SAN FRANCISCO – If you’ve ever wanted to play around with 3D photography but lack the time, equipment, and/or know-how, you owe yourself a visit to Start 3D.

This nifty service turns a pair of ordinary snapshots into a dazzling 3D image, one you can view without special glasses. You can even order a print version.

This is better seen than explained, so I’ll let the company’s promo video do some of the talking.

As you can see, the photos can originate on any digital camera or a model that can shoot in 3D, like the Fuji FinePix W1.
Using just my iPhone, I quickly snapped a couple shots of my desk, rotating the view and spacing just slightly between them, then uploaded the pair to my Start 3D account.

In a matter of seconds, I was enjoying a nifty “3D-ized” view–way better than expected given that it was my first attempt and I was shooting in low light with a phone camera.

These images can be embedded on your Web site, e-mailed to friends, shared via Facebook and Twitter, and so on. Prints start at around $10, though you have to actually add a 3D photo to your cart to see prices. (Start 3D definitely has some rough beta edges.)

It costs nothing to register for Start 3D, and you can upload an unlimited number of images while the service is still in beta. After that, you’ll be limited to 20 per month unless you sign up for a premium account.

I’m not sure what practical value there is here, but Start 3D is definitely a lot of fun.