does anyone have experience or opinions on the Orcam MyEye?

I know people who have tested it out at national conventions and really liked it. I've heard podcasts on it myself and thought it sounded cool. Some people won't buy it though not just because of the price but do to the fact it's sponsored by Dr. Phill. I did watch the episode where he demonstrated it.

Do you need to be able to see where the text is in order to have it read out by the camera?

I have used this product before. In fact, my company was kind enough to buy one for me. However, I would not advise buying one. Let me say that it is a fabulous product and a superb concept. However, I got it at a time when apps such as Seeing AI were just about to make their appearance. Quite frankly, there is nothing the MyEye does, as far as I can tell, that apps like Seeing AI can't do. In fact, for the awe-inspiring price of free, it is a no-brainer as far as I am concerned. Also, as someone who was born totally blind, holding my head in the direction of text so the glasses can "look" at it is not easy for me. I find it much easier to use the Seeing AI app. Also, I would much rather only carry around my phone than extra hardware. Again, if you have it, or if you have the money and want it because it looks cool to the sighted people around you, don't let these words stop you. However, I just can't find myself to say that it is practical.

I didn't buy one, but when I inquired about the spec, a representative informed me that if you are comfortable using an iPhone, Orcam will not do anything the phone doesn't, and the iPhone I was informed by the representative, has a better camera. The Orcam is meant for people who have difficulty with technology, or don't have a smart phone or that sort of thing. So by that logic, nobody on this forum wants one. Stick with Seeing AI, SuperSense, Voice Dream Scanner, or similar. I find Supersense or Voice Dream work really well.

Yes, I have it and I'm not satisfied with it at all. It does less than Seeing AI alone. It lacks features that the company could add with the existing parameters of the device. For instance, the Orcam My Eye has bluetooth integrated and a dedicated app on iOS. You can take a picture of a piece of text and read it with the device, but there's no way you can share the text with the app, so that you can have it on your iPhone. Using Seeing AI, I can recognise a product, save the name of it to notes. I can take a picture of a paper and share the results with other people. I can have a photo/screenshot recognised. None of these is possible with My Eye. Then I don't know what's the problem with lighting in some areas. The camera doesn't detect the text or whatever you put in front of it.
One can say, sorry but that's just a small camera, how can you expect it to do so much for you? Well, I can certainly lower my expectations on it but I cannot lower my disagreement with its price tag of $4000 plus. I got it in Germany through my health insurance programme and I think this is a misuse of the money of German tax payers. I've gone so far as to send the dealer provider an e-mail ellaborating on how this piece of hardware and software combine needs to be radically redesigned as it will go out-of-date in a short while.
If anyone is planning or has the money to buy this product, please stay away from it. Rather do a phone upgrade to 12 Pro or 13 Pro, and you'll have twice or thrice as much as this thing can offer.

I thaught about getting one, but after reading comments above, I have decided against it.

Hey Andrzej,
A few words on that feeling of self consciousness you're experiencing. Having taught a bunch of folks who were new to being VI here, I've observed a tendency to want to blend in/be able to pass by unnoticed many times over. This is a golden age of free and low-cost adaptive technology that we're living in, sites like AppleVis exist to champion that. You don't need to be all loud and proud about tech if that's not in your nature, but my advice is to try your best to avoid shying away from the potential it provides. Sure, there are some things you need to do a little differently now, but the point is, you're someone who's still able to do those things. Technology is an equalizer. Use that to your advantage, choose whatever works. When people around you notice, I can promise you that they're only interested because you're doing tasks that they didn't know were possible. Figuring out the balance that works for you will require some time, practice and awareness on your part, but the fact that you're posting eloquently on here so soon after your vision changed is a solid sign that you're gonna be ok man.
Uninvited advice I know, but hopefully something in there will be useful to you.

Hi,

The envission glasses are quite a bit cheaper. They do way more than Orcam including the ability to send text to the envission ai app where the text can be shared. They also using hotspot have features like facetime with you're chosen people which would be very useful if outdoors etc. Worth looking at if you were thinking of Orcam as the EG in my oppinion look way better for the price.