It’s sometimes hard to tell whether an especially trendy item is going to stick in the public consciousness or fade into quiet obscurity, doomed to live in our nostalgic thoughts along with the likes of Tamagotchi or DVR.
Such is the case with the 3D camera, which burned bright in the early 1980s, with the Nimslo being the fastest selling 35mm camera in the U.S. at the time, before falling out of popularity only a few years later. Recently, aftermarket sales of these cameras have increased as a new generation of experimental photographers discovered the unique piece of photographic history.
The 3D or stereo camera is designed with multiple lenses side-by-side, and when combined they can capture 3D images. Back in the day, you would be able to send these photos in for Lenticular printing, which would create tilt-cards (think 3D images of dolphins on bookmarks.) Now, photography buffs who venture into the world of the 3D camera use them to create animated gifs, which are posted on social media.
The 3D camera provides a crafty analog solution that fits right into the current world of social media and image-saturated feeds. It is a little kitschy, and a lot of fun. Whether or not its popularity will last this time around is something only time will tell.