Fujifilm has announced the PinePix Real 3D W3 camera, an affordable digital camera that lets you shoot 3D HD movies, 3D photos, and 2D photos. The camera will cost $500 and be available in September. Is the real estate industry ready for 3D virtual tours and photos?
Fuji’s new 3-D camera has two 10-megapixel CCD sensors and two lenses capable of 3x optical zoom spaced 2.9 inches (75 millimeters) apart to create images with the added perception of depth. It has a 3.5-inch 3-D capable display that lets users watch photos and movies without requiring special glasses. The sleek gadget measures 0.8 inches at its thinnest and weighs 8.5 ounces with battery and memory card. Via Wired
What if I don’t want to take 3D photos and videos all of the time?
The PinePix Real 3D W3 camera has some exciting non 3D features. The camera can take regular 2D photos and because it has dual lenses the user can zoom in on the subject while taking a wide-angle photo of the same scene at the same time. You can also take two photos at the same time with different colors. You could take a photo as vintage black and white while taking the same photo of the scene as standard black and white.
How do I order prints?
Users can upload and order their photos for 3D printout on paper through Fuji’s SeeHere.com Web site. 5×7 photos are $6.99 each.
What am I going to do with a 3D video? Who carries around a pair of 3D glasses?
Last July, YouTube has started offering a 3-D display option for videos uploaded on its site.
Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.
You can watch videos in 3D on YouTube even if you don’t have 3D glasses. Adding the yt3d:enable=true tag to uploaded videos gives a new dropdown menu that lets the user select how they want to watch the video.
HERE is an example of a 3D video on YouTube.
The 3D video above looked the best to me when I watched in it “Parallel” or “Right Image Only” mode. These viewing options are available when you watch the video on YouTube.
Will 3D video be adopted by ordinary consumers? Probably sooner than you think. Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony all make 3D HDTVs, 3D video cameras are getting cheaper, and later this year you will be able to take a 3D video with your Smartphone that won’t require special glasses to watch.
Being able to easily produce and watch quality 3D videos will help break 3D videos into the mainstream. $500 has to be close to the price point at which real estate virtual tours will made with a 3D camera.
How long do you think it will be for 3 dimensional virtual tours will be common in real estate?
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Bryan, I had no idea about the 3D feature on YouTube. Very interesting. Personally, 3D hurts my eyes. For example, I took the kids to see Toy Story 3 in 3D not long ago, and though the 3D was actually fairly limited, I found myself wishing we were watching a typical movie. However, despite my leaning as a non-3D guy, I think technology like this is innovative and I’d certainly like to play around with it.
If you had the camera, what type of video or photos would you shoot?
Ryan, I didn’t know there was a 3D feature on YouTube until the other day. I am with you the technology being innovative. If I had the camera, I am not sure what kind of videos I would make. I think it would be nice to make a 3D video of my city or local attractions for marketing purposes. A 3D camera would be nice to have if I ever traveled more. The grand canyon would make a great 3D photo. I don’t really see 3D photos or videos being used in a real estate appraisals. I see the technology being used more for marketing a house that is listed for sale. I have seen some phenomenal virtual tours of custom built homes shot by professional photographers or videographers. I can see these virtual tours being done with a 3D camera in the near future. What about you? What kind of 3D photos would you take?
The only people interested in 3D are the TV manufacturers who are attempting to find yet another way to get the public to buy (again) a new flat screen TV. It’s a gimmick. I don’t think the general public really cares…. just like most people don’t care about Blue Ray either. What people DO care about is to be able to watch their content on any device THEY want…. iPods, iPads, TV, computers, cell phones without paying more than once for the privilege!
As for real estate? It’s 2010 and 80% of the still photos on the MLS taken by real estate agents are ridiculously bad…. and not even close to being an acceptable way to market an item worth hundreds of thousands (or millions) of dollars. In this day and age where almost all cameras are very capable, and Realtors STILL can’t even take a decent still photo, I can only image how long 3D would ever take to become even a niche player, let alone a standard.
Let’s work on getting quality photos worthy of the product you’re trying to market. That would be a huge step forward.
Interesting thoughts Fred, Thanks for sharing. It will be interesting to see how the sales of 3D TVs do in the next few years. There are only 5,200 3D videos on YouTube out of the million + videos on the site. 3D video cameras are just begging to get affordable. It will definitely be just a hobby for some time but I think the possibility is there for some exciting developments.
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