Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera review: Strong newcomer in the professional segment of 3D cameras
The Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera is a breath of fresh air in the field of classic 3D cameras that produce content similar to the formats of 3D cinema and 3D television.
An article by Daniel Pohl
While users from the 3D TV era are still using old 3D compact cameras like the Fujifilm W3 or the Panasonic DMC-3D1, it took more than 10 years after the end of 3D TV before a widely available regular 3D camera was released: the Kandao QooCam EGO. With the iPhone 15 and 16, Apple also offers the creation of regular 3D content under the name of Spatial Photos and Spatial Videos, but these are created with tricks using two different lenses with a relatively small lens distance.
However, the Xreal Beam Pro compute puck in smartphone form factor does this better in our review with two identical cameras at a larger lens distance. VR headsets such as Meta Quest 3 and 3S can also use tools to capture 3D content.
The Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera (ASEC-1) is a new addition to the range for creating regular 3D content. In this review, I show how well it is suited to virtual reality and how it stacks up against the other contenders in the field.
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Content
Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera review in a nutshell
The new Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera is a strong new addition to the lineup of cameras that can produce regular 3D content (i.e., not 180° 3D).
The Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera is suitable for you if you...
- want a very good, regular-angle 3D camera
- want the highest possible immersion in VR when viewing despite not having 180° 3D
- use many options, e.g. manual shutter speed, ISO, HDR
- want to create high-resolution 3D videos
The Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera is less suitable for you if you...
- want to make semi-spherical VR180 3D recordings
- prefer the form factor of a smartphone without many setting options
- are looking for something cheaper in terms of budget (e.g. Xreal)
Background to Acer SpatialLabs
Acer is probably still familiar to longtime VR users. When a flood of Windows Mixed Reality headsets hit the market in 2017, Acer was there with the AH101 VR headset. Later, the Acer SpatialLabs series was added.
This offers 3D monitors for desktop PCs, laptops with an integrated 3D monitor and also supports switching from 3D monitors to VR thanks to OpenXR and SteamVR. The latest product in this series is the Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera, which I have tested extensively for you.
Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera in comparison
| Quest 3 & 3S | Xreal Beam Pro | Acer SpatialLabs Cam | QooCam EGO | |
| Format | Regular 3D | Regular 3D | Regular 3D | Regular 3D |
| Field of view (horiz.) | 80° (?) | 86° | 80° | 66° |
| sensors | ? | (1/2.76") Samsung S5KJN1 |
1/2.8" | 1/2" |
| Aspect Ratio photo |
1:1 | 4:3 | 16:9 | 4:3 |
| Aspect Ratio Video | 1:1 | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Photo resolution (per eye) |
1920x1920 | 3840x2880 | 3840x2160 | 4000x3000 |
| Video resolution (per eye) |
1920x1920 @ 60 fps | 1920x1080 @ 60 fps | 3840x2160 @ 30 fps 1920x1080 @ 60 fps |
1920x1080 @ 60 fps |
| Lens distance | 65 mm | 50 mm | 63 mm | 65 mm |
| price | Quest 3S new price 329€ / for Quest 3 owners: 25€ for camera app | 229€ | 549€ | 385€ |
The table quickly shows that the Acer camera shoots with the largest field of view. This helps with immersion, as I will explain later.
With 3840×2160 per eye, it offers four times as many pixels as Xreal and QooCam for video and more than twice as many pixels as the Quest 3 (S). Acer and Xreal both have relatively small sensors. The QooCam EGO offers about 50% more sensor area.
This is reflected in the sharpness comparison in photo mode:
The sharpness comparison in the crop of a test sample standing approx. 3.5 meters away. A higher sharpness is characterized by more details inside the circle. | Image: Daniel Pohl
Meta Quest 3 and 3S
The 3D camera of Meta Quest 3 and 3S can be used via my app immerGallery without Guardian restrictions. How it works is shown in the YouTube video "Boundaryless 3D Camera for Quest 3". If you already own such a VR headset, you can use it to create experimental 3D content at low cost and find out if you like the topic.
Unfortunately, this requires some expert settings via adb (Android Debug Bridge) and is not as easy to carry around as a dedicated camera. Therefore, this is primarily intended for beginners in the creation of spatial content who are initially satisfied with an acceptable quality.
QooCam EGO
In terms of sharpness, the QooCam EGO comes out on top, where the larger sensor pays off. However, it should be noted that the smaller viewing angle of 66° compared to the Acer's 80° means that an optical "zoom" is built in, which means that more of the centrally positioned test image ends up on the sensor.
On the other hand, the scene is not captured as far to the left and right. The QooCam EGO would certainly be worth a separate review. However, based on my own experience, reports from friends, and various forum threads, I cannot recommend it for purchase.
The QooCam EGO camera starts up slowly, the mechanical shutter is difficult to use, the autofocus often doesn't work, and the battery doesn't last long. If you hold the camera at an angle, the images are often blurry. The colors are often not what you are used to from other cameras. Some users complain about the sharpness of the left and right images being very different.
Xreal Beam Pro
Comparing the Acer and the Xreal Beam Pro, we get a little more sharpness with the Acer. However, the two models are very different in terms of handling and options.
With the Xreal Beam Pro, it is currently not possible to change manual settings such as shutter speed or ISO in spatial mode. The photos have no EXIF data that would provide information about the camera settings used to take the picture.
Instead, Xreal has an electronic spirit level, which is very important for aligning 3D photos. Xreal's large smartphone screen provides a very good preview. The user interface is very responsive.
The strengths of the Acer SpatialLabs Eyes camera
The camera has various settings and modes that allow experienced content creators to create better images. The functions include:
- Wide-angle field-of-view helps with immersion in VR
- Automatic recording mode
- Night mode
- Sports mode
- Manual mode (shutter speed, ISO, white balance, EV)
- HDR MODE
- Burst mode
- Timer mode
- Software video stabilization
- EXIF data
- Can be used as a 3D webcam
The difference when you have the option to adjust the white balance is shown in the following image. According to my human perception, the scene looked Christmassy, with a warm yellow color. I was able to reproduce this with Acer using the manual settings. Xreal lacks this setting option.
The mood of the lighting could be reproduced better with the manual white balance of the Acer camera on the left than with Xreal Beam Pro, where no detailed settings are possible for Spatial Photos. | Picture: Daniel Pohl
Weaknesses of the Acer SpatialLabs Eyes camera
Due to the design, a slightly larger screen that fills the entire back would have been desirable. Other weaknesses could be addressed in future firmware updates.
- Compared to the Xreal Beam Pro, the preview screen is very small.
- Since you can set the focus on objects via the touchscreen, touching the small screen is sometimes not ideal
The back of the Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera. For a better preview, it would have been desirable for the touchscreen to cover the entire rear side | Image: Acer
- Occasionally, the camera will focus on an object that it deems too close or inappropriate. Although the manual states that the minimum distance to the subject is 50 cm, a red rectangle is displayed. The shutter is locked and cannot be overridden, even if you intentionally want to take the picture. With a time-critical subject, this can result in missing the moment. Only a new click on another object can remedy the situation, and it takes several seconds to refocus.
- The electronic spirit level is sorely missed. At least for the very important roll rotations that need to be avoided in 3D shots. A level for pitch rotation would also be ideal. Although you have more freedom here, 3D media that is aligned straight along this axis is often best viewed in VR. IMU data is available in the saved photos, so hopefully all that is missing is a firmware update that visualizes this in real time.
- The boot process, including the long button press to power on, takes about 10 seconds. In contrast, Xreal Beam Pro is ready to use from standby with a single click, as is common with smartphones.
- No RAW data storage
- More susceptible to lens flare than Xreal Beam Pro: In a real-world test with side and frontal sunlight, the Acer camera's image areas had more lens flare.
With its larger lenses, the Acer camera is somewhat more susceptible to lens flares than Xreal Beam Pro. Left: direct sunlight Acer vs. Xreal. Right: Curved strip on the right edge of the image | Image: Daniel Pohl
Viewing in virtual reality
Thanks to the relatively wide field of view of 80°, it is possible with Acer's camera media to display the image in VR on a cylindrical cinema screen in such a way that almost the entire field of view of the headset is filled when looking forward.
This creates a more immersive experience than a flat 3D movie screen, where the edges are clearly visible. The curvature is usually not noticeable if the content is shot at a wide angle.
Wide-angle display of photos and videos from the Acer 3D camera on a cylindrically curved screen that fills the field of view. | Picture: Daniel Pohl
Sample photos Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera
To get a better impression of the 3D photos, I have created a gallery with day and night shots of the Acer SpatialLabs Camera Eyes with 15 images. You can download them directly in the immerGallery full version as well as in the free immerGallery demo.
To do this, go to Download, Custom URL in the app, change the dropdown to immervr:// and type acer into the address field. Then "Go!".
Easy download of the Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera sample files in immerGallery and immerGallery Demo under Download, Custom URL. | Picture: Daniel Pohl
Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera in the test: Our conclusion
The new momentum in the 3D camera market increases the choice for content producers in the area of spatial photos and videos. Of the dedicated cameras/smartphones for regular 3D capture, I recommend one of two devices: Xreal Beam Pro or Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera. The price is also decisive here: $199 for Xreal vs. $500 for Acer.
If you're more into casual point-and-shoots, the Xreal Beam Pro will be a very affordable entry into the world of 3D media recording. On the other hand, those who want to work more professionally and make manual settings such as white balance and shutter speed will be very satisfied with the Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Camera at a very acceptable price.
The author, Daniel Pohl, is CEO and founder of immerVR GmbH. There, Daniel deals daily with innovations in the field of immersive media, mostly in the area of VR180 stereo photos and stereo videos. With his app immerGallery (Meta Horizon Store, Steam Store), you can experience highly immersive photo galleries with voice-overs and background music in various VR formats on Meta Quest devices. The app also supports video playback for normal 2D / 3D, 180° and 360°.
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