Designer and commercial architecture photographer George Moua has designed and 3D printed a highly unusual photo tool that he calls a stereoscopic “wiggle lens.” In short, it allows you to combine multiple frames shot with a single lens into a moving image that appears to have depth.
These bespoke 3D-printed lenses use a trio of 30mm optics to project three slightly different perspectives across the sensor of a full-frame camera. It creates a parallax shift between each frame, so when combined into an animation they appear to show three-dimensional depth. You can see examples of what this looks like in the video above as well in the Instagram videos below:
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“I love making stupid things,” Moua says. “To me, there is such a simple joy in the spontaneity of a stupid idea or a stupid thing. With each one I’m able to make or each idea I’m able to realize, slowly lifts the veil of what I think I can or cannot do. It also helps remove any preconceptions I might have about how I should be approaching design problems. It serves to make me a better designer and a much more efficient maker.”
Below Moua shows how he makes what he calls “wigglegrams.”
Initially, Moua only had a Sony Alpha camera on hand, limiting what he could make it for, but he eventually also designed one for the APS-C Fuji X-Mount and APS-C E-Mount. His plan was to release 20 initial pre-orders of the lens for each of the three mount options. The full-frame lens he sold for $80, and the two APS-C lenses retailed for $70.
This self-described “stupid idea” appears to be anything but, as Moua Sold all 60 of his pre-orders, which closed on April 5, 2021. He plans to start shipping them out to buyers as they are produced off his printer starting on April 12. His plan is to use the funds from the current pre-order to fund the purchase of a Canon EOS RP so that he can design a wiggle lens for the RF mount. According to DPReview, he also plans to make a Nikon Z mount version down the road as well.
If you were hoping to grab one, don’t fret, as Moua notes that he will be updating the order page in the future with more information. He also encourages those who have questions to email him with any questions. You should bookmark the wiggle lens page if you want to check back for his impending updates.
Author: Jaron Schneider
Source: Petapixel
