With a pair of wide-angle lenses taking in the action, the SID camera from Weeview is a compact, 3D-shooting and live-streaming camera. Designed to produce footage suitable for VR applications and headsets, the camera, which is currently on Kickstarter, also has the ability to add Augmented Reality special effects to videos.
Though the majority of 3D cameras are relatively large, the SID camera is of more modest proportions and at 80 x 40 x 20 mm (3.1 x 1.6 x 0.8 in) is sized similarly to many action cameras. However, it's worth noting that while being billed as an action-cam, the 60 g (2.1 oz) SID camera isn't waterproof or particularly rugged, though the team behind it is exploring the possibility of producing a waterproof case.
On the front of the camera are dual wide-angle F2.4 lenses which take in a stereoscopic view, as opposed to the back-to-back lenses of cameras like the Garmin VIRB 360 or Ricoh Theta cameras which allow 360-degree shooting. These lenses are paired with 1/3-inch image sensors, allowing the SID camera to shoot stills at 32-megapixel, and 3K (2880 x 1440) video at 30 frames per second. The 3D side-by-side footage it shoots makes the camera compatible with services including YouTube and Facebook, and can be viewed in 3D using VR headsets.
Given there's no screen on the rear of the camera, it's not surprising that it will come alongside a companion app for iOS and Android. This app will allows users to control the camera and view what they are shooting, review footage, as well as live-stream the 3D footage and add 3D Augmented Reality special effects, examples of which can be seen on the Kickstarter page.
Other features include the ability to use the dual camera to shoot "wiggle grams" – photos where the background wobbles – and an Auto Follow mode where you can set the camera to stay focused on your face. There's no exact word yet on battery life, though it's expected to be around the four hour mark. The camera will use micro SD cards up to 126 GB for storage.
Because camera shake is even more of an issue when shooting 3D footage, the SID camera will also launch alongside a custom SID gimbal which will help cut unintentional wobbles thanks to 3-axis stabilization. However, if you've already got a GoPro gimbal, the camera is said to be compatible with those too.
Kickstarter pledges start at US$179 for a SID camera, rising to $199 when those have gone. If you want the the gimbal too, that kit will be an early-bird pledge of $269, rising to $299. The funding target has already been met, so if everything else goes to plan it should start shipping in August.
You can check out the Kickstarter video for the SID camera below.
Sources: Weeview, Kickstarter
