Comment by albert_e
3 years ago
Holding a gadget is slightly different than having a HMD mounted on your face. It is different for the operator, and it is different for thoe standing around and participating. Getting used to the HMD might be possible but would be harder and also sad when it does happen.
Also to capture a 3D photo you could also use just a hand held device with stereo cameras. We dont necessarily need a HMD for it unless we are going for that precise framing where a 2D preview doesnt cut it. I wish such a device was perfected for the mass market. It could be as simple as a pair of regular cameras mounted on the back of a smartphone -- separated by the inter-ocular distance.
I agree that it would be different, but I don't agree that it would be sad to get used to. In the long run, head mounted recording means the person doing the recording can be much more involved in the goings on. With both hands free, they can be an active participant instead of off to the side holding a camera and trying to stay out of the way. I don't know if the tech is built in yet, but since it already does eye tracking, an external camera that's recording what the user is looking at, instead of what the camera is pointed at means that the user can be more engaged because they're focused on what's in front of them rather than making sure the camera is in position. The view finder goes away and literally becomes your view period.
I see your point -- but at least in the current iteration the HMD doesnt let the user view the actual outside world directly with their eyes (there is no optical pass through). What the user sees with their eyes and focusses on is whatever the HMD presents on the internal 4K displays, one for each eye.
Similarly from perspective of others around, they dont see the real eyes of the user - just a simulation of that. So any "eye-contact" -- even with the best execution of technology with high fidelity and low latency -- will still be something different from real eye-contact. I am no purist but difficult to accept at this point for in-person interactions. We have already gotten used to it for facetime / video calls.
Something like Google Glass might be easier to assimilate, maybe?