Pros:
Being able to quickly and easily take 3D digital photos without having to use 2 separate cameras.
Creates JPG and MPO output files which can be viewed in a variety of stereo modes using StereoPhoto Maker from: stereo.jpn.org/eng. I have successfully gotten this to work with the JVC GD-463D10 3D LCD TV.
Creates 640x480 stereo movies which works with StereoMovie Maker also from the above web site.
Preview LCD screen is autostereoscopic (no need to wear 3D glasses) and works very well.
Each eye is 10 megapixels.
The price is the equivalent of two digital cameras so it is priced fairly for what you get.
Cons:
Easy to inadvertently cover one of the cameras while shooting.
User interface is clunky but once you understand it, it's intuitive. Basically takes a quick thumb thru the manual to get the gist.
A little heavybut then again it's really 2 cameras in one. Considering I used to carry two cameras and a camera mounting bar, this is an order of magnitude lighter.
A bit too easy to accidentally flip open the camera which will automatically turn it on.
Bundled software from Fuji is useless. Ignore it and just use the StereoPhoto software indicated above.
The Fuji 3D picture frame (Real 3D V1) that you can purchase for it is unfortunately not as good. Although it is easy to use (you stick the memory card into it and just watch), the autostereo display only works well in a given sweet spot. Outside the sweet spot the images become pseudo-stereo (inverse stereo) or simply difficult to fuse, and it can give you quite a headache if viewed for long periods of time.
Overall though the camera represents a brilliant effort on the part of Fuji to bring 3D photography to the masses. Well worth it for any 3D enthusiasteven as a 1st generation productor perhaps especially as a 1st gen product because if this product fails to sell, Fuji may not produce another one. And that would be unfortunate because Fuji did such a great job on this camera.
Casual photographers may want to wait till 2nd gen or when this unit comes down in price. Also may need to wait till the 3D lenticular printing service becomes available.
You have to give Fuji credit for thinking way outside the box on this one, and going against the tide of history.
3D is one of those technologies that seem to blossom for a few years every now and then and then sink back into obscurity. So if you like the technology and want to create your own 3D images, jump on this little camera while it is still available. If you wait for version 2.0 it may never come.
The big deal here is that you can capture very good stereoscopic images and see them immediately on the 3D viewing screen right on the camera. That's the good news. The bad news is that there isn't really a great way to share them with other people. Lenticular or barrier stereo screens, 3D monitors, shutter glasses, binocular viewers, cross-eye stereo pairs etc. All require either money or effort. Those are not factors that help promote a new technology. So let's hope that a better, cheaper viewing technology comes along.
The camera itself is a pretty good digital camera; nothing special from an image-quality standpoint, but perfectly acceptable. The beauty is that it captures two images from slightly different vantage points and creates a proprietary multi-image jpeg file called an MPO. That file can be loaded onto and viewed directly from the optional Fuji V1 viewing screen that looks like the digital picture frames you see everywhere these days, except that this one also shows stereo images in 3D. Not well, but it does show them. The viewing angle and viewing distance are hyper critical, making the viewing experience not entirely satisfying or relaxing. The images actually look better on the back of the camera.
On the camera, Fuji has done a couple of interesting things that go beyond what you might expect. They have allowed you to adjust what they call the parallax (registration) of the two images. This point should be at what is called the stereo window, which I think of as the digital picture frame. Normally, this is the closest object and presumably the primary subject. But sometimes objects extend out of the frame, closer to the viewer. You can adjust this frame either before or after taking the picture, and you can save the new registration as a separate image.
Color rendition is good, as Fuji digital cameras normally produce. Noise is definitely present at higher ISOs, which is not surprising. Somehow this artifact seems less distracting in stereo than it does in a flat image. Exposure and focus are fine but not extraordinary. One person in a forum complained initially that one of the lenses was out of focus, but this was later determined to be a matter of timing. The left lens (primary) focuses faster than the right. So all is well.
The camera is very simple to use. Fuji's usual "F" menu gives access to all the necessary shooting adjustments (ISO, exposure comp, white balance etc.), and there is a full manual mode along with some interesting but probably little-used 3D modes.
I really enjoy using this camera. I find myself looking at scenes in a whole new way, making sure to see the depth and foreground/background balance. At first you take the cliche images, but after the first few weeks you start to see what makes the most appealing 3D images without exaggerated effects.
If you like 3D (I had a 3D film camera) you will really enjoy this camera. Just don't expect that you will find easy ways to share your passion with others.
Buy Fuji FinePix W1 Dual 10MP Real 3D Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and 2.8 inch LCD Now
I have this camera only for one week, and already like it very much.
I shoot stereo images quite a few years ago, since slide films and processing are getting hard to obtain, I found this camera provides opportunities for great images like never before.
If you keep the optimal distance from the object to camera about 7-12 feet, the stereo images will be great, beyond that range, it's hard for your eyes because the stereo pairs will not resolve correctly.
I use this camera to shoot HDR PANORAMA stereo images, and I am getting better images as time goes by.
Here are some of my 3D stereo images shot with the Fuji finepix 3D W11:
Read Best Reviews of Fuji FinePix W1 Dual 10MP Real 3D Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and 2.8 inch LCD Here
Are people really ordering this? Why would anyone pay more for an older model when the Fuji W3 is cheaper and updated?
Want Fuji FinePix W1 Dual 10MP Real 3D Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and 2.8 inch LCD Discount?
As this is the world's first and only 3D digital camera for consumers, it's a must-have for 3D enthusiasts as well as diehard gadget freaks. For everyone else, the 600-dollar list price and imperfect stereoscopic effect make the W1 a passing curiosity, something that may beget future better and cheaper models.
Now, as a 2D (i.e., normal) digital camera, the W1 is actually quite good. Its image quality is very good for a compact-class camera, and in the "advanced 2D" mode, since it has two 10MP lenses, you can take two simultaneous 2D photos with different settings, such as different zooms (e.g., one wide angle and one telephoto), different ISO sensitivities, or different color effects (e.g., one color, one black and white). Indoors and outdoors, the W1 is a capable, above-average 2D camera. But all these do not make the W1 worth its 600-buck listing price.
What's interesting, then, of course, is its 3D, or stereoscopic, picture taking. Actually you can shoot still images and movies in 3D -and view them back on the built-in 3D LCD monitor measuring 2.8" diagonally, without glasses. That's right, the LCD screen mimics 3D effect without your wearing 3D goggles.
Another way to view the 3D photos and movies you took with the W1 would be to buy Fuji's V1 3D photo viewer, but that would set you back another 500 bucks. Or you can send your pictures to Fuji in Japan for lenticular prints, but those aren't cheap, either. Finally, given the W1 uses an industry-standard 3D file format, you can probably wait until another company comes up with a 3D monitor.
Taking 3D pictures is almost as easy as taking 2D ones. I say "almost" because it turns out that to get the right 3D effect, you need to plan ahead -you need to focus your attention on only one subject, and try to minimize anything else that's in the foreground or background. This is because the "depth of parallax" where you can perceive the 3D effect is quite shallow, especially when you zoom in, so if you have things in the foreground and background in addition to your main subject, those things in the front and back will appear as double-images when viewed back and give you a serious headache.
Indeed, the 3D effect is so imperfect that Fuji warns you should only view 3D images -whether previewing a shot you're about to take, shooting a 3D video clip, or viewing back those things -for no more than 30 minutes at a time; the camera even has a warning indicator when you view 3D images for more than 30 minutes. For people like me who suffer from myopia and astigmatism (especially the latter), the comfortable viewing time is even less. And any double-image distractions on the screen make me dizzy and motion-sick quickly.
So, to take 3D pictures that appear 3D, isolate your subject from any foreground or background materials. For example, keep a large distance between your subject and the background trees or houses or whatever, and keep the foreground clean. Take care not to cover either camera lens with your fingers, and you're set. The camera automatically adjusts the parallax according to distance to subject, but you can manually adjust the parallax, too, either before or after shooting. Unfortunately, adjusting parallax is a very eye-straining exercise, so you'll mostly want to leave the parallax setting to automatic.
The video mode is not remarkable. You get stereo sound recording, but you cannot zoom, not even digitally (unlike, say, the Fuji JX250 which offers you a choice between optical video zoom or digital video zoom), during video recording. 3D movies are actually more fun to watch than 3D photos, especially if you follow my advice above and get the subject isolated from the background. For example, I shot some clips of a little league game and the clips where I had focused on just one kid player came out fine but any clip where I panned and included different players came out completely unwatchable.
As a digital camera the W1 is fairly easy to figure out and use. It takes SDHC cards, unlike previous generations of Fuji's which used xD cards. It's not compatible with SDXC yet, only SDHC, but that gives you up to 32GB -8GB is the most popular capacity at this time.
Because it houses two lenses and all that 3D processing circuitry, the W1 is big and heavy for a compact-class camera. It weighs 10.2 oz including battery and SD card. Coated in piano black, it's actually quite good-looking. Just hold it with steady hands, and always double-check that your fingers aren't blocking the lenses. Battery life is rated at 350 pictures, so pretty good. To charge the battery, you plug in one end of the small AC adapter to the camera itself while leaving the battery in the camera; i.e., there's no separate charger so you don't need to remove the battery each time.
In summary, the W1 is an innovative imaging gadget that takes effective but imperfect 3D images and videos. As long as you take some care in framing the shots, the stereoscopy actually works -and everyone who looks at my pictures gets completely amazed. (Until they find out how much I paid...) I don't recommend it to most people, but if you are into 3D or into revolutionary gadgets, go for it.
(Final note: there is a freeware program called StereoPhoto Maker that can produce traditional red-and-blue prints so you can don one of those old-fashioned goggles and view your printed 3D pictures! Just bing "StereoPhoto Maker".)
My laptop doesn't have an RS-232 port (as usual) so I had buy a USB to RS232 converter (on ebay). After installing the proper ASCOM driver, my Celestron NexStar 114 can nicely be controlled from SkyMap. Just click on a star on the chart and the telescope slews there. Position/time synchronization is also really easy.
