(Background: I have been working with stereoscopic imagery for feature films vr etc for years.) This is a very basic but functional stereoscopic (3d) point-and-shoot consumer camera, and at the time of writing (late 2023) it's practically the only sub-$1000 option for modern digital 3d photography aside from a recent (and somewhat hacky) solution for the latest iphone.
Recent firmware updates add autofocus (which is great, it was badly needed) and some other nice quality of life features. I was pleased that the unit I received had the current firmware already installed and was clearly a recent manufacture.
The camera itself is very small, easily fitting in the palm of my hand, in fact it is almost too small to be comfortable handling. The removable 3d viewer attachment adds considerable size however it's not really needed (or desirable) for actual shooting time, being meant to review images in 3d. I find myself using the selfie stick just to make handling the camera easier, and it adds a little extra stabilization. There is some image stabilization but anyone wanting to shoot more serious video might want a gimbal. There is a standard tripod mount on the bottom of the camera.
There is a good quality screen on back with touchpad functionality. Response is a bit slow but it's not too bad. Startup time is still quite long, around 15-20 sec from a cold start, however there is now a kind of 'standby' state which reduced battery drain.
Which leads to the most problematic aspect of the camera – the battery life. In theory it can last a few hours. But that's a very short time if you consider using this for travel photography etc. Happily the batteries are small, reasonably priced and easily swappable. You'll want 2 for sure, and ideally 4 if you plan on all-day activities like hiking/tourism etc.
The image quality is… ok. Not amazing, not bad, just average with the added bonus of being stereoscopic. There is now reasonable autofocus, a set of focus distances for fixed focus, auto exposure with several stops of exposure compensation, and a basic timer. Stills are 4000×3000 (per stereo frame) but jpegs: supposedly a dneg option is in the works but who knows if that will actually happen. Video res is lower (vertical resolution reduced) but of course stereoscopic, with MP4/h.264 and stereo 16 bit AAC/48hz audio. The lens is f1.8 with a 66 degree FOV.
This is definitely not an action camera – you will want it on ahead of time, and fast moving subjects are subject to blur. That said, I was able to get some very nice shots of my dogs playing, and some beautiful images of fall leaves and details of my home and garden. And the thing is, when the shots come out well, in 3d they are MAGICAL. You are transported there, in the moment, and a good shot can be breathtaking despite the rather simplistic consumer nature o0f the camera.
Overall color/exposure is very "point and shoot" but that's to be expected. The Iphone app is up to date and has some very limited color correction modes, as well as acting as a remote shooting app for tripods etc. It's fine, nothing unexpected or groundbreaking but it's a handy and useful addon. The connection to the phone is via a wifi hotspot or over a local network.
The camera can export directly to social media including facebook and youtube, or connect to a pc via usb, or export images and video via the phone app..
The stereo quality itself is good, like most stereo photographers will know you won't want to be too close to the subject (less than 4 feet gets uncomfortable), happily there are options for both convergence correction, calibration, and parallel stereo. There are a couple of different image export modes but basically it's SBS.
The attachable stereo viewer is pretty cool, and provides a nice option for viewing stereoscopic results in the field. It's not strictly necessary to shoot (I leave mine behind) but it's a great way to see your stereo results directly from the camera, and it's both good quality and functional. Overall the build quality of this camera is good, though it's a pity there is no way to cover the lens – it becomes important to store the camera somewhere the lenses can't be scratched. A velvet-like bag is included, and works well enough but a cover would have been nice.
Overall, I found this camera to be pretty fun. Now that XR headsets are becoming common, it's nice to be able to export and view 3d videos and photos to headsets like the Quest 3 and presumably the Apple vision pro when it comes out next year, and the 3d/stereoscopic support on youtube has resulted in a growing and respectably active library of 3d videos and social media so this might be an interesting camera for influencers interested in exploring 3d/stereoscopic video and streaming affordably.
I am actually looking forward to shooting this little camera more – while it simply cannot compete with similarly priced 2d cameras in terms of image quality, that is significantly offset by the appeal of shooting in 3d, and with a little care the image quality is certainly good enough for documenting memories/events, sharing 3d video and the like. A skilled photographer will likely be frustrated with the camera's simplicity and limits, but it's quite capable of taking good photos and enjoyable video, with the extra appeal of being stereoscopic.
And right now, this camera is pretty much the only game in town for the price. I found it a good purchase, and it's worth pointing out that in the future stereo photos are likely to become a norm, so if you don't need more than a point-and-shoot degree of quality and function, this is a good choice for a compact family camera.
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