FUJIFILM Corporation announced a radical departure from current imaging systems with the development of a completely new, real image system (3D digital camera, 3D digital photo frame, 3D print) that marks a complete break from previous attempts to introduce this technology and this revolutionary imaging product seems set to change the way we shoot, view and print photographs. While conventional digital cameras capture in two dimensions, the new 6-megapixel shooter uses two lens and the onboard Real Photo (RP) Processor 3D to combine a scene to present a three dimensional view.
The company has a strong research program currently running to improve every aspect of capture and output. This is based on the broad concept of producing images as lifelike as possible, or more simply, ‘capturing an image exactly as your eye sees it.’ The ‘Real Photo Technology’ program is determined to improve key quality metrics for each generation of camera, like ‘high resolution with low noise,’ ‘expanded wide dynamic range,’ ‘intelligent scene recognition,’ ‘intelligent flash,’ ‘face detection’ etc, culminating in the announcement this September of a new type of sensor, Fujifilm Super CCD EXR, which will take image quality to levels hitherto undreamed of.
Typically, 3D photography requires stereo cameras which are usually film-based. You require special accessories such as 3D glasses to view the pictures or dedicated programs to convert the images into one 3D picture. But what Fujifilm had done was to incorporate two lenses and sensors into the shooter. These components feed the scene to the RP 3D processor which translates the information to the special 2.8-inch LCD which is capable of displaying both 2D and 3D images. This technology is one-of-a-kind and we have not seen it in other shooters. Besides capturing 3D pictures, the unnamed camera is also capable of snapping 2D images, too, using only one lens.
The LCD is probably one of the more advanced displays we’ve come across. There are two sources on the sides of the screen and they will display the information captured through the two lenses independently. Each source has a refresh rate of 60 frames per second and as the sources alternate to and fro, a 3D effect is achieved. But what was rather impressive about the display was that the image engine does all the rendering in real time, meaning that you can view the scene in 3D before taking the picture. The snapper is also able to record video clips in 3D.
Fujifilm is developing a whole line of products to complement the 3D shooter. In the works is an 8.4-inch 3D photo frame and the company’s current Frontier mini-lab printing system has been modified to print lenticular photographs. We saw some samples and had to admit that they looked really good. Traditional lenticular prints splice two images anve you can view it only from the front to see the 3D effect. But what Fujifilm has done was to splice several images and merge them so the picture appeared 3D even when we viewed it from the sides.
The 3D camera wasn’t as slim as we thought, but Fujifilm said it would reduce the bulk for the commercial sets. Another issue was the file format the 3D snapper will generate. Fujifilm said the format will be new to the industry, but the company is currently working with CIPA (Camera and Imaging Products Association) to make this an open format. The firm is also looking to work with other developers such as Adobe to incorporate it in Photoshop for image-editing.
Printing 3D photographs will not be cheap either, but the company expects the price to drop when this printing format gets more popular. It would be almost impossible to output 3D photographs at home, and the initial high costs of printing may deter some people from buying the shooter.
It is difficult to predict how popular this camera will be among consumers when it seems like there is little support for its proprietary file format for now. Also, limited viewing accessories such as 3D monitors and printers may be a deal breaker for some. However, Fujifilm has been the pioneer for several digital imaging trends, such as low-light photography and face detection, so developing a ground-breaking 3D digicam is in line with its vision.
The 3D camera is expected to launch in August/September next year. Pricing is not available at press time but we will update when we have more information.