Fujifilm Finepix REAL 3D W3 Summary

The Fuji Finepix REAL 3D W3 is one of only two 3D digital cameras which offer a unique way to capture 3D images with a natural perspective. This is accomplished by a very sophisticated design which is bound to become the benchmark for 3D digital-capture. This design includes two folded-optics 3X optical zoom lens mounted 75mm apart along with two 10 megapixels image sensors. These lenses each capture the same scene simultaneously from different angles which are combined by the camera into a 3D image which is directly viewable on the large lenticular 3D LCD without special glasses. Viewing 3D images can also be done on a modern 3D HDTV or 3D digital picture frame or printed using special lenticular paper.

The REAL 3D W3 can also shoot regular 2D images using only one of its lenses, but that is certainly not the point. As a 2D camera, it is quite basic with a minimal zoom and functionality other than manual controls. Image quality in 2D is reasonable but does not compare the the best similarly-sized cameras. In 3D, we got the same image quality but with a sense of depth. Depending on the subject, depth is more or less easy to perceive but some images really pop-out of the 3.5" LCD. Fuji has fitted this camera with controls over perspective including the ability to individually shoot each image and produce custom perspectives which can be exaggerated compared to real-life.

Looking for the cool-factor of 3D in the palm of your hand? The bottom line is that the Fuji Finepix REAL 3D W3 is the only game in town. It delivers on its 3D promise with a quick and simple way to capture both 3D images and 3D video. Comparing it to 2D models would not be fair, although its 2D performance is not bad, it does not compare well to the performance of lower-cost ultra-compacts like the Fujifilm Finepix F300 EXR
Fujifilm Finepix F300 EXR.

See our express review for more details.

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