few steps outside of today's technological limits. One display in particular that caught our eye was the 2010 Image Creation set, featuring the bold Wonder Camera Concept from July. Nothing functional here, not even in sleight-of-hand video render form, but the models are quite the lookers. Joining the "SLR Style Concept" (as it was being called here, according to the accompanying placard) were the 3D Cam, Image Palette (display), Image Navi Cam (point and shoot), and MR HMD (helmet) -- all aesthetically Kubrick in nature. Not that we mind, of course; we find it best to go ahead and accept our future for the glossy white design motif that it'll assuredly become. Elsewhere, we happened upon the purported "world's largest CMOS sensor" -- not that we'd argue with what we saw -- and the more compact 120 megapixel CMOS, along with (separately) its panoramic camera prototype body. You can live vicariously through us in the photos below. %Gallery-101173%
Fujifilm ships second-gen Real 3D camera, calls it W3
W2? We don't need no stinkin' W2. Fujifilm skipped right over that for W3 when deciding what to call its second-gen Real 3D camera. The W1 model didn't exactly fare well in the hands of reviewers, but hopefully the rather more sleek looking W3 can do the deed, offering a larger, 3.5-inch glasses-free 3D LCD display along with HDMI 1.4 output and dual 10 megapixel sensors. Yes, the same number of pixels as before, but this version can make better use of them, stepping up to 720p video recording from the former's VGA. You'll get all that for the same price as the old one: $499. Find out what it's like in our detailed hands-on.
Fujifilm introduces Finepix Real 3D W3 camera, we go hands-on
When reviewers call your product "the worst ____ ever made," do you give up and move on? Or do you build a second model and try to prove them wrong? After introducing the world's first consumer stereoscopic 3D shooter to dismal reviews, FujiFilm chose door number two, replacing the camera with a thinner, lighter, and easier-to-use version that addresses a host of complaints and costs $100 less to boot. The FujiFilm FinePix Real 3D W3 adds a larger 3.5-inch, 16:9 LCD screen, a 720p video recording mode, and HDMI 1.4 out for dropping images and videos right into your 3D-ready TV. Oh, and it actually feels like a real camera this time, our favorite feature by far. We got some hands-on time with the new cross-eyed shooter, read on for more! %Gallery-99488%
DXG-5D7V, 'the only 3D video camcorder,' now available for preorder
Panasonic may have the first 3D camcorder we'd actually ever consider purchasing, but technically speaking DXG has been sitting on the stereoscopic gold mine for months. This past week, the budget camera company's 3D View pistol cam got real, in a Hammacher-Schlemmer package that'll set you back $600. That outlay buys you not only the twin-lens VGA shooter you see above, but also a companion 7-inch, 800 x 480 3D media player, both of which are outfitted with glasses-free parallax barrier LCD screens. It's not a terrible deal considering the alternatives on offer, but we're not down with the $200 luxury tax Hammacher and company tacked on top, and we're a little wary about the way that ram is staring at us. Cameras are expected to ship August 6th; press release after the break.
Panasonic reveals HDC-SDT750 3D camcorder, is super proud of itself (updated with video)
Never mind the extensive leaks, Panasonic, you've got a right to be proud about the HDC-SDT750. After crowing about its end-to-end 3D experience, Panasonic has finally made its HDC-SDT750 camcorder official, which looks like it will be the first of its kind to hit the market. Sure, this is just a baby step: the 3D mode is enabled by snapping on an included 3D conversion lens that splits the image in twain to be recorded as right and left images by the standard 1080p sensor. That means each side will only be 960 x 1080, so you can't quite shoot Avatar in your backyard just yet, but it should look fine on standard 3D televisions. Unfortunately, you can't do much more with the 3D video right now other than pump it out over HDMI straight from the camera -- at least with the 3D stills that you can snap you can load them onto an SD card and play them off of AVCHD-compatible Blu-ray players. Still, these are exciting times to be alive, and you can always shoot in 2D with the no-doubt great 3MOS camcorder underneath (which seems to be very similar to the HDC-HS700) while you wait for the rest of the planet to catch up. The SDT750 will be out in October for a hefty $1,399 asking price. PR is after the break. Update: The "after the break" lounge has now also been enriched with some video of the SDT750's official unveiling [Thanks, Jan].%Gallery-98342%
3D video dives deeper with custom dual-camera case
Underwater stills are Eric Cheng's passion and -- from what we gather -- livelihood, but the award-winning editor of Wetpixel is presently experimenting with faster and deeper photography. Discovering German shop Digi-Dat, he wound up with this custom BS Kinetics DuoDive case, which turned his pair of Sony CX550V camcorders into a totally badass underwater 3D camera that will no doubt make manta rays pop out of his screen. If you'd like to follow in his fins, €2,900 (about $3,700) will buy you a similar pair of synchronized stereoscopic goggles, but note that it takes the shop four to five weeks to integrate the watertight LCD and all the LANC-based controls. See another shot of the carbon-fiber-clad contraption after the break, and hit our source link for Eric's full story.
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.
Transformers 3 is using the Arri Alexa Pace cameras from Avatar to go 3D
After a bit of back and forth, Transformers 3 has been confirmed as yet another action flick jumping on the 3D train. The good news (unless you were really happy to hear that Megan Fox would no longer be a part of the franchise) is that they're filming in 3D as opposed to converting it in post production (like Clash of the Titans, Alice in Wonderland and The Last Airbender) as revealed by master of the 3D camera himself, Vince Pace. Apparently nothing would do for Michael Bay but Jimmy C's best, requiring the cameras used in Avatar and the upcoming Resident Evil flick. Just in case you were wondering, our friends at Cinematical have put together an impromptu list of recent/upcoming 3D movies that will be using a 2D to 3D conversion process (Harry Potter, Narnia, Piranha 3D) and those originally shot in 3D (Tron Legacy, Saw VII 3D) -- so you know what to expect before you put your cash down for a ticket.
Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 can shoot 3D panoramas with new firmware
Think Sony ain't serious about 3D? Think again. The Japanese giant has just outed a promised firmware update for its ultra-slinky NEX series of shooters that will allow users to shoot 3D panoramas. Panorama stitching was already one of the touted features on these cameras, but with a little extra software magic they'll now be able to collect "depth information" as well. We don't know how strong a 3D effect you're going to get, but since this is a free upgrade and a new way to play with your toy, we suggest grabbing the firmware first and asking questions later. Hit the source link for the download.
Aiptek leads the affordable 3D camcorder rush with its i2
Aiptek has certainly done its part to lower the prices of consumer electronics like pico projectors and pocket-sized camcorders, and now it looks set to destabilize the 3D camcorder market -- a market that doesn't even properly exist yet, with only Fujifilm's $600 FinePix Real 3D W1 filling the need. Aiptek was showing off its i2 camcorder, a Flip-like device (even with a pop-out USB connector) that has been augmented with a second five megapixel CCD. It's capable of recording 720p video and is set to retail for about $250, making it a relative bargain. The camera is set to launch in Asia in July, where we figure it'll take about 30 seconds for someone to paint one up like Domo Kun.
