Last night, as I was queueing up to get my tickets to see Avatar again at the local cinemas, I noticed they were selling “designer” 3D glasses at their candy store. Dear God why?
The glasses – which you can’t actually wear anywhere but the cinema, because they offer no protection from the sun – cost $25. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would ever spend money on these. Is there anyone out there who actually owns a pair of these “designer” 3D glasses? Please, tell me why. I’m dying to know…
Graham
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 10:17 AMIf they were more comfortable and gave a better viewing area than the stock plastic models then perhaps. Additionally, maybe the lenses are more robust/thicker and offer more clarity than the $2 versions. As for the “designer” selling point, that certainly wouldnt make me buy them but I would consider a purchase for a better quality view.
Michael
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 10:25 AMIn some respects maybe not a bad idea. $25 jobs from the candy bar is not what I had in mind though. I saw Avatar twice and forked for a second pair of 3d glasses. When I watched the picture a second time there was a distinct double image and poor 3d. After a checking each alternate eyeit seemed the right lens wasn’t polarized as it should be. When I tested the glasses at home against the 1st pair, I confirmed the right lens was only weakly polarised. I guess the quality control with $1 glasses isn’t all it could be. If there are going to be a lot of 3D movies in the future, using high quality personal 3D glasses maybe a solution.
Nic Healey
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 10:38 AMAgain?! Dude seriously? Pretty movies, but worst. politics. ever.
Cameron
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 11:47 AMOnce was enough for me…….
God awful dribble it was.
simon
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 10:48 AMi would buy prescription 3d glasses… only if this 3d thing takes off though.
some of us dont like our 3d images to be blurry!
Graham
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 10:57 AMBy the way, Im sure Im not the first to discover the hours of fun to be had by putting on a pair of RealD glasses then looking in a mirror and closing one eye (or maybe I am?). The lens that you are looking out of should turn nearly black, similar to the effect of putting 2 polarised sunglasses on top of each other and rotating 90 degrees. RealD use a circular polarisation method where one lens is clockwise and the other is anticlockwise, looking in the mirror reverses this direction and so it will black out the lens. If you look into a mirror with both eyes open the lenses will appear to shimmer, due to the fact that only one eye is seeing a clear lens and the other is seeing it as darkened. The shimmer is your brain averaging the two images, at least thats how I figure it anyway.
Hours of fun…hours. :)
Matt
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 11:03 AMAgree with Graham. Wouldn’t pay for ‘designer’ glasses. But would maybe pay something reasonable for a better quality lens. More lens and less frame. Maybe even something like a whipper snipper full face mask. Ok maybe going to far but they could make the glasses bigger so the frame is much less of an obstruction. Even something like stupid looking paris hilton glasses would be better
Tristan
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 11:26 AMSeen plenty of them used at Event Cinema’s in Parramatta…
CHard
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 11:37 AMHey Nick,
Where did you see this display? I think this is a great idea, but the glasses still look pretty cheap/ poorly made. Depending on the quality of the glasses I might fork over 25 bucks. The standard issue glasses are pretty uncomfortable.
Flame
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 11:43 AMIf I was going to watch heaps of 3D films then I’d consider it. The cheap stock glasses you get at the cinema do not fit my nose/face well at all; very uncomfortable. Was thinking about heating the plastic and stretching it…
cleverclogs
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 12:10 PMYe I saw these for sale… I might purchase f there were a number of 3D films worth seeing, and yes, if they were comfortable and didn’t have frames visible… which I’m sure they wouldn’t.
But why call them “designer”!
Namarrgon
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 12:43 PMNick, I thought a major reason for your objections to 3D stereo was the “dorky glasses”.
If you going back to see Avatar in 3D a second time (and presumably a few of the many upcoming 3D films this year), yet you hate wearing dorky glasses so much, I thought you’d jump at these.
Nick Broughall
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 12:57 PMNot at all. My major objections are the fact I always walk out with a rotten headache, and I find that the glasses stop me from truly immersing myself in the film. I went a second time so my wife could see the film – my first viewing was a media screening she couldn’t go to…
Making fun of the dorky glasses is just fun… :-P
Namarrgon
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 1:32 PMSo you cannot understand why people might buy glasses that you can’t make fun of so easily? ;-)
Headaches I can understand (though I don’t get those), but I always wondered why the #1-voiced objection to stereo 3D by far was apparently the glasses (I see comments everywhere like, “I won’t buy it until they get rid of those stupid glasses”). Plenty of people wear prescription glasses and/or sunglasses – do those reduce immersion too? Or are we just used to them?.
Induble
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 1:30 PMI wouldn’t mind having style options with 3D glasses, but I think in order to really enjoy 3D you need comfort and a clear field of vision. I don’t want to end up cross eyed because I’m looking at my frames and 3D simultaneously. A buddy of mine told me about a new company, IE that do custom 3D glasses. Has anyone ran across them cause I can’t find them anywhere?
Dr_Stef
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 3:25 PMWow I was just talking about this very same topic yesterday with my collegues.
I think YES. :)
I would buy my own pair just for home use/cinema if the future of 3D will depend on glasses. Just for the sake of not having to pay an extra 3 or 4 dollars for the plastic ones you get with a 3D movie.
Wouldn’t it be great to go to the movies, and while everyone is putting on their plastic glasses, you walk into the cinema, suited up in a tux or 3 piece suit, your hair waving in the airconditioning as you manly put on your custom 3D stylised Raybans?
Red T-Rex
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 4:10 PMSure I would buy them. Then, after the watching the 3D movie you can wear them outside and live your life in 3D as well…..hmmm…..wait a minute….
Mick
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 4:38 PMwow, and to think my regular sunglasses i have in my pocket allow me to see things everywhere in 3d all the time….fancy that
Chris S
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 4:56 PMThere’s a great JVC monitor out that uses circular polarised glasses, so these custom ones are suitable for that too.
Just don’t bother taking them to Imax (either one) or a Dolby theatre… then you’ll really feel dorky!
Allan
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 5:17 PMBought a pair for $25 immediately after seeing Christmas Carol in 3D. Very glad I did. Why?
1. The disposable glasses thick frame kept distracting me in peripheral vision.
2. I like to see movies on the bigger screens – VMAX, Extreme. The peripheral vision issues was a pain.
3. The Designer glasses wire frame completely disappears while watching a movie.
4. The nose fitting is more comfortable.
5. Plan to see a lot more movies in 3D – saw Avatar 7 times – now I consciously don’t pay the extra money for the disposables.
6. The temptation to throw the disposables away is completely gone.
7. I like ‘em.
Marc
Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 1:28 AMI could see a market for prescription 3D glasses. The circular polarization they use could be put into a lens with a prescription I believe. Being a glasses wearer myself, putting the $1 3D glasses over my existing glasses was awkward, and I was lucky because my frame is small – my friend with larger glasses couldn’t use them at all. If 3D takes off in the way it’s being predicted (with 3D TV’s in addition to movies), I expect there to be a significant market for prescription polarized glasses.
FYI, Gunnar Optiks (the guys that make the gaming glasses) showed off some designer 3D glasses at CES this year too…
andy
Monday, April 19, 2010 at 4:47 PMYes !
it fit so much better than the ones theater passes out
when i watch avator with the glasses they provide, all i can think about is this glasses is so uncomfortable !
Jay
Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 12:19 AMI think its a great idea, watch this space, Gucci & Rayban are getting in on the action, along with Samsung, they’re all releasing “Designer” or Stylish 3d Glasses soon.
Tikstar
Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 10:13 PMDo you know which company sells them? I’ve been looking for these for my son. He wants them for his birthday.