Now, a compact camera that photographs in 3D

LONDON - A compact camera which takes 3D pictures that can be seen without wearing glasses is now available.

Fujifilm’s W3 offers a first chance to see your own head in 3D, without the use of medical scanners, transcendental meditation or, most importantly, 3D glasses.

The screen on the Fujifilm W3 shows your pictures and videos in 3D instantly.

Fuji’s display uses a lenticular 3D system that works best for viewers directly in front of the screen, the Daily Mail reported.

Light is individually diverted to each eye by a film of lenses, so your best viewing distance is around arm’s length.

This is the second in Fuji’s series of 3D cameras.

The first one was a classic ‘too early’ gadget, with an inferior 3D screen that relied on shutter-like barriers, rather than lenses. It was also hampered by the fact that there were no 3D TVs to view your pictures on.

Early adopters were reduced to staring at the gizmo’s tiny, blurry screen - or worse, sinking to a printing service on ‘lenticular paper’ like the little 3D prints in cereal packets.

You also had to have your prints posted from Japan, which made you feel you’d travelled back in time to when it seemed reasonable for the local camera shop to take a week processing prints.

The most important part, though, is the 3D-2D switch in W3. Hit that, and it turns into a perfectly good, unassuming 2D camera.