Snap released the second generation of its Spectacles camera glasses in April 2018. But do they live up to the hype?
When I got married, I wanted to capture every moment of our wedding week.
Not only the "Say cheese!" moments outside restaurants with our families, or the posed portraits with my now-husband. I wanted the silly, unexpected, and sometimes hopelessly romantic photos that a photojournalist's candid camera can often bring.
So, I recently purchased two pairs of Spectacles 2, the second generation of Snap's camera glasses, so I could record 10-second videos of what I was seeing. My husband and I wore them every day of our intimate wedding week in Maine. Here's my review.
Dave Smith and Avery Hartmans contributed reporting.
Spectacles are sunglasses that record the world as you see it.
They work by pressing a button to record a 10-second video.
These "his and hers" pairs were a gift for my fiancé before our wedding.
He was quite happy to have them.
The second generation is noticeably cooler than the originals.
They're smaller, slimmer, and more comfortable to wear.
The second-generation Spectacles weigh 45.4 g, which makes them significantly lighter than the original pair, which clocked in at about 408 grams, or 14.4 ounces.
Snap says they have "new and improved" audio recording.
While the first generation of Spectacles only let you record video, the new Spectacles let you take photos. You just press and hold the button.
Spectacles come with a carrying case that doubles as the charger. You can recharge up to four times just by putting the glasses in the case.
Spectacles 2.0 cost $20 more than the first generation — now $150.
My partner and I put them to the test during the week of our wedding.
We captured sweet moments, like signing our marriage license.
I would have been embarrassed to whip out my phone in the town clerk's office, but I could discreetly record with Spectacles.
(These high-def videos taken with Spectacles were converted into Gifs, so I could more easily share them with you. Their resolution may be compressed in this format.)
I kept both hands on the bicycle as I toured the resort property.
This is one of my favorites. We recorded the paparazzi (AKA our families) as they took photos of us being cute in a vintage car.
As much as I loved the concept behind the camera glasses ...
They're certainly no high-end DSLR camera.
Watching the videos back on my iPhone, I feel like I'm seeing "The Blair Witch Project" with its shaky and erratic camera movements.
I'd love to see Snap bring camera stabilization to the app someday.
The most awkward part of the user experience is getting videos off Snap. Everything you film still needs to go through Snap's app.
In other words, Snap didn't make a separate app for Spectacles; everything you need for them to work lives in the Snapchat app. The glasses can physically store photos and videos, but none of it is actually usable until it reaches the Snapchat app.
Snap lets you save videos to your camera roll on an iPhone, so they can be shared on other apps. Still, taking and sharing videos with Spectacles isn't as efficient as doing it with a phone — at least not yet.
Spectacles are a delightful treat if you've got money to burn.
They're not a must-have gadget.
I think I could've saved $150 and captured higher quality video of my wedding week on my iPhone, with only a bit more hassle.