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Innovation

Capture 3D video for less than $100

If you own a GoPro, this lens will let you snag some pretty stunning 3D footage on the cheap.
Written by Greg Nichols, Contributing Writer
Vitrima 3D for GoPro

Vitrima 3D for GoPro

Worried your extreme footage isn't extreme enough? Want to capture your kids in all their three-dimensional glory? This sub-$100 lens is a budget alternative to the growing list of more expensive stereoscopic video options. And the footage, which you can check out on the site with a 3D viewer, actually looks pretty amazing.

Using the GoPro as a platform to go 3D is nothing new. For example, you can buy a case that mounts two of the cameras side-by-side. You can also buy some pretty cool arrays that use ten or more of the cameras to capture 360 views.

But those options have one annoying flaw: they require some pretty powerful post-processing, and stitching those images together is time-consuming and rarely seamless.

The Vitrima lens' advantage is that it requires no additional processing to capture 3D video, which should be appealing to the point-and-shoot GoPro crowd. The lens uses mirrors to redirect light from two distinct points into a single camera. This means that the videos need no extra editing before being viewed with a 3D viewer. Video captured through the lens is ready to view in immersive 3D using a virtual reality headset like Google Cardboard.

Anyone with a GoPro HERO 3 or 4 can use the lens. Fantem, the company behind Vitrima, says lenses will available for other camera systems in the future.

"GoPro revolutionized the way people capture themselves and their interests," said Colin Marshall, Fantem VP. "Everyday people have filmed some pretty amazing content over the years, so we wanted to create something to help them make it more awesome, and what's more awesome than 3D? Vitrima makes that happen and for less than $100."

Taking a cue from GoPro, which makes its money from hardware but has built its brand around a lifestyle, Fantem is hoping to build out vitrima.com as a place to share 3D videos. GoPro struck gold with its user-generated GoPro channel, which is tough to watch without grabbing a camera and heading for the great outdoors.

The lenses will sell for $119 for the waterproof version, and $99 for the lightweight version. They should ship later this spring, and you can save some cash by doing the early-bird sign-up.

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