PSN ID
by Yes, the cinematic phenomenon from James Cameron has helped usher in a new era of fascination with 3-D and all its potential consumer applications. But with little 3-D content to watch on them, and a slow economy besides, the 3-D televisions touted last year just haven’t taken off.
Instead, look for 3-D to break into a new arena in 2011: Consumer-priced cameras.
Last year, just as Avatar was building box-office momentum, 3-D cameras made few waves at CES, but offerings such as a $21,000 3-D-enabled camcorder from Panasonic were hardly budget friendly.
Camera manufacturers are more serious this time around about enabling consumers to produce their own at-home, three-dimensional media. Sure, it won’t be enough for you to act out your favorite Na’vi fanfic pieces, but it’s a critical step — and those Paris vacation photos would look great in 3-D, wouldn’t they?
Expect to see plenty of big-name manufacturers expanding on last year’s models and dazzling us with fresh ones, with price points for 3-D-capable point-and-shoot digicams hovering, for the most part, around $500.
The inherently annoying thing about shooting in 3-D is that it often requires a bit of savvy on the shooter’s part, often necessitating the shooting and re-shooting of a scene from a slightly different angle to order to let the camera generate the intended 3-D effect. Those models that can incorporate an easy-to-use 3-D functionality for those down on the far end of the digicam long tail will immediately jump out to the front of the pack.
Those 3-D camcorders should still remain prohibitively out-of-budget for most show-goers, but Panasonic has led the way so far, especially considering this summer’s release of the $1,400 HDC-SDT750. Whether the volume of new releases at CES can help the market push that price point down below $1,000 is doubtful.
Still, the tech (as it relates to consumers) is still relatively green, so we’ll look to 2012 as a potential tipping point for all you budding Cameron wannabes. Until then, you’ll have to do with the ever-expanding roster of budget 3-D pocket cams, like those from Aiptek, DXG and Viewsonic.
So yes, we’ve come a long way from the red-and-blue-lensed glasses of yesteryear, but 3-D has also encountered a newer, more tech-savvy generation of users, as well.
Unfortunately, 3-D TV penetration will have to explode over the next few months (and years, really) in order for consumers to go all-in on 3-D-capable cameras. But the beginnings of a major new art form are in place.
Instead, look for 3-D to break into a new arena in 2011: Consumer-priced cameras.
Last year, just as Avatar was building box-office momentum, 3-D cameras made few waves at CES, but offerings such as a $21,000 3-D-enabled camcorder from Panasonic were hardly budget friendly.
Camera manufacturers are more serious this time around about enabling consumers to produce their own at-home, three-dimensional media. Sure, it won’t be enough for you to act out your favorite Na’vi fanfic pieces, but it’s a critical step — and those Paris vacation photos would look great in 3-D, wouldn’t they?
Expect to see plenty of big-name manufacturers expanding on last year’s models and dazzling us with fresh ones, with price points for 3-D-capable point-and-shoot digicams hovering, for the most part, around $500.
The inherently annoying thing about shooting in 3-D is that it often requires a bit of savvy on the shooter’s part, often necessitating the shooting and re-shooting of a scene from a slightly different angle to order to let the camera generate the intended 3-D effect. Those models that can incorporate an easy-to-use 3-D functionality for those down on the far end of the digicam long tail will immediately jump out to the front of the pack.
Those 3-D camcorders should still remain prohibitively out-of-budget for most show-goers, but Panasonic has led the way so far, especially considering this summer’s release of the $1,400 HDC-SDT750. Whether the volume of new releases at CES can help the market push that price point down below $1,000 is doubtful.
Still, the tech (as it relates to consumers) is still relatively green, so we’ll look to 2012 as a potential tipping point for all you budding Cameron wannabes. Until then, you’ll have to do with the ever-expanding roster of budget 3-D pocket cams, like those from Aiptek, DXG and Viewsonic.
So yes, we’ve come a long way from the red-and-blue-lensed glasses of yesteryear, but 3-D has also encountered a newer, more tech-savvy generation of users, as well.
Unfortunately, 3-D TV penetration will have to explode over the next few months (and years, really) in order for consumers to go all-in on 3-D-capable cameras. But the beginnings of a major new art form are in place.
