Think about the last great photograph you took. It might be a landscape you stood in for 20 minutes waiting for the light, a street scene that captured a split second of urban choreography, or a portrait where everything (expression, light, background) just clicked into place. 

Now imagine being able to step inside it: to move your head and sense the depth that was there when you pressed the shutter. To experience the image not as a flat rectangle on a screen, but as something you can look around inside.

That's the promise of one of the Samsung Galaxy XR's less-trumpeted features. The mixed-reality headset, which has been available in the US since October for $1,799.99, and launches in the UK on July 8 at £1,699, can automatically convert your existing photos and videos into 3D, using AI to work out depth information from flat source material. 

Samsung is careful not to over-promise on quality: results vary depending on the subject and how the original was shot. But the idea raises questions about photography that go beyond whether any headset is worth the asking price.

The Galaxy XR is primarily aimed at entertainment and productivity, with dual 4K Micro-OLED panels delivering 27 million pixels in view and a 109-degree horizontal field of view. Reviewers have broadly agreed it's a genuine rival to the Apple Vision Pro. But personally, it's what it does with photographs that I think is worth thinking about most.

What it can do

Converting a 2D image into a 3D space isn't new, of course. Photogrammetry software has done it for years, using multiple overlapping shots from different angles.

What the Galaxy XR attempts, though, is different, because it's working from a single image and using AI to estimate depth where none was explicitly captured. For images that already have strong spatial qualities, clear foreground-background separation, distinct planes of focus, a real sense of depth, the effect could be impressive.

This raises an interesting question for photographers. If you know your images might be viewed this way, does it change how you shoot? Do you think more deliberately about depth when composing, or reach for lenses and apertures that give a stronger sense of space? 

It's a similar shift to what happened when photographers started shooting for social media and had to think about how their images would read as small squares on a phone screen. How you expect an image to be seen tends to shape how you make it.

Adapting your archive

There's another angle worth considering. Most photographers who've been shooting for any length of time have built up a substantial archive: years of RAW files, thousands of images sitting in Lightroom or on external drives. The Galaxy XR's conversion feature, at least in principle, makes that entire archive a candidate for a new kind of viewing experience.

Your travel photography from a decade ago, your portrait work, your landscape series... All of it is potentially viewable, in a form that brings back something of the depth and atmosphere of the original scene.

That's still somewhat speculative: how well AI-inferred 3D actually works on older, single-image sources is an open question. But the potential is clear. As the AI improves and the hardware gets lighter and cheaper, the gap between a photograph and a fully immersive record of a moment gets smaller.

Where it's all heading

The Galaxy XR is best understood as an early step rather than the finished article. Samsung has already announced AI smart glasses developed with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, which points toward a future where these experiences move off a bulky headset and into something you can wear all day. 

The hardware will, in all likelihood, get lighter and cheaper before we know it. Samsung has already announced AI smart glasses with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. It's also been out in force at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California this week, showcasing display panels designed for glasses-style AR that would make current headset screens look dim. 

All of which means that in future, the gap between a photograph and a fully immersive record of a moment will get smaller. And the craft of making images that work in three dimensions could start to matter in ways it never has before.

Camera glasses have long been something we've been interested in at Digital Camera World, as our name might suggest. These wearable smart devices have become particularly popular in the last year or so thanks to Meta and Ray-Ban – but yesterday's announcement from Snap has moved the technology on in a big way.

Since the parent company for Snapchat first launched its Spectacles back in 2016, the market for wearable eyewear cameras has started to build, with Ray-Ban's Meta Headliner Gen 2 glasses currently the ones to beat.

But Snap's new Specs, announced yesterday at the Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California, represent a genuine step forward. Because what we're talking about is not just a camera on your face, but a full-blown heads-up display, built into a pair of glasses you could actually wear in public.

This all comes at a price, though: at $2,195 / £1,995, these are not an impulse buy. For context, that's more than a Sony A7C II body, more than a DJI Mavic 3 Pro, and more than double the price of Ray-Ban Meta Display (which is the closest rival with a heads-up display available in the market at the moment).

Still, it's pretty darned incredible what Snap has managed to squeeze into something that's at least recognisably spectacle-shaped. The Specs are fully standalone – no tether to a phone and no external battery puck – which puts them in a different class from competitors such as Xreal's Project Aura.

They weigh between 132g and 136g depending on which of the two frame sizes you choose, which is roughly twice the weight of the Ray-Ban Meta Display glasses but considerably lighter than any AR headset. First-person impressions from the show floor described them as pretty chunky, but not unreasonably so for what's packed inside.

What the display actually does

The display system is where things get interesting for anyone who thinks seriously about optics. Snap uses its own proprietary liquid crystal on silicon technology, delivering a 51-degree field of view and 16 million colours. To put that in terms photographers will recognise, the company claims it's equivalent to a 24-inch desktop monitor when you're working, or a 115-inch screen placed 10 feet away when you're watching video. That's not a floating thumbnail: it's a practical, usable display.

The waveguide (the optical component that carries light from the display to your eye) uses billions of nanostructures so small that more than 10,000 of them fit on the tip of a human hair. Snap has also borrowed electrochromic lens tech from Boeing 787 Dreamliner windows, allowing the lenses to shift from clear to tinted in around 10 seconds. Which is either a neat party trick or a useful privacy feature. Or possibly both.

Motion-to-photon latency, meanwhile, is claimed at 7 milliseconds, verified through robotic measurement systems. That's fast enough that digital overlays should feel anchored to the real world rather than swimming around it, which has historically been the case with AR systems.

What's the camera like?

When it comes to photography, there's a world-facing camera with an LED indicator that lights up when recording is active. That's a direct response to privacy criticisms that have followed smart glasses from Google Glass onwards. Users retain control over what gets stored, synced, shared or deleted.

Snap hasn't published a camera sensor spec sheet like you'd get from a dedicated camera manufacturer, which is a small frustration. But what I can tell you is that the glasses are powered by two Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, one dedicated to computer vision and one to running apps, so the processing grunt is clearly there. Battery life is around four hours of mixed use, with the included charging case providing four additional full charges. That should add up, in theory at least, to 20 hours of total use.

Most people are still not ready for AR glasses, and while I haven't tried Specs myself, my guess is that this won't change overnight. In fact, I question whether the average person has any interest at all in strapping a camera to their face. Then again, serious people are investing serious money into this tech, so maybe they know something I don't.

Either way, if you're an enthusiastic early adopter, the immediate point of comparison is the Ray-Ban Meta Display glasses, which offer a similar concept at less than half the price, yet without the full AR display functionality. Your choice of device will also depend where you are in the world. Meta's product is currently US-only, while Snap's Specs will ship to the US, the UK and France this autumn.

Pre-orders for Specs are open now at specs.com with a refundable deposit. Whether these represent the future of wearable camera glasses or another tech firm pouring billions of VC capital down the drain, we'll have a clearer view once we've had a proper hands-on. Watch this space.

See our guide to the best camera glasses

Don't care about 3D or VR? Neither did I – until Canon showed me what it's doing with the technology at the CP+ 2026 show in Japan. And I've honestly gone from being indifferent to genuinely being excited – and that's in large part due to how Canon has democratized this kind of imaging.

For starters, you don't need a special camera, lens or headset any more; thanks to an incredibly innovative implementation of Canon's Dual Pixel wizardry (yes, the same tech that powers your Dual Pixel autofocus) you can take a regular photograph on a standard EOS camera and lens and turn it into a 3D image.

This is just one of the multiple ways Canon has developed VR; take a look at my quick guided tour video below, which gives you an easy-to-digest overview of the company's exhibits being shown off in Yokohama:

Canon EOS VR

It starts off with Canon's EOS VR ecosystem – which will probably be the setup you're most familiar with, as it requires specific VR lenses and a headset in order to fully immerse yourself into the spatial video that is captured.

It's built around Canon's stereoscopic lenses: the full-frame Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye (compatible with the EOS R5, R5 Mark II, R6 Mark II, R6 Mark III, C400, C80 and C50), along with the APC-C tag team of the RF-S 3.9mm f/3.5 STM Dual Fisheye and the RF-S 7.8mm f/4 Dual (both compatible with the EOS R7, R50 and R50 V).

I had the opportunity to try the latest showcase of the technology, which involved interacting with multiple animal scenes involving dogs chasing a ball, cats going nuts over a catnip lollipop, a hedgehog being quite a bit less dynamic than the dogs and cats, and an owl being fed using a pair of tweezers.

It's pretty cool to experience, but ever cooler when you consider that Canon is the only brand that offers these kinds of creation tools. The fact that dual-lens, same-sensor outfits like this are available to consumers is a grossly underappreciated fact.

Think about it: right now you can buy a RF-S 7.8mm f/4 Dual for $409 and an EOS R50 V for $569. So for less than a grand, you can start creating seriously impressive VR footage – that's an incredible proposition for anyone wanting to get in on the ground floor of the next frontier in video, or just anyone who wants to shoot some cool stuff.

But still, this is the traditional hardware-based entry point into 3D creation – and as affordable an entry point as it might be, there is still a cost involved. However, part of Canon's 3D strategy is to open the ecosystem to users without investing in dedicated equipment.

MReal x Dual Pixel 3D

This is where things get really clever, because it enables you to create 3D images without any dedicated 3D or VR hardware. No special glass, no special goggles, just a regular Canon body and lens – all thanks to the marriage of Canon's MReal (mixed reality) and Dual Pixel 3D.

Dual Pixel 3D is an evolved version of the technology I saw at last year's CP+, which uses the dual photodiodes of Canon's sensor technology to map the distance between the camera and subject in order to create a spatial image.

As you can see in the GIFs below, the image can be fully interacted with in all three dimensions. I tried this using a computer touchpad on a standard screen, and it's pretty eye-opening to consider how this kind of interaction could enhance your experience.

We've all spun around 3D models of products we want to buy on ecommerce websites, which gives a great idea of how goods look from all angles. However, Canon interest in 3D isn't just using it to encourage people to buy things from websites.

What if you could use the same technology to interact with photographs of your pets, or even your friends and family members? To that end, had a portrait booth set up at the show to demonstrate the potential next generation of family photos – photos where you can experience a three-dimensional, visceral memory of your loved ones.

As someone who has recently lost family members, the idea of being able to truly see the shape of their faces, to move around them and feel memories of them come to life, feels like an incredible application of 3D imaging.

MReal x Volumetric

Lastly, I experienced Canon's MReal tech working in tandem with its volumetric video advancements. If you're unfamiliar with volumetric capture, Canon first showed it off at CES 2021 and it was also rolled out at the Paris Olympics in 2024. In short, it tracks and maps a three-dimensional space in order for users and observers to view or interact with it.

Last year, Canon exhibited MReal in the form of a fencing duel. By wearing a headset, you could become part of that physical encounter and even view augmented reality-style annotations in the form of statistics and trajectory diagrams – like a cross between physically stepping into the duelling space, while a sportscaster uses a Telestrator to highlight the action.

Canon's CP+ 2026 exhibit married MReal and volumetric video with what I can only describe as a real-life version of Nintendogs – which you may remember as the animal simulation videogame that took the world by storm on the Nintendo DS console a couple of decades ago.

There was an empty doggy playpen full of toys – but it was only empty until you held a pair of Canon's MReal glasses in front of you, whereupon a couple of virtual pooches were spatially mapped within the area and started playing and performing tricks.

This was the first time I'd seen the MReal glasses, as opposed to the full headsets (which is what I wore for last year's demonstration of the tech). As someone who already wears glasses (and needs varifocals, at that), I'm not the biggest fan of having to wear a helmet with goggles that smoosh my specs into my face.

Unsurprisingly, I much preferred these "opera glasses"-style viewing devices, which can be comfortably held in front of you – though of course, the result isn't as immersive as a headset that fills your peripheral vision.

All three implementations of Canon's VR, 3D and MReal technology were pretty mindblowing – and gave a much better idea of how this kind of imaging can go beyond just being a showy tech demo to being something that genuinely enhances your enjoyment.

This, famously, is a hump that everyone from Oculus to PlayStation VR are still trying to get over. It's interesting that while gaming might seem like the most obvious avenue to exploit these experiences, I actually find the idea of more passive immersion in photo and video a much more valuable proposition.

I'm fascinated to see where this technology goes next – and, as I said in my hands-on with the Canon Analog Concept Camera, my hat is off to the manufacturer for being so bold in trying new things, beyond just churning out the same cameras and the same lenses that every other manufacturer makes.

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Long before the PlayStation VR and Apple Vision Pro, Sony worked on a virtual reality prototype called the Sony VRVJ, which stood for Virtual Reality Video Journalist. That’s according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) from Obsolete Sony.

Very little information is available online about this curious creation, except that it was developed in the Nineties and was an “all-in-one digital recording suite” intended for use by journalists.

As you can see from the product imagery, it features a headset, camera and microphone. The same source refers to the headset as a Glasstron, which was a line of VR-style headsets developed by Sony. The first Glasstron headset was released in 1996, which suggests that the VRVJ was developed around the same period.

What turned me onto this forgotten device was an Instagram post from @the.neon.wolf (above). Despite the Obsolete Sony Tweet dating back to February 2024 and there being literally no other images I can find on the internet, it would appear a series of very small lifestyle product images has been unearthed.

They show a person using and wearing the Sony prototype, as well as what looks like a mock-up of a police crime scene, with the camera positioned on what seems to be a specialist tripod – perhaps indicating that accessories might have been conceived, too.

The entire ensemble looks very Eighties / Nineties sci-fi, if you ask me. I can imagine a journalist wearing the headset, holding the shoulder-mounted camera in one hand and the microphone in the other. It’s all a bit RoboCop.

Ultimately, I can only assume that Sony decided against the idea. Virtual reality has always been a hard sell; the Glasstron series itself only lasted a few years, with the final release being in 1998.

Something else I couldn’t help but notice is that the VRVJ product imagery’s two-tone grey coloring and bright yellow and red buttons look very similar to the color palette used on the original PlayStation, which was released in 1994… good to see that some good ideas don't go to waste!

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I woke up this morning with that queasy feeling you get after a bad dream. But this wasn't your typical nightmare about going to work without trousers on, or being chased by an axe murderer. No, this was about a future where we're all trapped behind screens we can't take off.

I'm talking about AR camera glasses. Because, in case you hadn't heard, it looks like they're about to become a thing. Meta's latest Ray-Ban Display glasses were on show this month, and they look damn impressive. After years of clunky prototypes, they've finally cracked it. 

Why would you want such a thing? Well, imagine turn-by-turn directions floating in your peripheral vision: brilliant. Being able to spot that specific lens filter on a crowded B&H shelf, just by glancing in the right direction? Game-changer. Reading texts without having to look down at your phone? Sign me up.

But at the same time, there's a nagging feeling at the back of my mind. This all reminds me of smartphones circa 2007. 

Back to the future

Remember when the iPhone launched and we all thought "neat gadget, but I don't really need one"? Back then, having a smartphone was a luxury: a cool party trick for early adopters with too much money. You could live a perfectly normal life with a Nokia brick and nobody batted an eyelid. 

Fast-forward 18 years and try existing without one. Go ahead, I dare you. 

Want to park in most cities? You need an app. Want to check your bank balance? The branch closed three years ago – app only. Want to buy a train ticket? Machine's broken, use the app. Want to pay for coffee? They don't take cash any more. Want to prove you're vaccinated, verify your identity or access your boarding pass? App, app, app.

This is exactly what keeps me awake at night about AR glasses. Not the technology itself – that's genuinely impressive – but the inevitable creep from convenience to necessity.

Fear of the 2040s

In my nightmare, it's 2044. I'm trying to order coffee, but the barista is staring through me with that glazed look we all recognize now. She's not seeing my face; she's seeing my digital overlay, complete with my order history, dietary preferences and social credit score. Oh, and the menu isn't on a board; it's floating in mid-air, invisible to anyone not wearing AR glasses.

I reach for my wallet, but there's no register. Payment happens automatically through my glasses, except I'm not wearing any. "Sir, you'll need to put on a pair of guest glasses to complete your transaction," she says, pointing to a grimy set by the door; like the dodgy sports kit your teacher kept for kids who'd forgotten to bring their bag. 

Later, I meet friends for lunch. We're all physically present, but it feels like nobody's actually there. They're watching Netflix recommendations scroll past as I try to tell them about my recent surgery. One friend's eyes light up – literally – as she gets a notification. Another is making tiny finger gestures, liking posts while nodding sympathetically at my story.

When we take a group photo, I see what they see: my face has been replaced by a slightly slimmer, ten-years-younger version with perfect teeth. The restaurant background has been swapped for some tropical beach. Nobody remembers what anything actually looked like any more.

The worst part? Walking the streets, everyone's heads are held high, but their eyes are dead. They're not looking at architecture, or people, or the sky. They're staring at floating screens, following AR breadcrumbs to the next algorithmic suggestion. Street photography dies because nobody notices the world anymore – it's all been replaced by their personalized digital layer.

Path well trodden

Will this actually happen? Maybe not exactly like this, but the pattern's already established. Every convenience technology follows the same path. Luxury becomes expectation becomes dependency becomes mandatory participation.

We told ourselves social media was just for keeping in touch with old school friends. Now it's how employers vet candidates and how businesses reach customers. We said smartphones were just convenient gadgets. Now they're essential tools for accessing the basics of life.

And AR glasses? Well, don't say I didn't warn you.

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Meta scored a hit with its Ray-Ban collaboration – glasses that fit with the style of the brand but incorporate a camera. Now several sources indicate Meta is preparing the next step, codenamed Project Hypernova, which will incorporate a hidden display visible only to the wearer of the glasses.

This kind of tech, two decades ago in the realms of science fiction, then ten years ago toyed with by Google for the utterly un-chic Google Glass, now looks to be the most likely contender to replace the smartphone. In other words this might be the most revolutionary device since the iPhone.

The Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer glasses aren't revolutionary, but their sales have been impressive because they're intuitive and provide something consumers want. At the same time, Meta has been working on much more sophisticated tech, as evidenced by the Orion glasses that weren't actually released (they had cartoonishly thick frames).

Now it seems that a real product could be coming as soon as September and what is perhaps most interesting from rumors swirling around the internet is the pricing, which has been paired back as low as it can go.

At the same time, it is expected that the new glasses will include a significantly improved 'phone grade' camera.

Cnet quoted Frederick Stanbrell, head of wearables at IDC as saying "These new premium spec Hypernova smart glasses are taking over more tasks that can be done by a phone by including things like a small screen in the bottom right of the right lens creating Meta's first augmented reality glasses available to consumers"

The analyst goes on to suggest that while these product won't, this is clearly an opening salvo in an attempt to replace the phone by Meta.

That could be very worrying news for Apple, which has not managed to price its AR product – the Apple Vision Pro – beneath $3,000, let alone below $1,000. Many in the industry – especially well-known Apple-watcher Mark Gurman – see this as the main reason the product hasn't taken off.

He has described Apple's approach as 'slow-walking', but it looks like Meta is speeding things up – so things could get very much more interesting for consumers in 2025 whether Apple wants it or not.

It is also interesting that Meta is targeting $800 instead of $1,300 – it seems unlikely the tech has simply gotten this much cheaper (though in the land of tariff changes it's impossible to know). This could also be seen as evidence that Meta has conducted research and has some idea what price point will work for mainstream adoption of AR glasses.

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Meta continues to hemorrhage billions of dollars in its pursuit of developing the metaverse as a business, with yet another quarter resulting in heavy losses. According to Meta’s financial report for Q1 2025, its Reality Labs segment suffered from a whopping $4.2 billion income loss from operations during a period that brought in just $412 million in revenue.

The Facebook founding tech giant says that its Reality Labs segment includes “virtual, augmented, and mixed reality related consumer hardware, software, and content.” Think Meta Quest headsets and Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses (which I’ll get to later).

While such huge losses might seem problematic, this isn't at all surprising. Meta co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has long sunk billions into the metaverse, even at the chagrin of investors. And indeed, CNBC has reported on the Reality Lab’s quarterly losses since 2020, when Meta first recognised it as its own segment, and the data is startling. Losses peaked in Q4 2024 at $4.9 billion, and were lowest in Q1 2021 at $1.83 billion; every other quarter since Q4 2020 has suffered a loss of somewhere in between.

It’s no secret that virtual reality is a difficult business to monetize, with Apple’s Vision Pro hardly setting the tech world alight. But if there’s any indication of a turn in the tide, Meta has at least seen a significant rise in Ray-Ban Meta sales.

Mobile World Live stated that Meta CFO Susan Li revealed on an earnings call that a decline in Quest headset sales had impacted the segment's losses, but this was bolstered by an increase in Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, which enjoyed “more than four-times as many monthly actives as Q1 2024.”

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When I tried the Apple Vision Pro I was excited, but there were a couple of reasons I didn't hand my money over there and then. For one thing, I would have been late for my next meeting – one which turned out to be very, very significant. Still, important though that was, I'll never forget the surprised look on the face of the Apple demonstrator as I explained that "No, the goggles are very impressive but I really meant that I had to get to my meeting on time, so I'm going to leave now."

It's also a bit weird, it turns out, to try to look at your Apple Watch through the Vision Pro.

The other reason I didn't buy the glasses on day one, as I did with the first iPhone, was that Apple didn't let me as a British citizen. Those of us in England (and the rest of the UK) were not able to buy the goggles on day one because we spoke what Apple perceived as the wrong version of English. Missing out on that initial excitement gave me a lot more opportunity to make cold, logical assessments of need and value, and on a journalist's wage they don't tend to fall in favor of goggles twice the price of the your phone that can only do half as much.

How will the Vision Pro 2 change things?

The point of the Vision Pro was not, really, to sell in vast numbers. It was to draw developers into Apple's ecosystem for an emerging technology before everyone just followed Zuckerberg into his Metaverse. It was sensible business.

Even when the Vision Pro came out, most tech journalists were talking about the next steps, which makes the Vision Pro 2 even more interesting. Now we think we know from reliable leakers what those upgrades might be, and, well, it's not the future we were excited about. It's actually something else.

You see, the idea in the back of all of our minds is 'Apple Glass' – something a bit like the tech experience of Vision Pro in the form factor of the not-actually-AR, but very successful, Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses. Of course, they're successful, you might add – as they cost a 10th of the price!

So we need to wait – AGAIN? Arrrrghhhhh..!

Well, yes and no. The point is that Apple has created a product category that has some niche merit in the Vision Pro, so it is improving that niche. If the niche is useful to you, it's encouraging to hear Apple is doubling down with high-spec improvements rather than abandoning the device.

The ever-reliable Mark Gurman – according to his Bloomberg 'Power On' newsletter – expects to see Vision Pro 2 come in two editions, shaving weight and with one of two variants gaining the unsexy – but enterprise-friendly – feature that is a wired connection for low-latency immersive video. This would further improve the ability to use the device as an effectively unlimited monitor which makes for a popular productivity use of the existing device, but could sidestep the data and battery limitations in a single stroke.

There should also be a price reduction for at least one of the versions (according to MacRumors).

In the long run, though, Tim Cook is apparently "'Hell Bent' on Launching True AR Glasses" – and before Meta, too!

In fact, there is a version of VisionOS, codenamed Atlas, which is being worked on already, according to some of Gurman's previous postings – and we've seen similar concepts being examined more publicly by Meta, too.

The question, for now, is will your future be Apple's improved high-end 'goggles' – or will you wait for the super-smart shades?

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I annoyed some people in the past by suggesting that "If anything, the problem with the Apple Vision Pro is that it's too cheap!"

Although photographers might be excited that this pair of smart glasses can shoot photos and capture video clips, it generally does only a mediocre job capturing them, at best.

What’s more is that you don’t have the ability to change most of the camera settings. That means, when you’re shooting in anything other than bright-light situations, you’ll often get blurry and grainy shots, particularly in low light. (I’ll discuss this more in the performance section below.)

The Meta Ray-Ban Wayfarer does have some relatively decent features. For example, it’s able to play audio from your streaming music apps, like Spotify and Amazon Music, among others. You can also answer and interact with your phone calls and messages.

What I found most promising about these smart glasses is how it uses artificial intelligence, or AI, although it still needs a lot of work to be perfected . Once you’re connected to your phone and also have the Meta View app running, the glasses allow you to ask questions via its microphone, and then transfers that question to the phone, at which point it is sent to the Meta View mobile app.

However, it’s not perfect by a long shot, and often gets the answers wrong or just odd-ball answers. For instance, I opened up my photographic history books and asked Meta the names of some of the most well-known photographs of all time, and the photographers who created them. But I covered up the captions and surrounding text, first. In many cases, it failed to correctly guess the name of the photographer or image.

However, when uncovered the captions, it was able to read the text and name the famous images in my art history book, it often succeeded in getting me the correct answer, such as “Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California,” by Dorothea Lange, “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico,” by Ansel Adams, and “Place de l'Europe, Paris, 1932,” by Henri Cartier-Bresson. It’s the same with most works of art: It didn’t recognize Edward Hopper’s painting "Nighthawks,” when I covered up the captions, but recognized it when the captions weren’t covered. I should note that it could name the “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci without seeing the caption!

Of course, I also found that how accurate the answers were could depend on how I asked a question. That meant I was continually rearranging my questions in different ways.

But what is very cool is that I could ask for additional information about the photographer or image. For instance, I opened the book, “The History of Photography” by Beaumont Newhall, to page 265, and asked the smart glasses, “What is the name of the photograph? And who is the photographer who shot it?”

The Meta View app answered, correctly, “The photograph is of Greta Garbo, and the photographer is Edward Steichen.” I then asked Meta, “Who is Edward Steichen?” (although I mispronounced the photographer’s name, and Meta corrected me: “The photographer's name is Edward Steichen, not Styken.”)

Meta then said, “Edward Steichen was a Luxembourg-American photographer, painter, and art gallery and museum curator. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century.” I then asked what photography exhibits did Edward Steichen curate?” The apps replied, “Edward Steichen was a prolific photographer and curator, and his work was featured in many exhibitions throughout his career. One of his most famous exhibitions is ‘The Family of Man,’ which he curated for the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1955.”

Mind you, the information isn’t news to me, or to probably many photographers, but I found it exciting that I could quickly find out about photographic information instantly. And if you apply that concept to photoshoots, or brainstorming for photography ideas, or questions about how to break into the professional photography world, to name just a few, you can see that this type of AI can offer a lot of new ideas and perhaps opportunities to grow as a photographer.

Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer: Specifications

Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer: Price

On most websites, including Amazon and Best Buy, you can buy the regular size Meta Ray-Ban Wayfarer smart glasses for about $300. However, you can also buy a larger version, which has wider frames, larger lenses, and longer arms, for a little more money, $329.

Most smart glasses don’t feature the ability to capture photos and video. However, OhO has a few pairs available that captures both photos and video, including the OhO Sunshine Camera Glasses that can be bought for as little as $50.

Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer: Design and handling

If you’re like me and you’ve been writing about cameras and technology a long time, it’s hard not to laugh a bit when I think about what smart glasses looked like about 12 years ago. Namely, I’m thinking about the groundbreaking, but rather geeky-looking Google Glass, which came out in 2012-2013. They had some cool technology, but just didn’t look all that cool.

But the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer glasses I tested were very nicely designed, comfortable to wear, and when it came to the technology, it did a rather nice job disguising it. For instance, when shooting photos and video, the lens is housed inconspicuously in the corner of the frames just above your left eye. Still, it takes a little practice getting used to shooting with the glass.To shoot a photo, press the shutter button once (it’s on the right arm of the glasses). An LED housed in the right corner of your frames flashes to let people know you’ve taken a photo. When taking a video, you press and hold the capture button (and the LED glows to indicate you’re recording video). Simply press the capture button again to stop the video.

Another well-designed feature is its open-audio design, which doesn’t cover the ear in any way, allowing you still to interact with the world around you.

There are other ways you can interact with the world around you using these glasses, as well: For instance, if you see a sign that has a phone number, you can ask, “Hey Meta, call this number.” You can also send voice messages via various apps, like WhatsApp and Messenger. Additionally, you can control the glasses by swiping or tapping the touchpad, loaded on the right temple. For example, you can play, pause audio by tapping one, turn up the volume by swiping forward, and listen to the next track by tapping twice.

I also found it easy to charge and pair the glasses, which is done in the glasses case.

Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer: Performance

But as I indicated earlier, when it comes to capturing good quality photos and video, I was rather disappointed in the quality of both.

It captures photos and videos via a 12-megapixel camera that’s been placed in the upper corner of the glasses. The images are 3024 x 4032, but you have very little control over the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, as well as other settings. It’s the same with the video (which captures clips at 1440 x 1920 at 30 fps). I will say that I did think the electronic image stabilization did a good job of reducing camera shake and avoiding jittery video.

But the flaws far outweigh the good features. For example, I found the shutter button had significant shutter lag, which means that when I pressed down the shutter button, it didn’t instantly snap the photo. That doesn’t happen much at all with cameras these days, particularly mirrorless cameras or high-end point-and-shoots.

To test this perceived flaw, I set a music metronome in motion (at a moderate speed, 138 beats per minute) so that I could capture it when the sliding weight would cover up a particular word, “Andante,” on the surface of my metronome. When I used a very good mirrorless camera, I was pretty successful at capturing the precise moment the sliding weight covered the word, “Andante”. Even my iPhone did a decent job performing this task. But when I tried to do this with the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, it was all over the map. I was unable to get a sense of when the glasses were going to take the shot! And that’s a rather big issue!

But shutter lag is just one of a host of problems when it comes to image quality and performance. In low light, images are often marred by motion blur and significant noise. Even images shot in bright light sometimes produced weird artefacts. So, I believe most photographers will avoid using these for serious photo or video projects.

Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer: Sample images

Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer: Verdict

Although this pair of glasses is quite pricey, the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer smart glasses provide a glimpse into the future of how this category will grow, in terms of the complexity of its feature set. That was particularly clear in how it uses AI to answer your questions via the Meta View app. I found the fact that you have access to an encyclopedic AI-powered app to be quite intriguing for photographers and content creators who look at it in the right way.

However, most photographers and even general consumers will be disappointed with the camera and video features on the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses mostly because it doesn’t give you the ability to adjust those features. It is a bit fun, but the fun really doesn’t last. And while the smart glasses include electronic image stabilization that performs quite well, particularly with video, it still wasn’t able to keep me from shooting blurry photos, particularly at night.

Alternatives

See our full guide to the best camera glasses

As I sit here typing on a computer screen that's the equivalent of 110 inches viewed at 4 meters, I can't help but be blown away by what's in front of me. The Goovis Art is a head-mounted display that has enabled me to focus on the job at hand while providing a more comfortable viewing experience when working on my laptop for long periods.

In a nutshell, you have one micro-OLED screen for each eye with a 1080p resolution and a color gamut of 90% DCI-P3 / 110% sRGB. The field of view is 40°, 55 PPD with an overall pixel density of 4496 PPI, so image quality is pretty good when the two create a single screen in front of your eyes.

It's certainly not 4K clarity, but it's great for general computer use – but beyond that, it has so many potential uses for photographers.

So far, I've used the Goovis Art attached to my laptop to watch movies, for gaming and of course for editing. But I have also attached it to my camera to enjoy a large Live View rather than using the EVF or LCD, which has been great for manual focusing when shooting astrophotography. Finally, attached to my phone and with compatible DJI smart controllers, it acts as FPV goggles.

This is all possible because the head-mounted display is just a display with no operating system, which means I've been able to attach it to any device with a USB-C video output or HDMI. For the latter, the HDMI adaptor is necessary and the special power bank to power the Goovis Art since HDMI doesn't carry power.

I have to confess that I was a little sceptical about the comfort of the device, the situational awareness it provides and how it helps you to focus. You can see around the screen created by the two eyepieces, but when you focus on them, it's easy to ignore the surrounding environment.

I can even walk around the house without removing the headset. Yeah, I know, it's a bit WALL•E, but it's great when you're enjoying entertainment and enables you to use the headset attached to a camera when on location.

It did take me a few hours to get used to the screens, but I achieved this using the optional Android TV dongle to watch a movie. I could wear the headset for long periods, but I typically use it for two or three hours at a time, so I can work intensively typing or editing photos and videos while having a varied screen viewing experience.

However, since my laptop screen has a wider colour gamut, I will still have to rely on it for precise colour correction work.

It's a strange device in some ways, but its ability to make a large screen possible with many other devices has revolutionized how I think about my productivity – although I'm not ready to replace my laptop just yet.

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For more on the latest in camera-equipped wearables, check out more of the best camera glasses in our guide. If you are after a more immersive way to fly your drones, check out our guide to the best FPV goggles for drone pilots.

A natural step in the progression of technology, or deeply concerning? Tech giant Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and more, has unveiled the first pair of what it calls “true” augmented reality (AR) glasses.

Called Orion, Meta describes the product as “the most advanced pair of AR glasses ever made.” However, they are still a prototype at present.

One of the reasons they haven’t been released to the public is not a fear that people will become even more insular than they currently are, but rather that they would cost a prohibitive $10,000 (approximately £7,900 / AU$15,600) a pair.

Orion’s hardware consists of three individual parts: the actual glasses, a wireless mouse and a wristband for gesture control.

A “feat of miniaturization,” according to Meta, Orion has the largest field of view in the smallest AR glasses form to date. “From multitasking windows and big screen entertainment to life-size holograms of people – all digital content that can seamlessly blend with your view of the physical world.”

Embedded into the wristband are electromyography sensors that capture and process electric signals generated by physical movement, and the mouse’s dual processors carry part of the computing load, including some artificial intelligence (AI), graphics rendering and machine perception.

The glasses contain custom chips that consume less power and are optimized for its functions. They’re made from magnesium, a lightweight material that efficiently dissipates heat, and miniature cameras and sensors surrounding the frame rims help the eye in hand-tracking and identifying objects in the real world.

Additionally, microLED projectors beam holographic displays through the holographic lenses.

Apparently the glasses enable you to open your fridge and ask for a recipe based on what’s inside, or for some inexplicable reason “video call a friend while adjusting a digital family calendar as you wash the dishes.”

If that rather stressful-sounding scenario feels like something you’d be interested in, it’s probably best to mention how Orion looks.

Meta claims that “what makes Orion unique is that it is unmistakably a pair of glasses in both look and feel – complete with transparent lenses.”

As you can see, this is clearly not the case. They’re clunky, cartoonish, and resemble the ever-trendy 'Coke bottle' glasses style.

While just a prototype at the moment, Meta is hoping that its development team can “learn, iterate and build towards our consumer AR glasses product line, which we plan to begin shipping in the near future.”

Take a look at our guides to the best AI image generators, the best 360 cameras, and the best cameras for professionals.

Apple Vision Pro users can now experience a host of new immersive video options as Apple releases a fresh lineup of exclusive series and films.

As of last week, July 18, Apple started releasing new films and series captured in Apple Immersive Video developed especially for the Apple Vision Pro. The all-new video format transports viewers into the action by using 3D video recorded in 8K with a 180-degree field of view and Spatial Audio – truly a new way to experience storytelling.

• See our guide to the best cinema cameras

Above: A video showcasing the Apple Vision Pro

Apple Immersive Video is in its infancy, yet Apple has big plans for its future, with the recently scheduled releases being just the start of the content specially made for the format. This faith in its potential is backed by industry-leading brands such as Canon and Blackmagic Design which are developing advanced 3D video equipment to capture content for Apple Immersive Vision.

Back in June, Apple announced further software developments which led to Blackmagic announcing the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera, the first video camera dedicated to Apple Vision Pro capture.

In addition to capturing 3D video, Blackmagic has also updated DaVinci Resolve Studio to aid in the post-production workflow, available as a free update later this year, opening the door for filmmakers to start creating for the format.

Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of Marketing Communications says, “Apple Immersive Video is a groundbreaking leap forward for storytelling, offering Apple Vision Pro users remarkable experiences with an unparalleled sense of realism and immersion. From soaring over volcanoes in Hawaii and surfing huge waves in Tahiti, to enjoying performances by the world’s biggest artists and athletes from all-new perspectives, Apple Immersive Video revolutionizes the way people experience places, stories, sports, and more by making viewers feel like they’re truly there. It’s the next generation of visual storytelling, and we’re excited to bring it to more people around the world.”

Personally, having never had much of an interest in consuming my video content in 3D or VR, Apple has certainly piqued my interest. Submerged, the first scripted short film captured in Apple Immersive Video will premiere this fall, and I am fascinated to experience it and analyze the filmmaking choices used to tell stories in this format.

In addition to scripted movies and series, Apple Immersive Vision will be used to capture experiences such as sporting and music events. The thought of being placed courtside at the NBA All-Star game while sitting on my sofa in the UK is an alluring prospect.

The full list of films and series can be found on Apple TV, and includes trekking with elephants, soaring through the skies in a hot-air balloon, and surfing big waves with Red Bull athletes – well worth checking out for those Vision Pro users amongst you!

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cinema camera, the best cine lenses, and the best video editing software.

It's been a long wait for Apple to get the AR glasses to the area Americans affectionately know as 'rest of world', but now Apple loyalists and developers can have a chance to climb on the not virtual, but augmented, bandwagon.

Customers in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore will get the first – well, second – bite at the cherry on June 13, while Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK will get the opportunity to pre-order from June 28 (when that initial wave starts to take delivery). The glasses will ship to customers in the UK and Australia on July 13.

While the Vision Pro is still very pricey, it might be a good time for serious customers to look at climbing on board as Apple took the opportunity at WWDC 2024 not just to announce the new territories but also to debut Vision OS 2 – the updated operating system. 

Perhaps the most striking new feature was the massive virtual monitor features which will be powered in part by your Mac, so wherever you look it appears in high resolution (also taking advantage of the eye-tracking). It will be equivalent to a dual 4K display, according to Apple.

The system will also use AI to make old 2D photos appear 3D in spatial viewing.

Vision OS 2 will also make it much easier to share the device with friends and family, remembering the settings chosen by others.

“The enthusiasm for Apple Vision Pro has been extraordinary, and we are thrilled to introduce the magic of spatial computing to more customers around the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We can’t wait for more people to see the impossible become possible, whether working and collaborating with an infinite canvas for apps, reliving treasured memories in three dimensions, watching TV shows and movies in a one-of-a-kind personal cinema, or enjoying brand-new spatial experiences that defy imagination.”

The Vision Pro will cost £3,499 for the basic 256GB model (which is $3,699 in the USA). Optical corrections from Zeiss are £99, or £149 for prescription. The case is £199. 

That's AU$5,999 for the goggles in Australia, with an additional AU$169 or AU$249 for optical corrections, and AU$349 for the case.

A bit of a different world, but I recently tried the DJI Avata 2 drone which has pass-through cameras in its goggles.

We've come a long way, baby. The first time I experienced virtual reality was using a first-generation Virtuality VR headset to play a videogame with a crude flying pterodactyl in 1992, then later to pilot a giant robot in a battle royal. And of course, there was the Lawnmower Man movie starring a pre-James Bond Pierce Brosnan. 

Since then, 3D and VR has come back into vogue with technologies like Oculus, Meta Quest and PlayStation VR, which have become increasingly affordable ways to consumer immersive content. However, the ability to create this content is not nearly so affordable – but Canon plans to change all that.  

At The Photography & Video Show I had the chance to chat to David Parry, the imaging product marketing lead at Canon EMEA, who explained that, "3D is super important for us. And we’re talking about 3D, 180°, real VR." 

The company already has a VR lens for its EOS R system, the Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye launched in 2021. However, this was initially a premium product that only worked with the full-frame Canon EOS R5 – though later compatibility was expanded to the Canon EOS R6 Mark II. 

Having proven the technology, Canon now plans to further democratize it by bringing it to RF-S cameras such as the Canon EOS R7. 

"We’ve got two cameras here with two lenses, this is a stereoscopic VR lens and then we’ve got a stereoscopic 3D lens here," explains Parry. "They’re designed to fit an APS-C sensor. And the beauty of that is, we’re opening up VR to more people."

ABOVE: Watch David's Canon VR presentation 

More affordable lenses to work with more affordable bodies certainly invites a wider audience of creators. However, Canon is going one step further by introducing an all-in-one system that does everything.

"What I’m really excited about it this little guy in the middle here," he continues, pointing to a small box about the size of a cigarette packet with two lenses, one of which swivels around to the rear.

"This is a two-in-one 360° and VR. It does 360°, with this lens flipped around behind, and then you flip that lens out, you’ve got 180°, 3D VR in one product. Shoots 8K, shoots 4K as well. Something else we’re looking is live streaming – live streaming VR. This is the future, this is what’s super, super exciting."

What's remarkable to me is that two years ago we had a 180°-only, 8K VR setup that cost four grand for the camera and two grand for the lens, and had to be full frame. Today, we're looking at a compact, all-in-one 360° VR device that can shoot 8K and live stream it – all for a fraction of the price.

None of these products are yet official, though Canon seems confident that they will be here sooner than later. And, personally, I can't wait. 

You might also be interested in the best Canon cameras, along with the best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless and the best Canon DSLR lenses. 

Apple is no stranger to wearable devices, recently releasing the groundbreaking Apple Vision Pro, which has transformed the landscape of AR consumer technology. Before that, the development of the Apple Watch has become a common staple of many people's daily accessories. Apple has seen that there is more demand for electronic wearables and has plans to further its development of new products, including smart glasses with in-built cameras. 

In the latest Power On newsletter from Bloomberg, Mark Gurman writes on Apple's potential roadmap and expects new wearable ideas to be tested soon. The article states that Apple's wearable products now account for 10% of the company's revenue, up from 5% in the previous year. This provides proof that there is a market that they want to continue to explore. 

Apple has previously examined the possibility of a Fitbit-like electronic ring, that can talk to other Apple devices and relay information such as health tracking data. Gurman states that this may just remain an idea for now, as there is a significant overlap between the idea for the ring and the Apple watch, but it does indicate Apple's area of focus. 

Gurman also states that Apple engineers have also discussed the possibility of creating smart glasses, much like the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. The glasses would be a combination of Airpods and glasses with an in-built AI, sensors, and cameras but would not implement its AR tech - yet. Rayban has attempted to create smart glasses a couple of times, with the first iteration of Ray-Ban Stories failing to hit the masses. The most recent iteration, however, has sold better than expected, but it has still not become a 'must-have device'. Being able to capture moments on camera in a first-person view is exciting and creative, and with content creation demands still on the rise, more of these convenient cameras will become more popular.

Ray-Ban has also provided more evidence that the public is more accepting of the idea of wearing these devices on the face, an issue that is becoming more and more acceptable.

The idea of a true augmented reality eyewear, if executed correctly would be an exciting one, and it does feel if anyone can pull it off, it would be Apple. The Vision Pro has introduced larger AR head/eyewear to the zeitgeist, so a smaller sleeker version that can be implemented in ordinary eyeglasses would then become a must-have – even if it doesn't include the AR capabilities. 

Wearable devices powered by AI will likely become more and more common, in the same way it has been introduced into our mobile phones. We have them in our pockets and on our wrists, so why not go full cyborg and have them on our faces?

This is a whole moral issue in itself and raises many questions that should be considered. I'm personally a little apprehensive of future reliance on wearable AI technology as a society, and I think it may be an inevitable bridge to cross in the near future. 

At Sony's press conference, the company had a lot to talk about, and creatives were clearly important to the company, though with Sony-owned Colmbia Pictures celebrating its 100th anniversary, the film studio's birthday was top of the agenda. 

Photographers and videographers will have been pleased to see the "world's fastest full-frame camera," the Sony A9iii (which you can preorder now) making plenty of appearances in the presentation, but in general the more interesting tools for creatives on display are connectivity tools for remote musical performance.

Like other companies, Sony seem concerned with the authenticity of creations – the battle to protect original content is being fought at Sony as well as elsewhere.

Sony's success with PlayStation is well-known, and of course they took the opportunity to talk about the PS5's 50 million sales and the PSVR2, but a new worn device – targeting a more professional & creative audience – also emerged.

This looks like a stripped down version of the PlayStation VR2, and didn't even get a name, but does come with a kind of controller wand ring. Pricing will be announced later in the year, when the device is due, so presumably what we're seeing here is Sony's attempt at establishing itself against the Apple Vision Pro. It'll be powered by the just announced Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 which can drive dual 4K OLED microdisplays and cope with the user / space tracking. Oh, and there will be 'video see-through'.

Toward the end of the presentation, it's time for the latest version of the Sony car which – just for fun – is being controlled using a PS5 controller. Apparently this won't be a feature of the final product, a partnership with Honda and now, it seems, Microsoft. Perhaps it'll use the new AI button!

See our guide to the best Sony lenses and the best Sony cameras.

The world’s global tech superpowers are intent on corralling mankind into a virtual world – and the latest attempt comes from arguably the biggest hitter, Apple. At the company’s 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook used his “one more thing” moment to reveal the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset and its all-new operating system; visionOS. Yesterday, Apple announced at CES 2024 that the headset will go on sale from next month So what is it, and why is it a big deal? 

This isn’t just any old virtual-reality headset: Apple claims it ushers in the “era of Spatial Computing”. In non-Apple speak, it’s a device that combines virtual and augmented reality into a product that could transform the way we interact with content, as well as how we create it.

Apple has gone all out to create a platform that currently has no direct comparison. Despite not being see-through, you can still see the real world while wearing the Apple Vision Pro headset, thanks to its complex sensor arrays. On the outside, a pair of high-res cameras transmits over one billion pixels per second to displays inside, allowing you to see out. Inside the device are two 4K OLED displays, roughly the size of an SD card each. The unit is packed with cameras, LED lights and infrared sensors to track your eye movement, your hands and the surrounding environment.

With over 500 patents associated with it, the Apple Vision Pro headset deploys many innovative approaches. For one, it can pass through an animation of your eyes to its outer OLED display in real time. Activated while ‘looking’ at the outside world, this is produced using 3D data scanned from your face. It animates your eyes using a camera sensor array that’s focused on their movement within the device. It looks creepy, but it’s an innovative solution to the disconnect typically associated with headsets. There are two spatial audio speakers beside the wearer’s ears. These are designed to provide detailed sound corresponding to where the audio is coming from, reacting as you turn your head to pay attention to the source.

The device is controlled using the movement of your eyes and hands, and predictive modeling makes it seem almost telepathic. As a demonstration of this kit’s potential, it’s impressive. But what impact could it have on the way we consume content?

When Apple sneezes, the world of tech catches a fever, so this could be the shot in the arm that VR needs. We’ve been speculating for decades about when a sci-fi level of mixed reality would arrive; Apple wielding its mass-market appeal over a niche domain has the potential to deliver it.

Apple’s Vision Pro, as a spatial computer (attached to a keyboard and mouse), would remove the need for computer monitors while editing your pictures and videos, placing a high-resolution display that wraps around you in all directions, anywhere you can set up a desk. It could make working on the go and working collaboratively seamless, as others can step into the edit with you in a way that they can’t when watching a shared screen via a typical online meeting platform.

While there are still some drawbacks with this first-generation device, including a two-hour battery life and tethered-only power, the Apple Vision Pro will likely spark a rush of software makers and content producers seeking ways to use immersive camera technology even more. This means more focus on 360° and high-res video, as well as spatial audio. If you’ve only ever had a passing interest in 360° camera tech, perhaps now is the time to start familiarizing yourself with its potential. You may also want to start thinking more about how the content you capture today will be viewed in tomorrow’s world, after the Apple Vision Pro releases next year.

Read more of Jon Devo's Scanning Ahead blogs

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• Apple Vision Pro production only 10% of predictions – is it giving up on 3D camera already?
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• Best VR headset for the 360 experience

The Ray-Bay / Meta smart glasses partnership has taken a big step with the release of new models boasting better 12-megapixel cameras and – for the first time – livestreaming to Facebook and Instagram (which just happen to be Meta platforms!)

The last Ray-Ban x Meta collaboration saw the introduction of the Ray-Ban Stories, which never really reached the heights that it was expected to. Some new additions to features, quality, and ease of use may see the popularity increase with the new release, possibly becoming the best camera glasses of the year.

The latest model enables the capture of both photos and video, as well as streaming to Meta sites Facebook and Instagram, and of course what new tech release isn't complete without a touch of AI!

The photo capabilities have improved on the previous model's 5MP, with a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens capable of capturing high-quality images. The camera is built into the front corner of the frame, and in the other corner is an LED sensor and indicator, letting people know that you have an active camera when recording and taking photos. The new camera also now captures solely in portrait mode at a photo resolution of 3024x4032px and video of 1080px for easier social media compatibility.

On the topic of social media, streaming straight to your Meta apps is obviously a big feature with these glasses, enabling 30 minutes of hands-free streaming. It also allows seamless switching between phone cameras and glasses for multi-camera options.

The other big feature, and one for the users not as worried about the social media side of things, is the glasses can be used for calls, messaging, and listening to music. Hands-free communication is made easy through the use of voice commands picked up by no less than five built-in microphones, and relayed back to you through improved open-ear speakers (speakers in the arm above the ear). SMS, calls, and WhatsApp are all compatible with this system.

Other new features include Meta AI for answering your questions on the go, a hand touch control panel on the right side arm for controlling music and initializing capture, and better charging and battery life of 4 hours through a portable charging case allowing up to eight charges (a top up approach similar to Apple AirPods).

Lots of really cool additions to the previous model, and I am sure these will gain the interest of many an influencer. In terms of the quality of photos and videos, looking at the sample videos and images online, they will suit the influencer market well enough. For now though, until we can get our hands on them for testing, we can't say any more, but this improvement is exciting, as we are getting closer to high-quality recording of our daily perspectives. This, I think, is a cool way of capturing the world, seeing through the eyes of another.

The Ray-Ban / Meta smart glasses are available now in two styles, the classic Wayfarer, and the Headliner, in a range of colors and lens types that can be combined. The cost is, inevitably, a little steeper than ordinary sunglasses (mind you, that's true of all Ray-Bans!) Prices start at $299 | £299 | AU $489.

For more information on the best equipment for influencers, see our guides on the best cameras for vlogging and The best phone for video recording and vlogging.

3D depth-sensing cameras (also called Time of Flight cameras) are pivotal in the advancement of AI, with applications ranging from motion control sensing, to self-driving cars, to object avoidance in drones. Now Orbbec, an industry leader dedicated to 3D vision systems, has announced a trio of new 3D camera products developed in partnership with Microsoft.

What is a Time of Flight camera?

First is the Femto Bolt, a compact RGB-D camera with HDR capability for RGB and advanced sync trigger support. Depth compute is performed on host computer via the camera's USB-C connection which provides power and transfers data. The Femto Bolt is expected to be available in October.

The second camera in Orbbec's new range is the Femto Mega. Announced in January and currently in production, it is the industry’s highest resolution smart camera. It uses a built-in NVidia Jetson Nano to run its advanced depth vision algorithms to convert raw data to precise depth images, thereby eliminating the need for a separate computer. It also adds Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectivity for both data and power, making the camera ideally suited in environments where the camera has to be placed away from the processing computer, or in multi-camera setups.

Finally, there’s the Femto Mega I. Currently shipping, this ruggedized intelligent 3D camera boasts an IP65 ingress protection rating, making it suitable for use in industrial settings like warehouses, manufacturing, and other harsh environments.

All three cameras use a 1 megapixel depth camera, based on Microsoft’s iTOF technology used in Azure Kinect Dev Kit and Hololens 2. This enables a wide field of view and high accuracy across a broad range. Also incorporated into each Femto device is a high-performance 4K RGB camera, and a 6DOF IMU for orientation. A sync control hub enables easy connection for multi-camera and multi-sensor networks. The camera's software development kit enables easy setup and registration, while the application programming interface allows integration with various applications.

More information can be found at the Orbbec website.

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Canon has released an immersive 180° VR meditation featuring cute rescue kittens playing among soft pastel-colored blankets and toys. Aptly named Meow-Ditation, the six-and-a-half-minute experience invites you to focus on breathing, relax your body and guide you through a meditation focused on creature comforts. 

Shot using a Canon EOS R5C and the Canon RF 5.2mm Dual Fisheye f/2.8 L lens, the interactive YouTube video enables you to move around the screen using a headset or mouse / cursor to explore the environment while listening to a calming voice. It directs you to listen to your body,  provokes a sense of calmness, and enjoys the playfulness and free-spirited nature of kittens. 

• Check out the best Canon cameras perfect for vlogging, photography or professional filmmaking

This is one of Canon's strangest and most unusual uses of VR but, one that demonstrates the endless possibilities when it comes to virtual reality technology. Made in collaboration with renowned cat photographer, Andrew Marttila, (@iamthecatphotographer) and VR experts Keeley Turner and Hugh Hou, the relaxing voice combined with a soothing voice is the “purrfect way to de-stress”. 

Obviously you get the full immersive experience if you watch using a VR headset. When viewing on a desktop or laptop you can move your cursor to move around the scene, and when viewing on a camera phone or tablet you can tilt the device to change the view. 

Canon’s RF 5.2mm Dual Fisheye Lens was made specifically for professional VR production with a stereoscopic VR lens that captures two high-resolution images on a single full-frame sensor – and was designed with the Canon EOS R5 and R5C in mind. 

Footage can be seamlessly aligned, synchronized and stitched with Canon’s VR utility, which supports 8K RAW footage. You can also import and covert Canon’s VR footage into Adobe Premier Pro using Canon's EOS VR plugin.

Previous applications of the Dual Fisheye lens include recording dance videos and breathtaking high-resolution nature experiences, but this is by far the most creative and calming use of the Canon’s most unusual-looking lens. It gives a whole new definition to meditation and whether or not you're a cat lover, it’s hard not to feel less stressed after watching the video. 

You can purchase the Canon VR Content Creator Kit, containing an EOS R5C and the Dual Fisheye Lens, directly from Canon. 

See the differences between the two bodies in our Canon EOS R5 vs R5C head to head. And check out the best VR headsets for the 180° or 360° experience. 

According to the Financial Times, figures suggest Apple is only ordering parts for as few as 130,000 to 400,000 of their mixed reality glasses in 2024 – less than 10% of some of Wall Street's more optimistic estimates.

The revolutionary Vision Pro glasses were announced to the world with massive fanfare at last month's WWDC, though Apple was no more precise than "Early next year" when announcing the $3,500 / £2,750 / AU$5,250 glasses. Even that might prove too ambitious, some warn, based on this new report. 

Other Apple-watcher are taking a more relaxed stance, pointing out the higher-than-expected price was a clear indicator that Apple was already attempting to control demand since these quality control and parts issues were expected.

The Financial Times story indicated that two unnamed sources close to Apple and the production partner on the glasses, Luxshare, were preparing to make fewer than 400,000 units in 2024. That's a long way short of some of the higher forecasts from investment firms – admittedly Wedbush said a restrained 150,000 but Morgan Stanley plumped for 850,000 and Goldman Sachs touted 5 million as a maximum possibility.

Admittedly that's bonkers – the iPhone sold just 1.4 million in its first year and (if we're honest) back then a phone had a proven daily use case, which is more than can be said for mixed-reality glasses (yet).

The Vision Pro glasses feature a lot of new tech and difficult-to-source components. Because Apple is trying to push a new field, they also need the cooperation of parts manufacturers, including Sony – who produced the prototype high-resolution micro-OLED displays. Sony has been investing in a new plant to produce image sensors for phone cameras, but according to a quote in the FT, "will be watching" rather than rapidly expanding AR display production, though they didn't comment specifically on Apple's glasses.

The FT article also suggests that one more loose-lipped Chinese parts supplier is now saying it is only supplying parts for 130,000-150,000 glasses.

Since the original announcement, Apple – now valued at $3 trillion – has offered little new information about the glasses. It's clear, though, that some need to be out there for developers to start creating a 'killer app' (or great games, if that's how it ends up going).

A launch like this, after all, will be part of a multi-year plan. Products like the iPhone, iPad, and even MacBook all took a few years to settle, and persuading the parts supply industry to join the ride is what Apple do. 

Apple will be much more price-focused on the next generation headset – with which it is reportedly already working with Samsung and LG. Manufacturing partners like Luxshare will no doubt be irritated to have quantities (and income) slip but it may have a limited impact on the timeline for the next generation – which is probably the one you were thinking of buying!

A week ago analysis firm Canalys posted that it believes, setbacks aside, "Apple will surpass all other players in the XR field. Canalys forecasts that the Vision Pro and the related device lineup will reach a 20 million user base by the fifth year after the product launch in 2024." That's a pair of glasses for about 15% of MacBook owners, or just 2% of iPhone users, which would still make it a success.

On the subject of the iPhone, we're keeping an eye on the latest on the iPhone 15, (which should also be with production partners by now). If, on the other hand, it's glasses and you just can't wait, I reviewed TCL Nxtwear S last week – they're cheaper and available now!

In the wake of the Apple Vision Pro, developers are scrambling to – if we're honest – decide whether there will even be a bandwagon. TCL's NXTWEAR S, or Rayneo XR as it is also called, is a product of more modest ambition, but one you can buy right now.

Rather than promise to revolutionize the world of tech at a not-entirely-specified future date, and require a lot of your pockets and developers in the meantime, the NXTWEAR S offers a portable screen that – for many – will fulfill much of their desires.

With dual OLED displays at 1080P for each eye, the NXTWEAR S is capable of displaying 3D video – should you choose – or virtually any other video signal fed via USB-C lead. Android phones can do that off the bat, but the legions of iPhone users haven't been forgotten either.

For this test, TLC supplied me with a Mirascreen portable adapter that can accept video from other sources including, crucially, a Lightning port. This neat box is also a portable power supply and can magnetically attach itself to a phone, limpet style, to make a relatively convenient package.

The question is – especially for photographers and videomakers – can these glasses serve as a useful additional display?

Specifications

Display tech: Dual OLED sRGB 108%
Resolution: 2 x 1080P
Pixel Per Degree: 49
Diopter adjustments: 1x myopia adapter included
Contrast: 100000:1
Comfort adjustments: 2x swappable nose bridges
Weight: 89g on our scales (81g on specs)

Key features

These glasses have dual OLED displays at 1080p a piece offering a bright image projected over a fully or partially transparent background depending on whether you attach the sunglasses at the front. Power comes from the connected device, or a combined adapter and battery unit. 

That's either a 130-inch or a 201-inch display at 6m (19.6ft) distance, depending on which of the specifications I read – I suspect the larger, to be honest!

In either case, the cable which connects to the glasses has a MagSafe-inspired connector, meaning the device itself has a relatively low weight and, if you have a pocket, can be quite portable. It can connect to a number of devices (more later) and for Android devices with Display Port also comes with an app that opens up 3D and motion-based functionality.

The box contains two swappable nose bridges so the glasses can rest on different-sized noses, and a single myopia adjustment we didn't need to test. From the right device, 3D is on offer too.

Build and handling

If you weren't already sure this was an optical product all the peel-off plastic would give the game away. But behind all that is a pretty convincing feeling set of slightly chunky sunglasses. Aside from the serial-number sticker on the outside (why?) of the left arm, they look quite good. Unobtrusive, at least.

The replaceable nose bridge is essential. The one fitted meant I couldn't see the whole screen but, once I'd use the included screwdriver to swap it things got a lot better. This process would be a lot easier if the screwdriver had a magnetic tip.

Connecting to a MacBook Pro (as I did, was as simple as plugging into the USB-C port. The machine recognized a 1080P display and the glasses came to life. 

Connecting to an iPhone required the Portable Adapter, included in my review kit. This has a battery (to power the glasses), a socket for the glasses, and a second for the source – in this case a handy mini Lightning cable. This is something sold separately, and called itself a MiraScreen – it shows up on Amazon as TLC Portable Adapter.

It may also be bundled with the glasses in some places; it also serves as a power pack with 2-3.5 hours of battery.

In this test, both I and my partner, who wears glasses, tried the device and neither of us needed the prescription adapter.

The picture above shows the swapping of the bridge, but you can also the the shiny silver glasses. These are still partially transparent from the users view, but must remain fixed to the frame, unlike the sunglasses front which attaches magnetically, There is a recess in each top corner which looks like it might do something high tech, but is just a rest for a notch in the sunglasses component.

Performance

It's hard to be scientific here, so I can only describe the picture as I saw it. The image was, save for the far corners, pretty clear. Saturation seemed slightly too strong to me – certainly compared to my iPhone screen when I looked down – but for extended video viewing this is a matter of taste, and for gaming it fades into the background. If you're lucky enough to be able to game, that is.

The performance was very significantly affected by the connection method. When using a computer, so only the goggle's adapter cable was involved, everything felt very snappy (as it would with a phone alike the Galaxy S23 which supports DisplayPort/DP).

TCL pointed out to us that it's also possible to source an HDMI adaptor for consoles such as the Nintendo Switch, but Steam Deck offers native support for DP so there is the opportunity of snappy gaming.

On my iPhone 14 Pro Max, however, there did seem to be some lag. It is possible to see the phone screen in the gap below the glasses and when mirroring there is a clear lag plus the saturation on the glasses seems more aggressive. If you start a video it will play on the goggles, but there is definitely a grinding of metaphorical gears.

The conclusion I'm forced to draw is that the glasses themselves can do the job of displaying a 1080P image, but the adapter struggles at both a processing level and to form a happy relationship with iOS as a video output method.

That, in turn, begs the question I am equipped to answer, which is "Is a 1080P display – so big and close – a good idea?" For watching a feature-length movie in one go, I'd say not. For precise still image editing, the quality feels imperfect, especially near the edges. But for checking a shorter section of video, or a YouTube posting, it's actually a decent solution.

The instructions suggest taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes. If you wore them on a flight to watch an entertainment of your choice, that wouldn't be so bad. 

Verdict

Without meaning to sound unduly surprised, the impression I come away with from these is "You know what, it's kinda cool... but..." Acknowledging that, at this price, 1080P is a reasonable limit, sound quality is good, and in terms of physical design this is definitely at the better end of AR glasses, looking less 'weird' in public. The "But" in question isn't really the device – it is more the ecosystem – that is something you might have a better (or worse) experience with.

Plugging straight into my MacBook and using via the Thunderbolt/Displayport tech is by far and away the easiest (and I have no doubt would be even better on a machine friendly to 3D DisplayPort, which includes many modern Android phones). When, however, DisplayPort isn't supported you're left depending on the external MiraScreen and this is where things fall down, fast. Or, rather, slowly.

As I mentioned, the device introduces a bit of a lag – say 0.5 to 1 second for every button press – plus the irritation of having to look down to the iPhone's screen every time something seems to go wrong. And that's a lot since so far as I can tell no media-playing apps (TV, Netflix etc.) want to play ball with it, leaving you with web video and little else. Others didn't outright refuse, they just waited indefinitely. In terms of other of low-latency game-playing any other technologies, they'll be hopeless unless you can use the Display Port connection.

Sadly Android phones are a bit inconsistent on this, but at least some do support it. If your phone does there is a good chance the TCL AR app will offer more functionality than I was able to test, and on the move, too. Otherwise, well, the star rating is for the glasses; the MiraScreen would get less!

• If you're looking for alternative portable displays, the iPad can expand a Mac's screen so see our list of the best iPads, or, if you do have the space, the best monitor for photo editing.

Canon has begun granting early access to Kokomo, an 'immersive calling' platform for VR headsets that will enable users to virtually chat with others. To pull this off, Kokomo's AI will generate an image of the user's face to replace the part blocked by the goggles.

OK, it sounds bonkers, but that's what Canon is saying and they're inviting people in the USA and Canada to sign up. The system uses the Meta Quest 2 VR headset (formerly known as the Oculus Quest 2 until it joined the Metaverse). 

This is the same tech we first reported on coming out of CES 2022 (admittedly with a beefier-looking Canon M-series camera), and then again in January this year. Now, however, it seems Canon really wants North Americans to join in.

You can buy Meta Quest 2 VR goggles on their own – they are sold with either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. This solution, however, requires you to have a phone with a mobile companion app (iOS or Android). This pairs with the goggles and serves as the remote camera, so you'll clearly need a stand for the phone, too.

An image of you from the remote camera is taken and placed into the meeting, and the 'true appearance' is re-created, minus the headset, in the visual seen at the other end. How true the appearance can be when the computer is guessing at the top half of the face does seem open to doubt, but Canon has now been testing the tech over a year.

This does promise to revolutionize camera-based meetings, and Canon/Kokomo have already got some less stuffy environments in mind. A surf shack is one, with others called 'North Shore' and 'Mountain Tea House'.

VR enthusiasts looking to try the tech out will find downloads in the Meta Quest App Lab and Canon USA's Kokomo page.

Canon is taking further steps into the world of virtual reality with Kokomo Solution – VR software that enables face-to-face communication in a virtual space with live-action video. 

Canon first unveiled Kokomo at CES 2022, describing it as a product that offers a "real together experience", but back then it was still in its infancy. Now Canon has announced that a free early access version will be available from February. 

Kokomo works alongside compatible VR headsets, such as the Meta Quest 2 (previously known as the Oculus Quest 2). Without the need for complicated multi-camera setups, family and friends from all over the world can easily communicate in a virtual space that feels intimate.

• These are the best VR headsets for a 360° experience

Using an app on a compatible smartphone, such as the iPhone 14 Pro or Google Pixel 7, users can connect with callers who also have a compatible headset and communicate as if they were face-to-face. In a post-pandemic world where video calls have become the norm, applications such as Kokomo provide a solution to interacting with friends, families or colleagues that don't live locally in a way that feels more personal. 

The software works using image processing developed by Canon, which recreates the user's face and space captured through the smartphone app, enabling users to make an “Immersive Call”.

When using a compatible smartphone that can capture full body images, the user can also interact using gestures – while a built-in media player enables users to share videos and photos in a virtual world. 

As well as the default virtual space, which allows users to interact in a relaxed and chilled environment, users can also choose different spaces in which to hold a call – such as 'Malibu Trailer' modeled on Malibu, California, 'North Shore' or 'Mountain Tea House'. At CES 2023, people were also able to test out a brand new VR experience inspired by M Night Shyamalan's new film, Knock at the Cabin. 

As VR headsets continue to drop in price and become more accessible, these apps are almost certain to become increasingly common. With software such as Kokomo Solution, communication with friends and family who live far away has never been so "real".

Check out the best Canon cameras including a range of classic DSLRs and the latest mirrorless systems

Life for the visually impaired poses incredible challenges, but today we possess incredible technology that enables us to overcome them like never before. And a new pair of smart glasses could very well change the lives of those who suffer from impaired vision.

Global technology giant Panasonic has partnered with Barcelona-based start-up, Biel, and at CES 2023 the two companies unveiled a pair of 'life-changing' smart glasses for aiding in mobility for visually impaired individuals.

• These are the best camera glasses

The joint venture harnesses Panasonic's imaging innovation, in the form of its 5.2K HDR-capable VR goggles, and combines it with Biel Glasses' artificial intelligence technology for users with low vision capabilities.

The aim of the technology is to help reduce mobility issues caused by impaired vision, specifically peripheral vision loss – which is known to many people as tunnel vision – that affects sufferers of conditions including glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa.

The new smart glasses enable users to receive feedback about obstacles and other hazards, using the latest in AI and robotics technologies developed by Biel Glasses, allowing visually impaired users to move around safely, independently, and with more confidence.

Biel Glasses is a start-up founded in Barcelona in 2017, by a doctor and engineer, and named for their son Biel, who was born with low vision. It has been working on AI and robotics solutions for people affected by vision problems, and this is the first time it has partnered with a major hardware company to bring its technology into the hands of users.

Biel Glasses' cameras and sensors can detect hazards, such as obstacles, steps, and holes, all in real-time. The glasses then relay these messages back to the user on the inbuilt μOLED display panels using graphical indications that have been adapted to the individual user's specific condition and needs for their remaining vision including zoom, adaptation to lighting, and contrast enhancement. 

It is very interesting to see Panasonic working on technology around smart wearables, AR, and VR. We hope that these glasses aren't the last wearable creation that comes out of Panasonic's R&D department, and we're very excited to see what the manufacturer is working on next as VR adoption starts to really ramp up.

Check out all the latest announcements from CES 2023 here. 

For more on Panasonic, read our guides to the best Pansonic camera, the best micro four-thirds lenses, and the best L-Mount lenses.

Samsung got into bed with Snapchat last year when it integrated Snap’s AR Lenses into the Galaxy A-series camera app and called the service ‘Fun Mode’. It looks to have been an excellent strategic decision, as Samsung has now revealed that Fun Mode has been used over 2.5 billion times. 

For those who’ve never experienced Fun Mode, it allows Galaxy A series users to take pictures and videos from the proprietary camera app, applying playful, quirky lenses to create any moment into a fun and unique content – perfect for sharing laugh with friends and as fun social media content. 

Fun Mode is powered by Snap’s Camera Kit, allowing businesses and developers to bring the power of Snap’s augmented reality into their own applications. This AR mode was initially available on Galaxy A-series phones and has since expanded to Galaxy F and M series models.

Localized AR experiences

In order to offer users around the world more engaging and localized experiences, Samsung and Snap have been working to offer region-specific AR Lenses. In 2021, they launched region-specific AR Lenses in India, and since then have expanded to other countries including Germany, Indonesia, Brazil, the Philippines and Mexico, with more to come. 

“Lenses are the way over 250 million Snapchatters engage with augmented reality every day, and we’re thrilled that these experiences delight and resonate with Samsung Galaxy’s community,” says Ben Schwerin, SVP of Content and Partnerships at Snap. “Integrating the Camera Kit into Samsung Galaxy’s proprietary camera is an opportunity to collaborate on compelling, local AR experiences and bring them to Galaxy users around the world.” 

As seen in the Samsung Galaxy S22

It's not just Galaxy A series users who are enjoying Fun Mode either, Samsung has also brought its camera capabilities to the Snapchat app on Galaxy flagship devices, including the Galaxy S22. 

“Galaxy users are constantly seeking new ways to express their creativity,” says Woncheol Chai, EVP and Head of Experience Planning Team at Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is constantly innovating to empower users to do more of what they love. That is why we continue to grow our partnership with Snap, one of the biggest and most creative augmented reality platforms, so we can explore further improvements and bring one of the best camera experiences to more users.”

If phones are your thing, you might also like our best camera phone guide or the best iPhone for photography.

With Matterport’s 3D VR stitching platform it’s possible to create VR walkthroughs of buildings and other spaces for online exploration. 

It can use a variety of cameras, from 360 cameras right down to mobile phones (see our review of the Matterport Axis), but the best results come from using its professional cameras including the new Matterport Pro3.

Matterport’s new camera can create “high fidelity” digital twins both indoors and outdoors, in bright sunlight, and can scan large spaces up to four times faster than before, producing accurate depth information comparable to expensive laser scanners.

Matterport’s system is aimed at real estate agents and vendors who want to impress clients with VR tours of both indoor and outdoor spaces, but it could also be used for exploring public buildings, monuments and museums.

Essentially, you capture a 360 spherical panorama from multiple viewpoints, and the Matterport platform will then combine these into a VR walkthrough. You can see for yourself with Matterport’s digital twin of the JLL Chicago building online.

The Pro3 camera replaces the previous Pro2 model, and can pair with iOS or Android devices running the Matterport Capture app. The new camera features improved portability and an interchangeable battery, and it’s Matterport’s first-ever 3D LiDAR camera, and offers a range of up to 100m.

The Matterport Pro 3 will go on sale for $5,995/£4,995 (about AU$8,720) while supplies last, but there is also a Pro3 Acceleration Kit at $7,995/£6,595 (about AU$11,630). It’s designed for Matterport’s Pro and higher subscription plans. You can find out more at the Matterport website.

A new state-of-the-art offering from UK-based manufacturer, Meta Camera Limited, follows in the footsteps of its previously launched workhorse cameras – the Meta One, and the Meta Two, and this latest one is titled, you guessed it! The Meta Three. Could Meta Three be the next best camera for live streaming?

Not to be confused with the rebranded name for Facebook, Meta is primarily a camera focussed company, but is also rumored to be working on innovative projects such a dual-camera smartwatch that could rival the likes of the Apple Watch series.

On the market priced at a staggering $42,000/£35,000 (+VAT), this custom-built Meta Three camera is described by the company as the VR industry’s best kept secret. Meta's website states that it is pioneering in fields of immersive technology, specializing in the creation and support of large scale VR and 360 productions. 

Aside from boasting a sharp 12.5K resolution on an equirectangular projection at 30 frames per second, the Meta Three is also fitted with four back-illuminated Super 35mm, dual native ISO, 6k sensors – which in simple terms means that this camera can perform well in low light situations, with great detail and a high noise floor.

The camera lens array is also described as being low parallax, meaning that the formation of its four 6K sensor lenses are beautifully stitched together in a close proximity, with great overlap, covering the full 360 by 180 degree sphere. 

Parallax is also a photographic and videography term used to describe the visual effect when the camera is recording motion, but with the foreground and background appearing to move at different speeds. This effect can vary with either the background moving faster than the central subject, or vice versa. 

The test footage above was shot by the company using the Meta Three, and shows a car with the 360 camera rigged to it, driving through some London Broadwalk roads. When adjusting the quality to 8K when watching the video on YouTube, the quality and sharpness of this camera really impresses.

The Meta Three can live stream footage in 8k resolution, through its HDMI or ethernet port, with the help of third party software and online platforms to stream the content to. The Meta Three is also super controllable, with settings such as focus and aperture adjustable digitally and on the fly via the Meta Controller, which is a companion feature of the camera for PC and Mac. 

The Meta Controller can allow for granular remote control over the camera, and can also be used to monitor things like battery percentage, camera temperature, and to quickly adjust settings through saved shortcuts. The Meta Three can also record footage in the ProRes 422 format, as well as shooting a high bitrate of h265.

Other great features of the Meta Three include synchronized sensors, a great dynamic range, electronic focus and aperture control, extensive connectivity, easy post-production, serial command control, silent running, and options for further camera syncing via its sync port. 

There are a whole host of other awesome features of this 360 Meta Three camera, probably too many to list in great detail in this article, but luckily the Meta website has all the information you could possibly need about its latest camera products, and encourages potential customers to contact its team directly for more information or with intent to purchase. 

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The new album from Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, titled 4, is set to make its virtual reality debut via a new partnership formed with Soundscape VR – the longest-running music platform comprised of solely virtual reality performances.

Soundscape has what it calls a 'Magic Mirror Musical Metaverse' and has announced the addition of Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators "Live at Studios 60" to the dynamic virtual concert space it has created.  

• Looking for the best VR headset for the 360 experience?

If NFTs weren't confusing enough, now there's a musical metaverse. The lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses has ventured on a new musical project to create a Gibson Records LP, making its big debut in VR. 

The virtual concert world created by Soundscape VR (SVR) is said to reflect the nature of the musicians perfectly, with soaring vocals and realistic renditions of unforgettable melodies. “I'm really excited about this cool VR interpretation of our live performance at Studios 60,” shares Slash. “It's a new and immersive visual that gives it a great ‘in the room’ feel.” 

Eric Alexander, Soundscape VR founder and creator, thinks that this virtual concert is a milestone for the company. “Artists everywhere are seeing SVR & Magic Mirror as the ultimate digital presentation of their art, giving their fans a totally original experience built for the highest levels of immersion. Soundscape continues to lead the world in the exploration & display of the most advanced musical metaverse technologies.”

Describing itself as the future of music, the Soundscape VR universe is available to download and can be experienced on both Steam and Oculus-compatible devices. Comprised of VR, XR, and AR music technologies, the platform boasts a stable user base of over a hundred-thousand people, five immersive audio-reactive worlds (using Sonic AI), and the opportunity to connect live in VR with friends and other global music fans.

Soundscape also provides users the option to choose and stream their own music, and it even includes a Beat Saber-style game called Spectra Dash, whereby you can blow things up in VR with friends to a specific soundtrack. If this weren't immersive enough, SVR will also be appearing as a mixed reality concert stage present at music festivals across the US. 

The global AR, and VR market is supposedly expected to grow to 209.2 billion by the end of 2022, and a new version of SVR’s Sonic AI now helps shape experiences and its music metaverse worlds like never before. Armed with their customizable avatars, users can explore immersive, audio-reactive worlds while rocking out to Slash. 

Do you think augmented and virtual reality could be a new branch of content creation for music photographers and filmmakers? Let us know what you think!

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See a Harry Potter star in VR! Tom Felton stars as Guy Fawkes

London's hottest new tourist attraction blends exciting virtual reality with live immersive theatre in The Gunpowder Plot. Witness Slytherin's favorite Draco Malfoy actor, Tom Felton, like never before as he portrays Guy Fawkes in the captivating VR elements that make up this immersive theatre project. 

Live actors and the latest in digital technology are integrated with multi-sensory special effects, that will transport the audience back to 1605, playing an ever-active role in one of the most interesting conspiracy stories in British history. 

• Read more: Best VR headset for the 360 experience

This otherworldly attraction provides its guests with a mission: go undercover, infiltrate the plotters and become part of history. The Gunpowder Plot features Intricate and large-scale walk-around locations, complemented by first-class actors performing live at every stage. A cast of over 50 digital actors alongside 20 live actors blends with intent to create a truly hybrid theatrical experience for audiences.

Advanced virtual reality technology and projection mapping are used by professionals to transform the theatre space, with additional multi-sensory SFX and ambisonics designed to immerse guests even further into a 1605 Britain.

This multi-sensory adventure is written by Olivier nominee and BAFTA nominated writer, Danny Robins, with creative direction by stage director and multi BAFTA award-nominated games performance director, Hannah Price, also the Creative Director at Layered Reality and founder of Theatre Uncut. 

“We want it to feel like somebody made a movie version of the Gunpowder Plot and it came to life around you and exploded in your face with bits of Jacobean London flying at you,” shares Danny Robins. “This is a story about activism. It’s about trying to change the world but then realising that you’re doing it the wrong way.”

Additional layers of this production make use of physical sensations such as temperature, scent, taste, touch and sound - intended to wow the audiences with an unparalleled sense of immersion into a time long before we existed. Guests will interact with Guy Fawkes (Tom Felton) inside virtual reality, as they infiltrate the plotter’s company and learn of the conspiracy against the Houses of Parliament. 

Speaking of the role and attraction, Felton said “I’m very excited to be playing a character so famous (and infamous!) for being at the centre of the most famous conspiracy plot in UK history. 

Guy Fawkes is a fascinating character with a complex history and with passionate advocates and detractors then and now. To be able to bring the character to life through Virtual Reality, and to allow him to interact with audiences in a way that has never been done before, is thrilling.” 

The digital actors also featuring in this project include Gary Beadle as Edmund, Taqi Nazeer as King James, Michelle Asante as Alice, Nicholas Boulton as a Victorian Labourer, Ruth Gibson as a 1940s mother, Pieter Lawman as Priest Hunter, Jessica Preddy as Queen Anne, Sam Stafford as a Night Watchman, Kiruna Stamell as a shopper and Ash Rizi as Jack.

Figment Productions are the digital media production company behind the VR segments of this project, having created an impressive array of attractions for major theme parks including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, the Black Mirror Labyrinth hosted at Thorpe Park, the Lego Race VR Coaster at Legoland, the Kraken Unleashed VR Roller Coaster at Seaworld, Galactica VR ride at Alton Towers as well as Derren Brown's Ghost Train immersive attraction.

“We cannot wait to share this groundbreaking production with an audience. Incredibly realistic sets you can step onto and run your hands across. Cutting edge VR that puts our audience in the heart of London in one of its most volatile moments." Shares director Price, "Layered levels of immersion so everything you see, feel, touch, and even smell takes you further into the story. Add live actors and a brilliant script and our audience will have an experience like no other.”

So, it's pretty safe to say we can expect The Gunpowder Plot to blow our socks off with such a high-class production team, creative directors and talented actors behind it. The attraction is located in a purpose-designed immersive theatre space that was last accessible to the public two decades ago. 

The Gunpowder Plot experience has been created in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces, which cares for the Tower of London, and will be open officially to the public as of 20 May 2022. 

Tickets can be purchased now starting from as low as £45 ($55 / AU$80 approximately).

• Read more:

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Your iPhone can now create 3D models, thanks to Epic Games' new app

Ever wanted to create 3D models using your iPhone camera? Now you can! Currently in limited beta, this free 3D scanning app and new photogrammetry software announced by Epic Games is next-level and has limitless applications. 

Creating ultra-realistic and high-fidelity 3D models is a relatively tricky task, but this new RealityScan app is designed to make the experience simple and fun for iPhone users with interest in the practice and a flair for design.

• These are the best 3D scanners

In usual circumstances, capturing real-world assets in 3D would require advanced equipment, software, and expensive machines. RealityScan, however, created by Epic Games in collaboration with Quixel, is able to turn the most basic of smartphone-captured photos into quality 3D models, in the most accessible way possible. 

More creators and hobbyists are beginning to embrace the art of 3D photogrammetry, a process that involves using a camera to take overlapping photographs of an object or space to gather data and measurements, analyzing the change in position from two different images, and then converting these images into 2D or 3D digital models using specialist software.

This process can be complicated, time consuming, and technical, which is where RealityScan comes in. This app takes what people love about the powerful desktop application software, RealityCapture, and brings it into an accessible and simple app format that anyone with a smartphone camera can make use of. 

You may be wondering what the purpose of creating a 3D model is and what benefit it would have to you. Once a capture is complete, the 3D object can then be exported and shared to a popular social platform known as Sketchfab. This website, launched in 2011, enables users to publish, discover, buy, and sell 3D content in addition to VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) content. 

Three-dimensional models are also beneficial for engineers, designers, architects, commercial advertising teams, movie sets, illustrators and game developers by turning them into augmented reality objects using CAD design software, or adding them into games (as shown in the above video) with the Unreal Engine, also developed by Epic Games.

All the app instructions must be followed to ensure a good quality capture – for example, the app will need around 20 images of the object from different angles, with a good background and lighting expected to certainly improve the overall result. The app has been developed using technologies from Capturing Reality, a company that was acquired by Epic in March last year.

“RealityCapture is the clear market leader in photogrammetry and has been integral to the creation of Quixel Megascans since its inception," said Teddy Bergsman, senior director at Quixel, Epic Games. "We are beyond excited to welcome Capturing Reality to our team, and to accelerate our shared vision to enable anyone to scan the world."

"RealityScan is the first step on our journey to make 3D scanning available to all creators," adds Michal Jancosek, cofounder at Capturing Reality. "We believe that this tool will greatly help people of all skill sets to better understand basic scanning principles, bridging the gap between beginners and professionals. We’re excited to develop the app with feedback from the community and to introduce new features as we approach the full release."

For more information and updates on RealityScan be sure to regularly check its website and test out the app via TestFlight, in anticipation of the official release that is expected later this year. An Android version of the app is supposedly also under development. 

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Matterport has been a specialist in capturing VR interiors for years – it calls these ‘digital twins’ – and while its bespoke scanning cameras are expensive, it’s been steadily developing its systems downwards to allow for much simpler and easier VR capture. And it can hardly get simpler than this.

The Matterport Axis is essentially a motorized phone mount that works in conjunction with the Matterport mobile app to capture a spherical rendering of your surroundings from any spot you choose. The Axis itself is an affordable $79 gadget that works with a phone you probably have already.

The VR capture is just the first stage of the process. The rest is handled by Matterport’s online VR hosting service.

How the Matterport system works

Once you’ve made your VR capture, it’s uploaded to Matterport’s own site where it’s assembled into a full VR environment that can be viewed in a regular browser just by following a shareable link. 

The key to the system is that you don’t just make a single capture, but a whole series, as you move from one room or interior to another. This way, visitors can ‘walk through’ your virtual environment, pausing to look around at the surroundings at key points.

You can see how this works at Matterport’s sample digital twin of the UK’s Warwick Castle. The system even generates an interactive 3D VR floorplan so that you can get an overview of how the rooms are laid out – or you can just ‘walk’ from one room to another.

Matterport Axis and account pricing

Matterport’s hosted VR system is aimed both at professional real estate vendors and owners of tourist attractions (for example) who want to give visitors a flavor of what they can see. 

Accounts come with a monthly subscription, but they start at just £7.99 per month (about $10.49 USD/AU$14.00) for two users and five ‘Active Spaces’.

The Matterport Axis itself will sell for $79 (about £60/AU$105), but there also bundle deals which include capture devices like the Ricoh Theta, Insta360 ONE X2 and Matterport’s own Pro2 scanning camera.

Previously available at early bird pre-launch pricing, the Matterport Axis will now be available from major resellers including B&H and Adorama.

Kandao is a pioneering company primarily focused in the field of VR technology and and conference room webcams. But it has just announced the QooCam EGO - which could be its most futuristic and most popular product to date.

This tiny 3D camera is a VR alternative that will allow users to snap, view, edit and share 3D captured content instantly. Excitingly, this device will be the first of its kind and Kandao are offering an exclusive discount for those who sign up for its crowdfunding campaign. 

• Read more: Best VR headset for the 360 experience

The very first viewer-integrated 3D camera, the QooCam EGO allows users to re-live every moment as if for the first time, through an incredibly immersive instantaneous experience combining VR technology with photography. The cam boasts a 3D viewer of up to 37 pixels per degree (PPD) that is double that of existing VR headsets, promoting a smooth and clear viewing experience in ultra-realistic 3D. 

The device is soon to launch on Kickstarter, on 08 February to be exact, and with the previous campaign reaching 1 million dollars the company are confident that its QooCam EGO, as a revolutionary product, will do much better. 

Unlike other devices that use methods to split one image into two in order to render a fake 3D effect, the QooCam EGO has two individual lenses, to achieve true authentic stereo 3D.

The 3D cam uses this stereo 3D technology to mimic the distance between human eyes, paired with a detachable magnetic 3D viewer that allows consumers to see their 3D content instantaneously. The QooCam EGO can record video at dual 1920 x 1080p at 60fps, providing ultra-smooth 3D playback by mimicking the focal effect of human eyes to deliver incredible depth and realism. 

Small enough to fit in a pocket and weighing just 160g, the QooCam EGO is one of the smallest 3D cameras in existence, with the advantage of its detachable, portable viewer. 

This device will travel easily making it perfect for any adventure or holiday, also conveniently cloud storage capable so forgetting the SD card won't ruin your trip. A powerful companion app allows for smart editing of your captures and unique 3D effect templates can be applied to the captures to create content that can be shared instantly with friends and family using seamless connection through the cam's built-in Wi-Fi features and settings controlled using its 2.54" touch screen. 

QooCam EGO will not require storage and post-processing systems in the same way that other 3D systems do. Instead, the innovative detachable magnetic 3D viewer immerses users into the scene when viewed through the full HD display. 

Kandao's CEO has shared that " Our mission is to enable photographers and content creators to present their work in the most vivid way possible. QooCam EGO unlocks a new dimension in visual storytelling. 3D is the coolest way to vlog, allowing you to immerse your audience in captivating stories. With smart editing and unique 3D effects, our App unleashes your creativity even further.” 

All images and videos captured using the cam can be recorded from a first-person perspective, making this device ideal for vloggers. This headset-free VR alternative records footage that is compatible with YouTube and most major 3D TVs and headsets, meaning subscribers can also enjoy your content in 3D when uploaded. The applications of 3D filming and photography are limitless, ever wanted to view an interaction with your pet recorded in 3D? Now you can!  

Kandao says it will continue to develop distinguished software and hardware, similarly to the integration of Snap-View-Edit-Share features that make the QooCam EGO an impressive portable and affordable alternative to a VR headset, that can be used to create your own eye-catching social content instead of viewing other channels. 

Special pricing and incentives are being offered for early adopters of this product ahead of its kickstarter launch. The MSRP price will be $369 (Approximately £273 / AU$515), whereas super early bird prices for those who register will be $269 (Approximately £199 / AU$375.80) with free shipping. 

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Canon has debuted a new virtual reality video system named Kokomo, which enables users to make face-to-face, real-time "ImmersiveCall" video calls in an experiential 3D environment.

Unveiled at CES 2022, the still in-development Kokomo software is described by Canon as an "exciting new way of connecting" and "an innovation in virtual reality that combines the 3D experience of beautiful and life-like VR destinations with video calling.

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"At the heart of Kokomo, is a Real 'Together' Experience, which has helped to shape the development of the technology. The purpose of the technology is to provide people the opportunity to have real interactions when they get together, so they can have memorable experiences in a brand-new way."

The system will require a VR headset, and will be powered by Canon cameras along with a newly designed app for your smartphone. As you might expect, the system will ultimately accommodate the innovative Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye Lens – a specifically 3D optic designed to deliver immersive 8K VR content for the Canon EOS R5.

Watch video: Canon Kokomo VR

However, the promotional material appears to show the system working with an EOS M-series camera – suggesting that having the latest technology (and the very latest camera body) won't necessarily be a price of entry.

"The Kokomo software uses Canon cameras and imaging technology to create realistic representations of users, so virtual reality calls feel like you are interacting face-to-face rather than through a screen or an avatar. So, even when people can't "be there" with the people they love, they can feel like they are there. 

"And this is just the beginning. Canon will soon be announcing the official launch date of Kokomo and has exciting plans to add new destinations, functionalities, and features to the Kokomo software, along with expanded compatibility with Canon cameras and lenses".

With companies like Facebook already trying to establish a new metaverse, we're intrigued to see how Kokomo will fit into our future interactions…

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The best VR headset has been a hot topic amongst gamers for a while, but Virtual Reality technology has numerous applications for creatives and consumers too, not least communication through digital 3D environments – and for getting an immersive view of stills and photos shot with 360 cameras.

Attention on Virtual Reality (VR) comes in waves, usually associated with movies or major product announcements – Playstation VR turned a few heads, and rumors about Apple’s drawing board are doing so now. That said, the term VR is thrown around far less carelessly than in the past, with the world seemingly having agreed clear lines between fully immersive VR and alternatives which once would have been muddled in like Augmented Reality (AR) – where an image is projected over your real view – and Smart Glasses – which can be like Bluetooth headphones with a camera (see our best camera glasses guide). 

There are two distinct ways to deliver VR, in standalone form, using technology built into the headset – or via a connection to a PC which does the computing. The former is obviously more convenient, while the latter provides more power for graphics and a potentially broader social experience.

In terms of the best VR headset tech, we’re past sticking our phones to our faces in a cardboard box and getting eye strain; what you need to look out for are:

The best VR headsets 

The Oculus Quest 2 makes a fair claim for best VR goggles straight out of the gate since they offer their own standalone environment or a PC connection. With a RGB stripe panel of around 3664 x 1920 (shared between the eyes); there is a high resolution for the money backed up with a Qualcom XR2 processor to support the on-board interaction. There are three IPD settings (software settings – not ideal, but OK) and dioptre adjustments on offer for comfort, too.

The Quest has two hand controllers with movement tracking; if you encountered the previous Quest, they’re not significantly different but the battery life is notably longer and the thumb rest larger. 

For heavy users, there are two ‘Elite Headstrap’ options; both have a firmer grip on the back of the head and one even adds a battery. These are good options to have. Facebook dissenters will also appreciate that Meta-owned Oculus no longer requires an account.

Top tip: If you see the 64GB version, don’t buy it; Oculus have ditched it for 128GB without increasing the price!

The HP Reverb G2 is a logical choice for commercial use. This headset is based on the Window Mixed Reality (WMR) platform built right into Windows 10, so is automatically recognised by the OS; in this space you can use communications platforms like AltspaceVR.

It offers dioptre and full manual IPD adjustment, has the convenience of not requiring external tracking, and enough resolution to almost entirely eliminate screen door effect. It’s easily possible to read text inside the VR environment; useful, but at the cost of requiring a PC graphics card capable of providing 4K graphics (then again, better graphics are a plus for everything in VR, so that’s hardly a complaint). 

The HP software is also capable of accessing Steam’s platform for gamers. The controllers are tracked using four built-in cameras, allowing you to really wave your hands around without the system losing them. The audio is provided by off-ear speakers which are held a little way from the ear; less distracting than headphones and offering a good range of tone. 

The HTC Vive Pro 2 is a powerful VR headset, with very high resolution from its dual RGB OLED and a full range of on-board sensors. The ergonomics include a broad IPD adjustment of 57-70mm with a pleasing rotary adjustment (no clunky steps).

The tracking requires ‘lighthouses’ placed around the room. Compatibility with Steam VR bases is included, and many would argue choosing the Valve Index’s controllers actually preferable. That option is appreciated, and in a commercial environment you can add up to 4 base stations for a vast 10 x 10m area of movement.

Vive is a flexible platform, and (limited to 90Hz) there is a wireless adaptor available for $250. Those looking to re-create real-life interactions might also be interested in the Pro Eye eye tracking option.

The Vive Cosmos grants access to the high-spec VR HTC’s customer’s expect, without the inconvenience of placing base stations for tracking. Six cameras in the headset take over this job. For the most part it retains compatibility with the established series accessories, including the option of a wireless adapter. On the down-side, there has been little evolution in the controllers, but on the plus side a wireless system compatible with this is HTC’s Vive is an option. 

The headset cameras don’t hurt with tracking the controllers (fewer dead-zones) but the elimination of external ‘lighthouses’ when it comes to tracking both saves money and is a huge boon for portability.

We like that you can flip up the front of the goggles, helmet style, for a quick real-world view (be that to get a breath of reality or check your texts). 

Pimax’s range of powerful VR goggles are the result of Kickstarters and the firm caters firmly for the hardcore enthusiast niche. With a field-of-view not dissimilar to the real human experience, these goggles afford a broad perspective of the world you choose; the resolution all but eliminates the screen-door effect seen on lower resolution devices, too. 

Despite the angular shape, the materials are soft touch. Underneath they operate the Oculus platform, so will befriend plenty of VR accessories, but be prepared for a little bit of geeking out; Pimax’s roots are sometimes a little bit too clear when it comes to driver compatibility, though this is being worked on. You’ll also want a very powerful graphics card to drive these goggles; perhaps an RTX 3090 (which costs over twice what the goggles do).

On the plus side, the firm’s team are listeners, so the PiTools software is getting ever easier to cope with.

Steam is a gaming platform, and the Steam Index is designed with that in mind, but VR productivity includes game-like scenarios (who hasn’t sat in a meeting and wanted a plasma rifle?). The company’s own VR goggles design skews toward creating a smooth flowing environment, so the resolution isn’t the highest, but they’re capable of a relatively high refresh rate (reducing the risk of nausea), while the RGB pixel arrangement makes for excellent clarity.

The Valve Index uses external lighthouses for motion tracking, but the hand “knuckles” more than make up for any inconvenience there; the grip features individual finger tracking which – given the right software – can offer an amazing experience, though it is one largely skewed toward gaming via the Steams VR platform (Valve created Half-Life).

The field of view is broad, so play is more immersive and despite the fact this device is around two years old it’s still one of the most popular in VR. 

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Canon launched its EOS VR System earlier this month, powered by the new Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens – and the manufacturer has released the first real-world footage of what the setup is capable of.

The Canon EOS VR System is an 8K, 3D, 180° VR capture platform with two key components at the heart of it: the new Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens and the Canon EOS R5. Together with the new EOS VR Utility, and the EOS VR Plug-in for Adobe Premiere Pro, they transform the R5 into a powerful stereoscopic 3D VR rig.

• Read more: Best Canon RF lenses

Obviously it's difficult to conceptualize what 3D VR footage looks like if you've never seen it before, and thus it's hard to conceive how this technology might be applicable to your own photography and videography. 

Thankfully, Canon Japan has released the first footage of what the EOS VR System can do. As you can see below, the interactive YouTube video enables you to scroll 180° around the scene of dancers performing (though while the native footage is 8K, YouTube currently maxes out at 4K playback, so you can't quite see it in all its glory). 

Watch video: Interactive Canon 3D VR sample footage

Unlike earlier stereoscopic camera rigs (such as those made by Canon and Panasonic) that required two cameras with two sensors and two lenses, the EOS VR system is built around the RF 5.2mm Dual Fisheye – and its dual, hyper-wide, 190° field of view lenses project two circular images onto a single camera sensor. 

That means you just have a single file to work with, rather than two separate videos – which you would obviously need to sync, not to mention marry exposure, focus, settings and so on. And while the system is geared towards 8K video, it can capture 4K, 1080p and still images as well.

It's a pricey proposition, with the Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens alone costing $1,999.00 / £2,099.99 / AU$3,849, on top of the need for an R5, Premier Pro and a boatload of storage to render your files. 

Still, this is a potential game-changer for professional photography – not to mention the content creators who will no doubt find new and exciting ways to put this new technology to use. 

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Facebook recently unveiled its latest product – a pair of smart glasses produced in collaboration with Ray–Ban. While we've seen other smart glasses before, such as the Google Glass and Snapchat's Spectacles, these new glasses from Facebook lack the augmented reality features that others boast.

Instead, the Ray–Ban Stories are focused on enabling users to capture photos and videos, listen to music and answer phone calls. For this ambitious array of tech to become a reality, Facebook had to pack an optimized Snapdragon processor, dual 5MP camera sensors, a battery and speakers into the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer, Round or Meteor frames.

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The Facebook View companion app for iOS and Android has also launched in conjunction with Ray–Ban Stories. This app is designed to give users an easy way to import, edit and share any content captured on the smart glasses – and if you're wondering whether you can only upload to Facebook-owned social media platforms, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Users should be able to upload content to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat and more. 

It will be interesting to see how the Ray–Ban Stories will be received. While we've seen other smart glasses appear over the past few years, there hasn't yet seemed to have been a product that has truly connected with consumers in the same way that smart watches have. 

It's possible that focusing on content creation rather than augmented reality could be the winning factor for Facebook and Ray–Ban. Being able to quickly capture photos and video without having to get out your phone could potentially give rise to a whole new host of viral content. The only potential sticking point we could see is the 5MP camera sensors, as we wonder whether these will be good enough quality to please photo and enthusiasts - although video is recorded at 1184x1184 pixels @30fps - which is at least slightly better than Full HD. 

Ray–Ban Stories are now available in the US, UK, Italy, Australia, Ireland and Canada, starting at $299 / £299 / AU$449. 

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When 3D viewing first arrived the 1950s, cinema audiences donned red and green cardboard glasses to watch monsters and aliens lunge out of the screen... But most people ended up with severe headaches as a result. 

This issue was partly solved in the 2000s, when the use of polarized light reduced eyestrain and improved picture quality. But when companies started selling 3D televisions, and channels like Sky launched 3D channels, no one wanted to know... because basically, people don’t want to wear cumbersome glasses. 

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Now, though, it seems that Apple has found a way that we can have our 3D cake and eat it.

The company recently filed a patent with the heading of ‘Split-screen driving of electronic device displays’. And the tech it describes means that flat screens on smartphones and tablets will be able to show an image in 3D without the viewer having to wear any glasses or VR headset.

The idea is that iPhone and iPad screens will be able to display two different images simultaneously, in a way that will fool your brain into seeing a three-dimensional image. 

Yes, there are already devices that do this, but the patent notes that existing methods are “problematic”, stating: “it can be difficult to provide this type of content on a multi-function device such as a smartphone or a tablet without generating visible artifacts such as motion blur, luminance offsets, or other effects which can be unpleasant or even dizzying to a viewer."

While it doesn’t specifically mention other devices, anyone who’s played games on the Nintendo 3DS, which promises a glasses-free 3D effect, will know what they mean here.

The rest of the patent application goes into a great deal of depth about how Apple plans to resolve these problems, and create a smooth 3D viewing experience on a flat screen without the need for glasses. This is gets hugely technical, but starts from the notion that the screen switches between left and right sides of an image via alternating pixel rows.

The patent is also quite vague about how this will all work on a practical level. It doesn’t state, for example, what angle viewers will need to position their iPhone or iPad at to get the effect. But it does show that Apple is serious about developing this tech, and has put some proper thought into it.

Consider this a long-term thing, though, and not necessarily a sure thing. Apple files patents for new tech all the time, and many of them have never seen the light of day. 

But with applications for both gaming and entertainment, this one seems like a goal that’s very much worth pursuing. Could Digital Camera World’s photography video tutorials soon be coming at you in full 3D, straight from your iPad screen? Here’s hoping…

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After a year of communicating via video calls, which saw Zoom and Facetime soar in popularity, tech experts are now predicting that holograms will be the next form of virtual communication within the next decade.

A UK study of 2,000 people found half are bored of video calls, while 63 per cent feel they don’t give the level of interaction or closeness they want. But 44 per cent believe the pandemic has permanently changed the way we interact with technology, and that it will have a remarkable impact on our lifestyles in years to come.

Three in 10 of those polled via broadband provider Virgin Media, even said they would like to keep in touch via a hologram, as having the image of their loved one beamed into their home would make people feel closer and more connected.

In fact,  futurologist James Bellini predicts that by 2030, we could all be using holograms to stay connected to our nearest and dearest.

And 23 per cent believe hologram technology will be the norm in homes across the country.

James Bellini, who worked with Virgin Media on the report, said: “Advancements in technology and lightning-speed broadband mean that pioneering forms of connectivity, such as holograms, are now viable options for when we want to feel closer to those we’re not physically able to be with.

"With technology moving as quickly as it is now, it wouldn’t be strange for holograms to be commonplace in UK households by the turn of the decade.

"Holograms can enhance our lives by removing barriers to human connection, be that screens or distance.

"A more frequent use of the tech could revolutionize the workplace, our social lives and events, travel and leisure or dining experiences.

"Having a 3D life-size, real-time connection with someone via hologram opens up a world of possibility and acts as a great starting point for those looking to re-adjust to normal life as restrictions ease, while relieving the longing of wanting to ‘be’ with another person.

"Although, accessible hologram technology is fairly new, the research from Virgin Media shows the appetite is there, meaning we’ll need the broadband speeds to keep up.”

Hologram technology will enable people to start jobs that never require meeting colleagues in real life, says the research.  And one in four believe they will use holograms to avoid missing out on live events such as gigs and festivals.

The research marks the launch of Virgin Media’s ‘Two Hearts Pizzeria’ which will be connecting diners located at opposite ends of the UK with a real-time holographic dining experience, powered by the provider’s gigabit network. The experiment meant people in central London could have a meal with holographic images of people 400 miles away in Edinburgh,

The pioneering technology, which involves the projection of life-size 4K holograms, means loved ones separated by the pandemic will be able to see, hear and interact with each other in real-time, as though they were sat together at the same table, without having to stare at a screen.

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Holographic images were once the realm of science fiction, but now they’re here in real life – and you can have them sitting on your desktop, coffee table or bookshelf at home thanks to Looking Glass Portrait.

This remarkable display innovation truly democratizes holographic imaging-regarded as the future of media, which had previously been the privilege of technologists and Hollywood fantasy,

Far from fantasy, though, Looking Glass Portrait will be your first personal holographic display. You don’t need any specialist knowledge, nor any specialist equipment to create and show off your very own holograms; you can use any DSLR or mirrorless camera to shoot super-realistic holograms. There’s no limit to the amazing visual experience you can realize from people and pets to wildlife and landscapes. 

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t got the first clue about 3D imaging. Looking Glass Portrait makes the whole process simple and straightforward, meaning that everyone from beginners to experts can bring their images to life in three dimensions. You already own the high-quality capture device that you need; Looking Glass Portrait provides you with a bleeding-edge, reference holographic display to complement it. 

We use our phones to capture memories of our loved ones, pets, even our entire lives. Now you can turn those memories on your phone into lifelike holograms that can sit on your desk all day long. 

If your smartphone can take Portrait mode photos, essential depth information is saved automatically, which makes it easy for Looking Glass Portrait to turn that depth map into an emotionally deep hologram. You can even turn most of your 2D photos into 3D files ready for the magic of holograms.

In addition to displaying your images, Looking Glass Portrait also supports holographic video messages with Azure Kinect, RealSense, and iPhones, and you can even play with the technology via interactive holographic apps (built using Unity and Unreal plugins).

The system works in two modes, Desktop (connected to a PC or Mac to act as a holographic second monitor) or Standalone (powered by a Raspberry Pi 4), giving you the flexibility to enjoy your images however you prefer. 

Looking Glass Portrait is radically light in weight and price, starting at just $249 (a discount of $100 RRP), and you can capture realistic light field photos using your camera and a rail available in the Looking Glass Holographic Capture Bundle. 

Find out more about Looking Glass Portrait and place your pre-order on the official website at look.glass/portrait. 

Canon is releasing its smallest, lightest mixed reality (MR) headset in February. The Canon MREAL S1 can be head-mounted or used handheld, and will carry a price tag of around $38,500. 

The Canon MREAL S1 is much smaller and lighter than the manufacturer's previous mixed reality devices, being about the size of a camera phone and weighing in at just 137g – which is 250% lighter than the 480g Canon MREAL MD-20. 

So, what is mixed reality? It's an environment that merges the physical world with virtual elements in real time, where they can be manipulated and interacted with. It is distinct from virtual reality (VR), which creates entirely virtual environments, and augmented reality (AR), which adds virtual elements in a much less sophisticated way that cannot be physically interacted with. 

To create these MR environments, the MREAL S1 boasts two sets of stereoscopic camera arrays. The first array is dedicated to the passthrough image, which renders virtual objects in the physical environment, while the second array is devoted to depth realization, enabling the virtual objects to be placed accurately in the MR space.

Watch video: Canon MREAL S1 overview

As you would expect the headset is fully customizable, enabling users to adjust the fit around the head as well as the position and pitch of the device itself for optimal eye position. Alternatively, the S1 can be handheld in much the same way as a smartphone when exploiting AR material.

The announcement coincides with reports that Apple is developing a VR headset of its own, which is likewise expected to be a premium-priced product. However, where the Apple device is still to be aimed at consumers, Canon's headset is intended for industry and enterprise applications – and carries an according price tag. 

According to DC Watch its pricing will start from ¥4 million (approximately $38,500 / £28,000 / AU$49,900) per system, which includes the main unit, software, PC and maintenance costs. 

Canon has been thinking way outside the box recently, stepping away from its bread and butter products like the Canon EOS R5 and into conceptual devices like the Canon PowerShot Zoom and Canon PowerShot Pick. We can't wait to see how else it thinks outside the box as the year rolls on!

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Apple has produced a high-end virtual reality VR headset, which is being described as a pricey niche precursor to the augmented reality glasses that the manufacturer may launch later down the line. 

Apple has codenamed its VR product 'N301' and it is currently in a late prototype stage. Further reports suggest that Apple is also planning an ambitious leap into the world of augmented reality, with these products planned to be launched in the coming years. 

Read more: How to use the augmented reality tools in Luminar 4

Sources at Bloomberg describe how the standalone VR headset from Apple will cost considerably more than rival products from companies such as Facebook and HTC. With the average cost of headsets currently on the market ranging from $300-900, this could make the VR headset from Apple an exceptionally pricey option. 

Information relating to the specifications are currently scarce, but some interesting tidbits have been reported. Crucially, Apple is purportedly planning on a device much smaller than current VR headsets – which require space at the front to accommodate users that wear eyeglasses. To overcome any issues with users' eyesight, this device could use custom prescription lenses. 

The report also suggests that Apple may be planning on using a fabric exterior that may help reduce the overall weight of the unit, thus potentially increasing comfort when used for longer periods. 

Typically, Apple is known for taking emerging technologies and developing them into something that's easy to use and reliable for most consumers. In this case, though, the manufacturer is reported to be developing this product with the aim of producing something more mainstream later on. 

Insiders believe that this product may only sell one unit per day, per Apple store, which would put it in a similar category to the $5,999 Mac Pro Desktop. 

Consumer VR and AR headsets are, in many ways, still in their early stages. The industry is still in its infancy and, although there are lots of potential uses, current adoption remains relatively low. With Apple throwing its hat into the ring, however, things could quickly change… 

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Panasonic has put itself in early contention to steal the show at CES, by creating something that can only be described as the Holodeck from Star Trek.

Announced at CES 2021, Panasonic revealed that it has partnered with Illuminarium Experiences to provide immersive, virtual attractions that take you to places you've never seen or dreamed of before.

Ever wanted to go on safari but hate air travel, don't have the money and really don't want to get eaten by a lion? The first 360-degree attraction from Panasonic and Illuminarium will be Wild: A Safari Experience – the world's first virtual safari. 

"Illuminarium Experiences is real life like you’ve never seen it before," states the official website. "From earth’s natural wonders to cultural moments and beyond, Illuminarium democratizes the world’s most extraordinary experiences."

"From the majestic plains of Masai Mara to the great herds of Kruger National Park to the verdant watering holes of Samburu Reserve, Wild will transport visitors across the African continent in the world’s first virtual safari."

"I am incredibly pleased to announce today that Panasonic is the official technology partner of Illuminarium Experiences," said CEO Michael Moskowitz. Our native 4k projectors, professional displays and cameras will bring their new 360-degree immersive entertainment centers to life, to transport and inspire audiences.

"The first Illuminarium will open in Atlanta, and be 30,000 square feet, featuring Wild – the world's first virtual safari. Our engineers collaborated and created an ultra short-throw lens with minimal offset and loss of light exclusively for this experience. It promises to be one that has never been seen before."

The second Illuminarium is set to open in Miami in Winter 2021, followed by a third venue in Las Vegas in summer 2022. 

"As a company we're built for moments like this," concluded Moskowitz. "Combining generations of innovation and category expertise with a culture that is driven to make the world a better place."

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Apple Glasses has been rumbling on the horizon for almost five years now, but could this futuristic product finally come to fruition in 2020?

If you can cast your mind back to 2012, when Google first officially announced the Google Glass, AR glasses seemed like the technology of the future. Fast forward a few years and the product had, for lack of a better word, flopped. 

With the Google Glass' downfall, AR glasses somewhat slipped out of the mainstream public consciousness, with enthusiasm for wearable technology being mostly diverted to smartwatches instead. However, AR glasses continued to capture the imagination of product developers in companies across the world – including Apple.

• Read more: iPhone 12: What we know so far

There have been persistent rumors that we could be seeing Apple Glasses appear at some point, with some patents even dating back as far as 2015. However, the road to produce the Apple Glasses has clearly been rocky terrain. Over the past few years, there have been reports that the product has been delayed – and perhaps even cancelled altogether.

However, 2019 brought fresh hopes of seeing the Apple Glasses come to fruition – and there's even been speculation that we could see it hit the market by the end of 2020, with one rumor saying that Apple Glasses could be announced in October 2020. 

With patents on the Apple Glasses appearing from as far back as 2015, it's clear that this form of wearable tech has been on Apple's agenda for a while. However, it's only within the past year or so that the rumor mill has begun to really make some noise. Some rumors have speculated that the Apple Glasses could be announced alongside the iPhone 12 in September, but later reports said that we would be more likely to see an announcement in the October 2020 launch alongside the new MacBook Pros.

However, while we might see an Apple Glasses announcement in 2020, we might not see the actual product hit the market until as late as 2022. 

How much could the Apple Glasses cost?

The average consumer would be forgiven for not realizing that you can actually buy and wear AR glasses now, with products such as the Microsoft Hololens 2 and Magic Leap One available for purchase. However, the technology is pretty expensive, with the Hololens 2 and Magic Leap One running for $3,500 and $2,295 respectively.

However, many of the AR glasses currently on the market are targeted to companies, professionals and app developers. If Apple Glasses is going to be the next big thing in wearable technology, it would have to be priced competitively enough to win over the average consumer. 

There isn't much information on what the Apple Glasses will cost, but one rumor suggests that we could see a price of $499 (£410 / AU$765). While we should likely take this rumor with a healthy pinch of salt, we could see this being a reasonable price point that would open up the AR glasses market beyond solely professional use.

What are the Apple Glasses specs?

There's recently been a sizable leak from reliable leakster Jon Prosser, who's stated that the Apple Glasses will be known by the moniker 'Apple Glass'. Apparently, the Apple Glasses will be capable of displaying information on both lenses and the user will be able to control them by making gestures both on and in front of the frames.

Somewhat predictably, it seems that you'll likely need a connected iPhone to make the most out of the Apple Glasses, as that's where all the processing will be handled. Meanwhile, there will be a LiDAR scanner (performing the same function and similar to time-of-flight cameras) for the AR experiences. 

There have also been some Apple patents appear that could possibly be related to the Apple Glasses. One explains how specially-designed lenses could be used to cast images on a user's eye. Meanwhile, another explores glasses with adjustable opacity, which would help users to be able to properly see the screen on particularly bright days. 

One of the most interesting confirmations of Apple's interest in Apple Glasses is their acquisition of NextVR, a startup that had produced virtual reality content for the NBA and Fox Sports. While this company hadn't produced any AR glasses themselves, their technology will likely help inform the production and design of Apple Glasses.

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Luminar 4 is remarkable for its use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive photo editing in whole new directions. For photographers, it means that much of the pain of selections and masking is taken away, as the software can now automatically identify, mask and blend different objects in a picture.

We’ve seen this already with the AI Sky Replacement tool, which can add a new sky to an otherwise flat-looking landscape, and the AI Portrait Enhancer tools, which can automatically identify and mask not just human faces, but individual facial features.

And now Luminar 4.2 has arrived, bringing more new tools, including the remarkable AI Augmented Sky feature. It might sound like it crosses over with the AI Sky Replacement tool, but it’s actually a different feature. The AI Sky Replacement tool can add a new sky; the AI Augmented Sky tool can add things to that sky, from mountains to clouds, birds and even planets. 

For some photographers, this idea might be a little controversial! If you like to take photographs that depict the world as it is, then you’re better off with Luminar’s regular adjustments. If you want to picture the world as you’d like it to be, however, the new AI Augmented Sky feature will have you hooked.

Augmented reality has been around for a while in games, VR applications and camera phones. It might not be photography as we know it, but it’s part of a broader spectrum of image-making that includes illustration and digital art.

Add an augmented sky in five steps

Everyone loves a thunderstorm – this one took us about a minute!

1. The AI Augmented Sky panel

Luminar 4’s interface has been simplified and reorganized compared with previous versions. It consists of four key workspaces, displayed as icons running down the right side of the screen. The AI Augmented Sky tool is in the ‘Creative’ workspace. To open the tool settings panels, you just click on the title. Our shot is a nice but slightly dull image…

2. Add some lightning

Let’s spice things up a little! Normally you might expect a job like this to take a lot of careful blending and masking, but with the AI Augmented Sky tool it couldn’t be easier. First, we need to choose the object we want to add to the sky. Luminar 4 comes with a long list of options. You can also use the ‘Load Custom Image’ option to add your own.

3. Reposition your object

Luminar drops your augmented sky object into the centre of the frame. The foreground and sky masking is carried out automatically, so it may be obscured by an object in the foreground. To move the object to a better location, use the Place Object button. You can now move, resize or rotate it, or even adjust its warmth and brightness to match the scene.

4. Darkening the sky

You can use the AI Augmented Sky feature on its own, but it’s even more effective when used with the other editing tools. To add some depth and gradation to the sky, we’ve used the Adjustable Gradient tool in the Pro workspace to increase the Exposure for the bottom part of the picture and reduce the Exposure and increase the Contrast for the top.

5. Smart Contrast

Finally, to add a little more ‘sparkle’ to this picture, we’ve used another new feature in Luminar – Smart Contrast. Regular contrast adjustments can leave parts of the picture too dark or light and make key detail disappear; the Smart Contrast slider is much better at preserving details and tones while still adding a lot more ‘bite’. You’ll find it in the Light panel in the Essentials workspace. (If you want regular Curves adjustments, click the Advanced Settings button.)

AI Augmented Sky tools

Learn about the key AI Augmented Sky controls

1. Choose an object
Choose an object for your augmented sky via this drop-down menu. There are no mountains behind the town of Pisa, but the building tones and the landscape are a good match. 

2. Place Object
Click here to select the object you’ve added and display handles for moving it, resizing and rotating it as required to fit the scene. Here, the mountains needed to be resized and repositioned to fit the composition.

3. Sky effects
Your sky augmentation should blend in with the hues and tones of your image as effectively as possible. Amount controls the transparency of your object, Warmth changes its color balance, and Relight adapts it to the main image. 

4. Mask Refinement
Sometimes the mask created around complex outlines isn’t quite right, but mostly Luminar does a remarkable job.

5. Defocus
Here you’d expect both the scene and the mountains to be sharp, so we don’t need the Defocus slider. You might use it if you’re shooting a close-up or with a wide aperture that throws the background out of focus.

6. Edit Mask
You can get masking problems near the horizon, especially with hazy, poorly defined detail. Use this button if you need to manually mask the areas affected by the Augmented Sky tool.

Three more augmented skies

Here’s a taste of the sky effects you can create in Luminar 4

Icelandic church with birds

Augmented skies don’t have to be extreme. This image of an Icelandic church has been enhanced with a flock of birds that look quite natural in this setting. Luminar did a terrific job of masking the landscape and the church roof, but we needed the manual masking tools to remove some birds from the church’s white walls.

Pisa Cathedral

The contrast in the original photo is a little flat, and the sky is just a blank blue. The AI Augmented Sky tool was our first step, to add the clouds, but we used two other Luminar tools alongside it – the new AI Smart Structure tool to add detail to the
walls but not the clouds, and the AI Sky Enhancer to give the sky more depth.

Galactic beach

Here’s one that goes to the other extreme! We took a regular shot of a stormy beach and added a new ‘galaxy’ sky with the Luminar AI Sky Replacement tool… Then we used the new AI Augmented Sky tool to add a planet! It shows Luminar’s potential for creating creative illustrations from your photographs.

Five great tips for changing skies

The new AI Augmented Sky feature in Luminar 4 does an extraordinary job of blending objects into skies, often leaving you with little to do except tweak a couple of sliders to complete the effect. However, if you want your pictures to look even more convincing, we have a few tips for combining objects and scenes. It’s up to you how far along the journey from ‘real’ to ‘surreal’ you want to go!

1. Sky brightness

Try to match the brightness of the object you’re adding to the sky in your photo. For example, the Lightning effect works best against a dark, stormy sky – you can darken the sky in Luminar, of course.

2. Appropriate objects

You can add the moon to a regular daytime shot, but it’s not going to show up too well. Pay attention to perspective, too. Only add a ‘big’ moon if the photo was shot with a long focal length lens, for example.

3. AI Structure

The new AI Structure tool is very useful alongside augmented skies, because it can make your main subject a lot crisper and clearer, but won’t artificially emphasize the sky. 

4. Reflections

The mountains in this scene have been added with the AI Augmented Sky tool. Unfortunately, they’ve left no reflection in the still lake, so keep this in mind
when you’re planning your images.

5. Add a Look

If you can’t quite get the tones and colors of the image and the augmented sky to match, try adding a Look. Use a new adjustment layer, so that you can control the opacity and masking if you need to. 

How to get a copy of Skylum Luminar 4

If you don’t have Luminar 4 already, you can download a free 7-day trial from the Skylum website. It’s available in both macOS and Windows versions and as all the features are fully functional, you can follow this tutorial yourself. If you decide to go ahead and buy Luminar 4, you can use the exclusive discount code DCW20 to save £10 / $10 on the full purchase price.

Visit skylum.com to learn more about Augmented Sky.

My Colorful Past, an ambitious photo colorization project that has been recognized by National Geographic and is being featured in American schools, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support its historical restoration work.

The man behind the operation, Matthew Loughrey from County Mayo in Ireland, has fielded colorization assignments as diverse as the Thomas Edison reels of William F Cody (aka Buffalo Bill) to deciphering the original colors of the Margate seafront.

“My Colorful Past started out in early 2015 as a means to bridge a gap between history and art using colorization. An engagement exercise for learning, both online and in person,” Loughrey tells us.

“It was fast recognized as an option for museums and libraries to enhance their own visitor experiences and this took the project to a completely different level. The goal is to educate through the repurposing of historical photography using colorization, animation and even 3D.”

After starting out with a slant towards American history such as NASA astronauts, Alcatraz prisoners and Civil War era photography, My Colorful Past’s work found fresh cultural appreciation on Loughrey’s home turf.

“I received a lot of enquiries about color work in relation to the centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016. I'd built relationships with picture desks abroad and now had the opportunity to do so here in Ireland; it was purely good timing that enabled this as My Colorful Past was already being spoken about and everything fell into place. The project's always gotten great support here around historical events and personalities.”

The launch of a campaign on GoFundMe, which has a very modest goal of €2,500, will not only help My Colorful Past’s ongoing restoration work, but will also help expand its remit in creating an education platform.

“Already my work is being demonstrated to history students at a private high school in Los Angeles by Keith Harris PhD. The initial feedback was immediate and indicative of a need for the results to be accessible on a far wider scale. The GoFundMe donations are going to help build a curriculum-specific digital platform which can be accessed by educators the world over for the benefit of their students.”

Loughrey also has a number of additional publication plans and projects that will benefit from the funding, such as transposing the work of 19th Century photographers like Mathew Brady – who had been unknowingly producing animated images of their subjects, which My Colorful Past is now converting into anaglyphs.

“I found out that Brady and his photographers had been inadvertently animating their subjects. I am not referring solely to stereoview cards but instead to an accidental result when using ‘multiplying’ cameras. Sometimes four or eight images were exposed to a single plate in order to provide a faster service.

“The images would expose from slightly different angles and I've spent the best part of two years transposing them to form a completely new library of material, a venture into the world of anaglyphs.”

You can support My Colorful Past via its GoFundMe campaign, and see some of the completed and in-progress projects on its Instagram page. You can also read our exclusive interview with Matthew Loughrey on his work, his upcoming projects and the day he received the world’s most polite death threat over his work.

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Photography is a unique industry. It is at once the product of science and the byproduct of art. It is simultaneously a community that’s enthralled by what is new, yet appalled by what is different. And it is at once experiencing the greatest popularity it has ever seen, and the greatest depression it has ever witnessed. 

There are those who retreat further and further towards the old analog ways, shooting on film with “real” cameras that possess no electronics whatsoever. And there are those who embrace photography’s most ultramodern aspects, including software-driven smartphones that purists often decry it as the death of the art form. 

Meanwhile there are those who have discovered, or rediscovered, a love of that art form in via the increasingly popular movement of virtual photography – a modern evolution of the craft often dismissed as not “real” art, not “real” photography.

It’s a familiar refrain. It wasn’t long ago that digital cameras were accused of the same thing by 35mm users, just as 35mm was by large format users before that. And all the while, the photographers using the latest tech are as “real” as they ever were.

“Most of our followers are photographers in the real world,” explains Alex Coley, founder of GamerGram – a budding online portal for virtual photographers. “They’re bringing those skills they learn outside into these gaming worlds, and they apply the skills and get beautiful shots like these.”

The photographs themselves are inarguably beautiful, inarguably possessed of artistic merit, and inarguably the result of genuine photographic technique and discipline. In the bespoke ‘photos modes’ specially coded into certain videogames, you can do everything from change your focal length to choose lenses based on how much chromatic aberration they exhibit.

“It mainly started off as [gamers] taking simple screenshots, uploading them to the internet via different social medias,” recounts Coley, “and I think game developers noticed how big that was becoming so they started creating these photo modes built into their games with basically all the same settings as you’d get in a DSLR camera, but without the lens – that’s the only difference I can really see with the tech.” 

It’s worth reiterating the fact that videogame developers are actively investing in virtual photography. Titles like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 cost in the region of $200 million apiece to make, but developer Rockstar Games sees sufficient demand for (and value in) the art form that it devotes a sizable part of that budget to creating a photo mode. 

“And putting these photo modes into their games, they’ve realized how much more time people are spending in them, compared to games without photo modes.” When an industry the size of videogames – which is worth more than the music industry and movie industry combined – sees value in something, you cannot simply dismiss it out of hand.

Nor can you account for how a different medium can evolve the art form. Ubisoft’s acclaimed Assassin’s Creed titles – a series of historically situated games that span everything from ancient Egypt to Victorian London – have been famously described as ‘historical tourism’ by the videogames press, for the way they enable players to experience historically accurate recreations of places and people. 

“In Assassin’s Creed Origins, you can take tours throughout the whole of Egypt, and there’s a voiceover explaining what [you’re seeing in] the game, where they got their inspiration from. This is all real – this is like a history lesson as you’re walking through.”

The potential for historical photography is utterly unique; who wouldn’t want to wait for the in-game sun to rise, so you can shoot golden hour landscapes of the Pyramids, blue hour images of the Acropolis, or candid street photography along the Via Sacra? “It’s like a one-to-one tourist experience,” says Coley, smiling that it’s also great just being able to take photos of present-day landmarks like the Eiffel Tower without tourists getting in the way.

Virtual photography, then, isn’t some haphazard thing that just happens – no more than real-life photographs in the real world do. Specific locations in specific games have to be scouted and searched, just like non-virtual shooting locations.

“Most of our followers they’re not really playing the game for the story,” Coley states. “If they have a passion for photography, they’re in the game worlds looking for these beautiful photo opportunities, beautiful parts of the game that nobody else has seen.”

Virtual photographers have sizeable followings online, just like traditional photographers do, and they even have their own specialisms. Just as there are astrophotographers and landscape photographers and wildlife photographers in real life, there are equivalents in the digital realm.

“We’ve got people who like space worlds, people who are dedicated to trees, we’ve got people who are dedicated to animals,” agrees Coley, “basically everything you can think of in real-world photography is portrayed into virtual photography. Because as I say, most of our followers are photographers in the real world anyway.”

As ultra-niche as the art form – and these sub-genres within it – may appear, some of the bigger names are finding commercial recognition from their photographic specialisms.

“We have this guy here called mr.hasgaha – he takes photos of Star Citizen, and that’s the only real game he plays and takes images of. But the developer, Robert Space Industries, actually use his images to promote their game online. So he’s building a name for himself, he’s doing really well.”

The ability to photograph bygone historical eras and exotic extraterrestrial locations isn’t the only allure of virtual photography. Far from being a juvenile pursuit, it provides a legitimate outlet for disabled photographers who are no longer physically able to get out and explore – or perhaps even able to operate a camera – to enjoy their pursuit of picture-taking.

“We’ve seen quite a lot of that, a lot of disabled people seem to enjoy these worlds because it’s somewhere they can get around and see new things.”

Coley’s vision with GamerGram is to provide a centralized showcase-come-portfolio for virtual photographers to collect and share their work, where the art form can be appreciated and discovered.

“Our end goal is to have our own app. That’s something that I can’t fund myself at the moment, and I’m trying to get awareness that this is a thing. We want an app dedicated to virtual photography – and we want it to be like the LinkedIn of virtual photography. 

“All our virtual photographers are spread across social media, so they’ve got all these different accounts all over the place. In our app we would like them to not only upload their own images, but to drop their links from all over the internet – so someone could just go to our app, find a specific person they like, look at their images, and also click on their links to Instagram, Flickr, Twitter, where they can look at their past work as well.”

It seems so alien, and so non-traditional, that many photographers might look past it – just as they looked past the legitimacy of camera phones, which are now far more relevant to modern photography than ‘proper’ cameras are. And virtual photography only seems destined to become bigger – especially when you consider the inevitable convergence of technologies such as VR glasses. 

“I was talking to somebody yesterday about virtual reality. I mean, the graphics aren’t the best at the moment, but in ten years they’re going to be where these are [motions to the virtual photographs around us]. So you’re going to be looking through the virtual lens, looking up and down and around, crouching down to take images, and press a little button on the side [of your headset] to take a picture.” 

It may seem pie in the sky, but it is happening right now. Millions of children are growing up with their first exposure to photography being via their smartphone, and their second exposure being via photo modes in videogames. As those children become older, those experiences will be the new norm.

“It’s like we say here,” concludes Coley, referring to GamerGram’s mission statement. “We  have loved being at the forefront of the art form’s growth and we like to think it inspires young gamers to pick up a camera in the real world. And I think it does.” 

And so do we. Follow GamerGram for the latest developments in virtual photography on Instagram and Twitter.

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The world of 360 cameras is increasingly cramped and competitive, but the Pilot Era from Pisofttech – an innovative new 8K 360 VR unit with real-time stitching, touchscreen and a smartphone-like Android interface – looks set to shake things up. 

Entering the final stretch on its crowdfunding campaign, the Pilot Era has raised $173,045 – smashing its $20,000 target by 865%.

We've seen some impressive new contenders this year, such as the Insta360 Evo and Vuze XR, but nothing else on the market offers the unique combination of features of the Pilot Era, which looks sure to make our list of best 360 cameras.

While it boasts four 1/2.3-inch Sony 12MP sensors, capable of recording 360-degree video at 8K resolution, the camera's main selling point is that it enables you to do everything in-camera, as if you were using a smartphone. 

This starts with the 3.1-inch touchscreen, which gives you full control and a live preview of your footage using an Android operating system. The killer feature, though, is that the Pilot Era stitch footage 100% in-camera – and even in real time. 

The real-time stitching is limited to 6K video at 15fps, but that's still a remarkable feature – and a real game-changer for 360 shooting. 

While 8K video can't be stitched in real time, the Pilot Era can still stitch 8K footage at 24fps in-camera. It does so super fast, too; according to 360 Rumors it takes about 2 minutes to stitch a minute of 8K video, in comparison to the Insta360 Pro that takes 14.4 minutes. 

With 512GB of integrated storage that can record 6.5 hours of 8K footage, and a huge (literally and figuratively) 7,200mAh battery that lasts up to 3.5 hours, it can be used for marathon recording sessions.

The Pilot Era can live stream over a Wi-Fi, 4G (or 5G modules) or ethernet without needing a computer connection – and it can record while it does so, making it a great option for streaming live events and then uploading full-quality footage after the fact. 

It's also Google Street View-ready, with GPS technology and one-click Google Maps uploads enabling users to create native Street View with blue lines on the map.

In addition to 9-axis gyroscopic stabilization, it also features AI stabilization and Pisofttech plans to add further AI features including face and gesture recognition, and the ability to create depth maps from 2D 360 footage.

The Pilot Era has four days left to run on its Indiegogo campaign, where it's available for an Early Bird price of $1,999 – a $600 discount on its $2,599 retail price. It's due to start shipping in June and we already have a review unit in hand, so we'll deliver our full verdict soon.

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If you thought 360 cameras were clever, then you’ve probably never seen anything like the Matterport Showcase 3.0 system. We got a full demo at The Photography Show 2019 and got the full low-down from Laurence Woolley, the company’s Senior Associate, EMEA.

Matterport Showcase 3.0 is a 360 VR capture system that renders building interiors as 3D models which you can walk through and look around in an immersive virtual reality environment. It’s ideal for real estate agents selling properties, hotels offering accommodation, architects, engineers and construction experts. It’s very much a business-to-business service, but it’s an exciting glimpse into the potential of 360 imaging and VR for the rest of us.

There are three parts to the system. The first is the camera used to capture the building interior, and currently this is a sophisticated Matterport Pro 2 3D camera with six optical sensors and three dual-lens infra-red emitters for capturing 3D depth information. 

The Matterport camera is fitted to a spinning mount and controlled remotely via an iPad. Operation is super-simple and each ‘scan’ takes only a few moments. You then move the camera to a new location to carry out another scan.

These cameras cost £2,510 to buy, but the exciting news here is that users will soon be able to use regular 360 cameras like the Ricoh Theta V or Insta360 One X instead. More on this below…

It’s the software that’s the clever part

The camera is simply a tool for capturing the 3D VR image data. Matterport actually considers itself to be a software rather than a hardware company – or, to be more specific, a SaaS (Software as a Service) company. 

All the complex merging and 3D modelling takes place online using the company’s own servers and highly sophisticated processing algorithms. The technical term is ‘Photogrammatery’ – dimensional modelling from real world images. This ‘processing pipeline’ is the company’s unique selling point. It generates interactive 3D models which can be viewed on Matterport’s own website or embedded in the users’ own web pages. 

This is offered via a series of tiered subscription packages aimed at different user levels, volumes and requirements. The Matterport camera is sold as a one-off purchase and is simply a tool to enable users to capture the data for the online 3D modelling process.

Apart from the camera purchase, there are Basic (£39 per month), Professional (£79) and Business (£119) plans offering different numbers of hosted spaces and collaborators, plus a £16 fee for each model processed, with reductions for annual billing.

This is a business service aimed at real estate agents, architects, construction engineers and even hotel and restaurant owners, but quite apart from its potential as a business tool, it suggests and exciting potential future for everyday image capture.

So now you can use a regular 360 camera?

Matterport is introducing support for regular 360 cameras like the Ricoh Theta V and Insta360 ONE X. These cameras don’t offer the sophisticated 3D modelling accuracy and HDR image capture of the regular Matterport camera, but they’re cheaper and simpler to use and offer a lower-cost entry point for new users who can then upgrade to the more accurate scanning of the regular Matterport camera when they need to.

But don’t 360 cameras already offer a 360 VR experience? Not exactly. They are designed for displaying a 360 view from a single viewpoint – what the Matterport system does is combine images from multiple viewpoints into a much larger virtual reality environment. With a regular 360 camera you can look around a room from a single fixed position; with the Matterport system you can walk around the entire house.

See for yourself! We've embedded one of Matterport's 3D VR interiors below:

Matterport has so far built 1.5 million ‘models’ (immersive 3D interiors) and has an ambitious target of 100 million ‘built environments’. 

The remark in the headline about Google Street View is closer to reality than we thought. Matterport has a partnership with Google which allows any model to be synchronised with the Google ecosystem – so you can walk straight off a Google Street View Map into a restaurant or a hotel, take a long look around and even book a specific room or table. Amazing.

Read more:

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Both Snapchat and Google Lens are at the front of quite a frenzied augmented reality push at the moment, using the lens of your camera to bring to life animations in the real world. 

Both are either offering or about to offer a pretty big update, tackling AR in very different ways but together showing just what you can do with augmented reality. 

Google Lens, according to 9to5 Google has begun to rollout a great feature that will allow Lens to analyse any image on your phone and give you relevant information about it. 

This is a feature that you have been able to use live when pointing your phone at, say, a famous landmark in the wild and taking a photo. For instance, if you were to point it at the Leaning Tower of Pisa you would get information about that building, its history etc. 

Now, if you snapped a picture of it a few years ago, Lens will be able to give you the same information on the saved picture from the Lens app or through Google Assistant. This functionality is available in many phones, including the Google Pixel 3.

Turning static images into animations

Snapchat is taking a very different approach with its Lens Studio function. According to Engadget it now allow users to 'tag' a 2D object with an animation. 

Whether it's a sign, poster, postbox or whatever, users will be able to add a fun animation then send out a Snapcode so that any Snapchat users nearby will also be able to see the animation through their phone. 

With Google, Apple and Snapchat betting big on AR, it's innovations like these that will get people using their phone - and, most importantly, phone camera - in more original ways.

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