FinePix Real 3D W1 Digital Camera

Akihabara News, from Japan, recently reviewed the Finepix Real 3D W1 digital camera and let everyone know their stance right off the bat with their title:  “The worst camera ever made: the review” (you can view that post here).  FujiFilm quickly came to bat to defend it’s newest technology by inviting the reviewers from Akihabara News to sit down with the developers at FujiFilm to discuss their concerns with the camera.

The result of the meeting was an article from FujiFilm to aleviate some of the concerns made by Akihabara (which you can view here).  The article went a long way to address the concerns, but still reminds readers that this is a brand new product, so some issues are to be expected.

I don’t think sales will be effected by these concerns at all.  People will still go out to get the latest technology just to say they have it.  If you have any comments regarding the camera please use the comment feature below to voice your conerns or praise.

According to online sources, North American will get it’s first taste of the Finepix Real 3D W1 early in October.  The article I read said it will be released in Canada on October 1st, but I would also assume it will be available in the United States on that date or sooner.

In terms of pricing, it seems pretty much on par with prices in Japan and the UK.  In Canada the Finepix Real 3D W1 will sell for $699 CDN and the Finepix Real 3D V1 digital viewer will sell for $499 CDN.  Factor in the exchange rate from Canadian to American and you’re looking at $640 USD for the camera and $460 for the digital viewer.

Considering the above prices it would still be economical to purchase the camera from ebay.  Check out the ebay listings to the right and you will see that the prices are lower than the MSRP for the North American markets.

Stay tuned for more updates.

The Finepix Real 3d W1 has surfaced on Ebay with an average price around $640!  Currently there are 5 listings selling the camera from Japan.  You can view the listings by clicking on my ebay feed on the right side of this page.

This has come as a surprise as there has been no news on the camera being released in Japan.  My guess is that these cameras are demos given to companies to review before the scheduled release (which there has been no announcement for!).

So, if you want to be one of the first to get your hands on the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W1, click on my ebay widget on the right to be taken to the auction page.

I would love to hear comments from you if you are going to try to purchase one of these or have already bought one.  We would all love to hear about it first hand! DONOTCHANGE

With the ‘apparent’ launch about a month away for the Finepix Real 3D W1, we still don’t have any concrete, reliable data as to an official price and release date for North America.

What we can be reletively sure of is that the release of the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D System will be sometime in September…pretty vauge, but that’s all we have to work with right now.  As for the price, there have been numerous reports suggesting that the camera and Real 3D V1 picture viewer will set you back about $1000.

The Japan release of the Finepix Real 3D system is supposed to happen sometime this month, so be sure to check my ebay feed as I’m sure some will get auctioned there before the North American release.  As soon as the cameras start appearing on Ebay I will update my ebay feed to show the auctions.

I will be updating my mailing list and RSS feed subscribers as soon as this happens so sign up so you don’t miss out. DONOTCHANGE

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It is official, someone has finally got their hands on the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W1 Digital Camera….and apparently it is a handful!  The people over at Stuff.tv got the pleasure of actually seeing and using the camera in real life.

First of all, they open by making fun of the way the Finepix Real 3D W1 seems to be looking and smiling at you with it’s two Fujinon lenses.  They also go on to say that the camera has some girth to it, comparing it to the full-size Olympus EP-1.  Jokes aside, the Brits proclaimed this camera ‘The coolest camera of the year’ and also said that they’ve ‘just handled history’.  These are pretty bold statements for a camera that has hardly been seen by consumers, but just hearing what the camera is capable of is enough for most….at least until we can get our hands on one.

All we have to go off of right now is the account of the lucky few that have seen the camera in action.  We don’t have lenticular computer monitors or tv’s, so we’re unable to see examples of the Finepix Real 3D W1’s pictures without having the camera.  Lucky for us, the folks at Stuff.tv have one and went on to say:

“[T]he amazing bit, the bit that you’ll want to show all your friends, is that you can see the photos popping out of the rear LCD in proper 3D, without any need to wear stupid glasses. That is the wonder of a lenticular screen…And I turned it off and on again. And again. A 3D logo kept popping up on (or out of) the LCD and I had to keep doing it to persuade myself that it wasn’t my imagination.”

As with any product, there are also some drawbacks.  The 3D effect did not seem to work very well when there was not a prominent depth of field, and they also found that the two Fujinon lenses do not work particularly well in Macro mode.  Also, Stuff.tv seemed not to mention anything about the quality of the 3D video….is that good or bad?  We don’t know quite yet.

Overall, the message that Stuff.tv wants people to take away is that besides the cool 3D abilities, this 10.0 megapixel camera can also handle itself in regular point and shoot 2D mode as well.  A one-trick gimmick?  I don’t think so! DONOTCHANGE