[Video] The WVIL: Incredible Camera Or A Great Fake?

31 megapixel? with a wireless interchangeable lens (yes, a wireless lens!)? and all of that inside a phone? at least that's what the guys from WVIL claim. Watch this video from CES 2011 (world's largest consumer technology tradeshow in Las Vegas) and tell us - is it real or is it fake?




Here is another video showing all the cool features they added to this [real/fake] camera - things like instagram effects, share on facebook or email photos and few other useful tools.









Noam Galai's picture

Noam Galai is a Senior Fstoppers Staff Writer and NYC Celebrity / Entertainment photographer. Noam's work appears on publications such as Time Magazine, New York Times, People Magazine, Vogue and Us Weekly on a daily basis.

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22 Comments

1:37 is enough to see it's fake

There is no way he didn't know he was being filmed earlier. Also, there's no way he'd walk away without grabbing a 31MP CMOS sensor lens from a random guy standing around. The video at least has to be faked.

fa-fa-fake!
The image on the screen doesn't quite move right when he gets a call/moves the device around.

And didn't this video come out about a year ago?

You can see it's fake. Here I screenshotted a pause of it when he "Answers the call" - Transparent screen, just a video overlay over the top.

that's basically a holder for the lens.looks fine to me

Did you miss the part where he took the main device out? that part you have a screen shot of is just a case.

Also, This is a concept camera, it's been all over the web.

Not real, yet. If you follow the url on the guy's shirt it tells you that it's a concept camera.

Welcome to a year ago.

ahhh looks like a snap on phone case, that the "lens" would snap into...making the phone look like a camera body with lens attached...you can see he pops the phone out of the holder, holds the phone with his left hand, and then flashes the empty case with his right as he's saying "no photos please"

If the product isn't faked, the video is staged. The call from "Mom" and leaving the lens in someone's hand is pretty lame. 

http://www.artefactgroup.com/wvil/

"Congratulations, you’ve found the WVIL website. As you’ve most likely figured out, the WVIL camera is not a real product, but a Concept Camera envisioned by Artefact's award-winning design team. It answers the question: “what’s next for camera design?”

http://www.artefactgroup.com/#/content/camera-futura-3/

"As mentioned above, Camera Futura is currently a design study only"

"We understand that both the YouTube video
and the website have led some to believe that this was a mere hoax. And
while Camera Futura is far from being released, we created these assets
to spark a discussion around the question of “what if” the product was
really available. We believe such a product will soon be demoed on the
CES show floor in some not too far off time."

So i guess the answer would be yes it's a fake or rather a concept. A damn intresting concept if you ask me.

If you freeze the action at 1:57 you can clearly see his finger and the other jacket thru the hole on the other side of the camera, which means there is no screen! - Moreover he is holding the fake camera with the left right and then he answers the phone with the left hand...

It is simple. The camera is built into the lens and is controlled wirelessly by an android or iphone device. The hole is there to set the lens into. The "screen" is a phone... He answers the phone and takes it out of the case/cradle

Fake, But Awesome concept!

It is all one slick bit of marketing. Well done.

Some digging on the artefact group's website delivered this:
http://www.artefactgroup.com/#/content/camera-futura-3

quote:
Website & CES Product Demonstration
As mentioned above, Camera Futura is currently a design study only – we have begun to detail the industrial and user interface design of the product and have prototypes in the form of animated user interaction sequences, product renderings and a non-working appearance model.
.. the same section ends with ...
We understand that both the YouTube video and the website have led some to believe that this was a mere hoax. And while Camera Futura is far from being released, we created these assets to spark a discussion around the question of “what if” the product was really available. We believe such a product will soon be demoed on the CES show floor in some not too far off time.
So, it's not real, yet!
Personally, it looks totally do-able. Should be fun to see it working in practice.

The image being projected on the screen dosn't even match what the lens is pointing at. It really is an awesome idea tho!

Great concept none the less

Its not real... here the page of the concept camera... 
http://www.artefactgroup.com/wvil/

Let's go beyond what's given in the video from the show and their example videos, and question the very given facts of the camera. 

I personally disagree that this product has a 31 mp full frame sensor in the lens. That puts it's pixel size to being about 5.25 microns. Plus, for this to work, you'd have to have the processor, sensor, power, and storage, data transfer unit, and not to mention the lens, all in the same housing. But, I'm not going to deny the possibility of using a phone as the main control unit, and media upload center,  of the camera. 

Also did you notice the flash mount on the body of the lens? 

I would say that if they are really working to build this product, I would suspect its price range being at least $5000, since and not just because the idea that it would have a 31 mp full frame sensor. And on a side note, the file size from that sensor would take more time to transfer from lens to phone, before you'd be able to upload it.

I want to believe is true. LOL!

possible, the camera is in the lens, the phone is just controller, just like D4 and ipad