Since the QooCam EGO was released recently, I’ve been asked quite a few times how I think it compares to other compact digital stereo cameras, so here’s a post to do exactly that! I’ve taken three cameras, the Kandao QooCam EGO, the FujiFilm Finepix Real 3D W3, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1, with me to try all of them in automatic mode in the same surroundings to see how they hold up against each other for taking still 3-D photos. I’ve also added the specs for anyone interested.

I have to point out that the Lumix’s lenses are much closer together than the other two, so please keep that in mind as it needs to be closer to the subject.

Camera	Fuji Finepix W3	QooCam EGO	Lumix DMC-3D1
Size	124 x 66 x 28 mm	94 x 53 x 22 mm (without viewer)	108 x 58 x 24 mm
Weight (inc. battery)	230 g	160 g (without viewer)	193 g
Photo Resolution (side-by-side stereo)	(8:3) 7296 x 2736	(8:3) 8000 x 3000	(8:3) 6528 x 2448
Pixels (single mono photo, according to manufacturer)	(4:3) 10 megapixels	(4:3) 12 megapixels	(4:3) 12 megapixels
Sensor Size & Type	1/2.3″ (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD	1/2″ (6.4 x 4.8 mm) (TBD)	1/2.3″ (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS
ISO	Auto (400), Auto (800), Auto (1600), 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600	Auto (100), Auto (300), Auto (400) (others TBD)	Auto, Hi Auto (1600-6400), 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Focal Length	35–105 mm	27mm	25–100 mm
Max. Aperture	F3.7–4.2	F1.8	F3.9–5.7
Max. Shutter Speed	1/1000 sec	1/6400 sec (TBC)	1/1300 sec
Lens Separation (cm)	7.5	6.5	3.0
Best distance from subject for comfy 3-D depth (cm)	225	195	90
3-D Display?	Autostereoscopic instant display in 3-D (Lenticular 3-D with no glasses)	Attachable magnetic viewer with instant display in 3-D.	Mono (2-D half-stereo) images displayed only
Available?	Discontinued	Available	Discontinued
Standard Output Still File Format	MPO & single mono JPG	Single file stereo JPG	MPO & single mono JPG

Now for the stereos. Most of them I’ve not edited at all, but the few I have aligned and cropped, I’ve made it clear. All of them are on Auto settings – the QooCam EGO, however, does not have a manual focus, so I set the distance manually. I’ve also made sure that the file sizes haven’t been automatically reduced for display on the website – they are the direct size from the camera when un-cropped. If you click on the images, you can see them in full-size in Flickr, depending on what device you’re viewing it on.

Indoor, Studio Lighting, At the Best Distance According to the Lens Separation, On a Tripod

FujiFilm Finepix Real 3D W3 (225cm away):

Kandao QooCam EGO (195cm away):

Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 (90cm away):

Indoor, Studio Lighting, At the Best Distance According to the Lens Separation, On a Tripod, Cropped and Aligned:

FujiFilm Finepix Real 3D W3 (225cm away):

Kandao QooCam EGO (195cm away) (the left lens focus difference is very noticeable!):

Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 (90cm away):

Indoors, Same Distance, Hand-Held:

FujiFilm Finepix Real 3D W3:

Kandao QooCam EGO:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1:

Outdoors, Hand-Held, Same Distance

FujiFilm Finepix Real 3D W3:

Kandao QooCam EGO:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1:

You can really see a difference between the contrast and field of view with each camera.

I was quite shocked by the difference in the focus of the lenses for the QooCam EGO for the image I cropped, and it’s been apparent in other images I’ve taken with it; it’s definitely a disappointment as the older cameras don’t have the same issue. I’ve contacted Kandao to see if it’s a known and fixable issue or just a fault with my camera. You can read a review of first using this camera here.

I personally can’t pick a clear favourite from the three cameras as they each have their own pros and cons. It’s also very subjective, so I’ll let the specs and images speak for themselves.

#StereoscopyDay

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