I, for one, can't say I'm too thrilled about the idea that we'll all be wearing and communicating with Google's futuristic spaceman goggles sometime in the not-too-distant future (even though there's some serious storytelling potential built into Google Glass). With that said, Zeiss is proving that not all spaceman goggles are designed to be playthings for trendy techies. The Zeiss OLED Cinemizer Goggles are an incredibly compact and high-quality video monitoring solution that might just change the way footage is monitored for aerial production and traditional production as well. Check out the details below.
First and foremost, the Zeiss Cinemizer Goggles have actually been around for a year or two at this point, but I only caught wind of their existence this past week, so if you're already well aware of how cool these goggles are, then you should probably just skip the rest of this article. If not, then here's the product launch video and some specs!
Display
- two high-resolution OLED displays (Organic Light Emitting Diode)
each with 870 × 500 pixels and a fill factor of 100% - Simulated image size: 40 inch (= 1 m) at a distance of 2 meters
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Color depth: 24 Bit RGB
- FoV (Field of View): 30°
Input
- HDMI: 640x480p 60Hz, 720x576p 50Hz, 720x480p 60Hz, 1280x720p 50/60Hz, 1920x1080i 50/60Hz, 1920x1080p 50/60Hz, 1920x1080p 24Hz, HDMI 1.4 3D 1080p 24 Hz, HDMI 1.4 3D 720p 60Hz
- iPod/iPhone: iPod and iPhone models with video capability
via optional accessories more details - AV-In: 3.5 mm/4-pin connector for audio & video (PAL/NTSC)
- Connection options for various sources: Overview
3D Support
- Side-by-side/Top-Bottom/Line interleaved
- Frame Packing with HDMI 1.4 (720p/1080p)
- NVIDIA 3DTV PlayTM supports the cinemizer OLED as a 3D display unit
- Supported 3D formats
Power
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Charge via USB
- Voltage: 5 V
- Power supply: 450 mA
- Battery life: up to 6 hours for iPod/iPhone and AV-In and up to 2.5 hours for HDMI
- Charging time: approx. 2.5 hours
External Connections
- Mini-USB to charge the integrated battery
- 3.5 mm audio port for external stereo headphones
While the goggles are marketed towards a multitude of different applications such as gaming, 3D CAD visualization, and for consumers of visual media, the filmmaking applications for the Zeiss Cinemizer goggles are intriguing.
The Cinemizers are perhaps a perfect solution for monitoring and capturing aerial footage from the various drones like the DJI Phantom and others. Through creating an immersive first person monitoring experience, the Cinemizer goggles can potentially allow for a more focused experience (with better results) for the person operating camera on aerial rigs. This idea could also be extended to folks who operate the remote heads on jibs, cranes, etc.
These nifty spaceman goggles could also find their way onto traditional film sets where the process of monitoring in a basic video village can turn into a major cluster#%@$ very quickly, as everyone from producers to PA's gather around a single monitor to watch takes unfold in real-time. I can imagine that having designated pairs of Cinemizers on set, one for the director, DP, producer, etc, would make for a happier set with a less hectic video village.
Of course, at $800 retail, the Cinemizers are a hard sell for independent filmmakers in need of an affordable monitoring solution. However, for specialized photography applications such as aerial capture, these could be a worthwhile investment.
What do you guys think about the Zeiss Cinemizer Goggles? Are these a viable monitoring solution for filmmakers, or are they just another pair of goofy spaceman goggles? Let us know down in the comments!
Link: Cinemizer OLED -- Zeiss
