3dCameras
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Panasonic announces Lumix DMC-3D1: dual lenses, 12 megapixel sensors
Do you shoot 3D photos? Nope, neither do we, but Panasonic certainly seems to hope that'll change -- perhaps even as soon as next month, when its Lumix 3D1 hits store shelves... for $500. And how much camera does half a grand buy you? Well, for starters you get not one, but a pair of 25-100mm optical zoom lenses (30-120mm in 3D mode), pumping images to dual 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensors. Two lenses and two sensors make this pocket wonder a natural at stereoscopic 3D video, but it can also pull some pretty clever tricks with still photos. Sure, you can shoot full-res stills and 1080i video simultaneously, but those dual zoom lenses can operate independently as well, letting you snap pics and/or video at multiple focal lengths -- capture a wide-angle shot with one lens and a close-up with the other, for example. Panasonic wasn't able to demo this functionality during our briefing, so we can't speak to the interface, but it certainly sounds like a nifty concept. Beyond that, expect up to 8 fps burst at full resolution, a 3.5-inch touchscreen and "dramatically clear" low-light images, even at high-ISOs (according to Panasonic). Ready to hear more from the camera maker? Jump past the break for the full PR.%Gallery-138520%
Samsung camera patent application adds simulated depth-of-field to point-and-clicks
High-end DSLRs are pricey and a tad complicated for the everyday user, but that doesn't stop most folks from wanting to take professional-looking shots of their own. Enter Samsung with a patent application that could add simulated depth-of-field discernment to your average point-and-click and smartphone camera. According to the filing, a dual-lens setup -- similar to the 3D cameras we've seen hit the market -- delegates full-resolution image capture to a primary lens, while its secondary partner calculates object distances. The data is then merged with the initial image "to create a depth map" with simulated blur, saving you from tedious Photoshop drudgery. No word on whether this neat trick will make its way to consumers' hands -- but with 3D still the reigning buzz, we'd upgrade that possibility to a very likely.
DXG 3D camera costs 70 bucks, or just three easy payments of $23.99
Oh, so your infant's first words were "3D camera," were they? Now you can reward your little princess with her first cam without needing to switch to store-brand baby food -- after turning off the Home Shopping Network, of course. The DXG-018 3D camera will run you just under $70, but it'll be worth every penny when your little early adopter grows up to be a gadget fiend with 15 maxed-out credit cards and $80,000 in debt. In the meantime, they'll be teething on a 1.44-inch LCD, dual lenses, an SD card (sold separately), and a pair of AA batteries. The kit also includes three 3D viewers, which apparently display 4-by-6-inch prints in three dimensions. DXG says the cam was created with kids in mind, shipping in pink, lavender, orange, green, and yellow, but it may also make a decent gift for adults, assuming they've never used a camera or viewed 3D content before.%Gallery-126391%
Sharp Aquos Phone SH-12C has 3D cameras, qHD resolution, Gingerbread filling
The HTC EVO 3D and LG Optimus 3D just got themselves a new buddy in the three-dee picture-taking arena in the shape of Sharp's Aquos Phone SH-12C. We know, that name just rolls off the tongue. What's remarkable about the 12C is that the dual cameras on its back go all the way up to 8 megapixels (to the EVO 3D's 5), which will be creating quite the tasty workload for the 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 chip contained within. A qHD (540 x 960) screen resolution also keeps up with HTC's latest, though the 4.2-inch, 3D-capable display on the Aquos offers more pixel density and less in absolute real estate. Android 2.3, replete with some evident customizations, will serve as the OS, and 720p video recording in 3D will also be available when Sharp launches the 12C in Japan on May 20th. Rest of the world? Well, we can dream about it right now.
LG G-Slate makes guest appearance on MysteryGuitarMan's YouTube channel (video)
LG's promotional strategy for the G-Slate seems to be to keep officially mum about the device, while letting random pseudo-celebrities tease it out in brief glimpses. A week ago, K-Pop artist Seungri gave us our first sighting of the dual-camera array on the back of the G-Slate, which has today made its triumphant return to YouTube, courtesy of one MysteryGuitarMan. The rear of the device here doesn't look identical to the one in Seungri's video, however the metallic strip separating the cams and its "with Google" branding look nearly identical to what LG has on the back of its Optimus 2X Android smartphone. We're also seeing a single LED flash for the first time, there are a couple of unidentified connectors at the bottom, at least one of them likely to assist docking in landscape mode, and we do get to see the tablet in profile for an idea of how thin it is. Video after the break.
Sony reveals 3D capturing Cyber-shot cameras, includes world's first compact capable of 1080/60p video
Sony has announced the DSC-TX100V, DSC-TX10, DSC-HX7V, DSC-WX10 and DSC-WX9 16.2-megapixel Cyber-shot cameras here in Las Vegas, which are the world's first compacts to include a 3D still capture feature using just one lens and imager. This is made possible via a special shooting mode that takes two consecutive shots in different focus positions that are then combined to produce a 3D effect. All also feature so-called Dual Rec technology borrowed from the Handycam line that enables users to capture three megapixel stills while recording video. Outside of what they have in common, several of the models have a few noteworthy details. The DSC-WX10 is the only digital compact to support full 1920 x 1080/60p video capture. Speaking of firsts, the DSC-TX100V is the first Cyber-shot to to feature a 3.5-inch OLED touch screen. Less revolutionary (but still drool-worthy) is the DSC-HX7V's ability to record the location and direction of a particular photos thanks to a built-in GPS and compass, while the DSC-TX10 is ruggedized to be waterproof, dustproof, shockproof and freeze-proof. All of these models will be available this March, and cost between $220 and $380. For more details be sure to check out the full PR after the jump. %Gallery-112852%
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.
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.
Sony EX3 prototype 3D camcorder spotted, destined for retail channels? (update: we've got specs)
Well what do we have here? We've just been handed a picture of what we're told is Sony's EX3 prototype 3D camera, with changeable lenses and a penchant for capturing life in the third dimension. That's unfortunately all we really know at this point, but if this two-eyed beaut does go to market (and we hear that it most certainly will), it looks like Panasonic's 3D camcorder will have some healthy competition. And hey, we're all for having more options. Update: A trusted source just chimed in with some specs, and it's looking like Sony's basically just crammed the guts of two PMW-EX3 studio cams into a single shell for this prototype. That's not a bad thing: behind those proprietary hot-swappable lens cartridges are the same two three half-inch CMOS eyeballs that stream 4:2:0 MPEG-2 video at 1080p to SxS memory cards at 35Mbps per eye, or send uncompressed 4:4:4 footage over a new pair of HD-SDI outputs. Our source was pretty excited about how close together those eyes were, too -- he whispered something about an industry-first 1.5-inch interocular distance, before vanishing into the darkness without a word on price or availability. Update 2: The EX3 has three CMOS chips, not two. [Thanks, The Advanced Kind]
DXG's 3D View sacrifices HD, but makes 3D video recording pocketable
It's not a trade that we'd ever willingly make -- dropping to standard definition for the sake of some 3D shenanigans, but DXG is offering you the choice anyway. The budget cam maker has just announced its 3D View stereoscopic shooter, which interestingly comes with a separate 7-inch LCD display (800 x 480 resolution) for playing back your recorded footage without requiring glasses -- thanks to some parallax barrier magic. We might be tempted to spend the $400 this package costs just to get a preview of what the Nintendo 3DS -- based on the same spectacle-free technique -- might look like, but retail availability isn't expected until June, which is just that tiny bit too far out for our limited attention span.
