Fujifilm To Ship $600 3D Point & Shoot Camera

For anyone who has paid close attention to the movie market this year, you'll know that 3D is being shoved down our throats faster that we can decide whether or not we even like the taste. While 3D has been around for decades now, only recently has Hollywood (and in turn, everyone else) decided that 3D is the next big money maker. Most major motion animation studios have decided that all future films will be made in 3D, and even NVIDIA has decided it prudent to openly support the format.

All that being true, we guess we can't be too surprised to hear that a mainstay in the camera realm is looking to hop on the bandwagon with a consumer-level 3D camera. You heard right, a point-and-shoot digital camera that handles 3D. Currently, Fujifilm holds less than 7% of the overall digital camera market, and it's hoping to grab back some of what it has lost to Canon, Nikon and Sony with a new 3D camera later this year. As of now, it seems that the shooter is still in prototype form, with the 3D technology being tentatively named the FinePix Real 3D System.



The current camera is hardly larger than a typical P&S camera, with the main difference being the twin lenses--space about as far apart as human eyes--that snap shots at different angles. This multi-lens approach is at the heart of 3D. The 10MP sensor grabs two looks at the same shot, with the result producing a "stereoscopic illusion of depth." As for viewing these 3D captures? Fujifilm will offer a 3D photo frame or printing options for those who prefer tangible assets. If all goes well, the device will ship in the United States and Europe this September for $600--a steep premium, for sure. So, are you ready to capture your next vacation in 3D? As for us, we're still on the fence.