Stereoscopic 3D? You probably have no idea what that means, and that’s okay because now you don’t have to. GoPro’s latest compatible attachment from Vitrima allows you to record 3D video without all the fuss.
Typically, stereoscopic 3D uses several cameras to capture multiple images at once. It’s complicated. You not only need the expensive hardware, but extra software and the know-how to sync them all together. It’s not a point-and-shoot operation. By the time you figure out the camera, you’ve probably missed out on that precious moment. The Vitrima Lens makes it easier by recreating all of this for you inside the camera by using mirrors to record two perspectives at once..
“The bar in the middle splits the image in half. So when you’re looking at it when it's not in the 3D viewer, you've got a left image and a right image. Then when you put it into a viewer, your brain turns it into one 3D image,” Vitrima’s Caroline Ventola explained to iDigitalTimes during an early morning demo.
It may have just been my early morning haze, but the demo felt like my 8-year old self watching a Cinderella reel on a big red View-Master. Despite the nostalgia, the experience felt like a refreshing next-generation experience..I quickly realized the concept is simpler than it sounds.
We see depth because we have two eyes. For example, close one eye and try to catch a baseball...it’s not going to happen. That’s why the two mirrors inside the Vitrima Lens are so critical. When we watch the two images side by side in the 3D headset, our eyes put the two images together, mimicking a complicated 3D experience.
After the video is recorded, simply download to your phone or upload to YouTube. Use any sort of 3D lens to watch. Ventola brought in a $20 headset from Amazon that worked perfectly. After she left, I used our office Google Cardboard and that got the job done too. Nothing super high tech is necessary and you’ll edit the same way you would any other GoPro recording. With the GoPro app downloaded, creepily watch yourself recording the video in 3D.
Choose from two different Vitrima Lenses. The original lens is heavier, but it’s waterproof. The second is lightweight, but has no water resistance. For activities that use a GoPro headband attachment, Ventola does suggest the lightweight version so the top doesn’t weigh down on your head. However, professional snowboarder Ryan Knapton took the original Vitrima on a test drive and he was able to do tricks and flips just fine. Both are extremely durable.
“Someone ran over it with a truck. My heart sank when I saw the video, but it didn’t break. It's fairly indestructible. You want to be able to drop it and not shatter, but it was not intended to be run over by a vehicle, but it withheld,” Ventola said.
To use the Vitrima Lens, you’ll first need a GoPro Hero 3 or Hero 4. Before it’s time to shoot, slide the GoPro into the designated space in the lens. That’s it.
Vitrima’s indiegogo page is taking pre-order s. The standard lens currently costs $89, but will retail for $129 after the ear ly bird special ends. The lightweight lens is cheaper--$75 now, and $99 later. A 3D headset comes bundled for an additional $25 dollars. The first batch of lenses are ready to ship this month.
Vitrima is hoping to make their lens compatible with other phones in the near future. Ventola said the Chicago-based company plans to work on an iPhone lens next.
“We haven't found anything that does what we do for a price similar to what we’re charging,” Venotla said.
