Acer isn't a brand you'd normally associate with photography, but its new camera offering comes with an interesting twist: the ability to take photos and record video in stereoscopic 3D. Announced ahead of next week's Computex event, the SpatialLabs Eyes Stereo Camera It also allows users to stream live 3D content to YouTube and make 3D video calls on Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet.
Acer says the SpatialLabs Eyes stereo camera will be available in the third quarter of this year starting at $549. It fully integrates with Acer's line of SpatialLabs 3D devices, such as the Aspire 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition laptop, which have surprised us with their impressive ability to display 3D content without glasses. Images and videos recorded with the SpatialLabs camera can also be viewed on other 3D-compatible displays, 3D projectors, virtual reality headsets, or on the camera itself.
Support for 3D live streams and conference calls is a niche feature, but it's good to see Acer expanding its SpatialLabs 3D technology. The 3D experience that Acer offers really needs to be experienced first-hand to understand how visually mind-blowing things are to look at. arrive towards you without the help of glasses. It's far superior (and nicer to look at) than older glasses-free 3D offerings like Nintendo's 3DS handheld, and the SpatialLabs camera makes filming such content more accessible to those without extensive videography skills.
The SpatialLabs camera is compact, weighing 220 grams (0.4 pounds) and measuring 4 x 2.5 x 0.9 inches. It has a resolution of 8 megapixels per eye, a built-in “selfie mirror,” and some familiar photography features, such as Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) and the ability to manually adjust ISO, white balance, and shutter speed settings. The camera also has a 1500 mAh capacity battery, a microSD card slot for expanded storage, and a 2.4-inch touchscreen contained in a “weather-resistant” casing.
Live streaming to YouTube will require the latest version of Acer's SpatialLabs Player, while 3D video conferencing support, which also comes with “customizable depth features,” will be enabled via the SpatialLabs incoming video call widget that will also be released sometime in the third trimester.
