Photography

Lytro light field camera unveiled, shipping 2012

Lytro light field camera unveiled, shipping 2012
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
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Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
1/5
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
2/5
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
3/5
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
4/5
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
5/5
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
View gallery - 5 images

So, you're looking at that one photo you took, and wishing that the flower in the foreground was in focus instead of the person behind it? Well it's no big deal, just go in and shift the focus. Oh yeah, that's right, you can't ... but you will be able to soon. California-based Lytro, Inc. announced today that its consumer light field camera is now available for preorder, and should be shipping early next year. It is the first camera of its kind made for the general public.

Light field cameras use a microlens array and a light field sensor to separately record the color, intensity and vector direction of all the light rays reflected towards them. Algorithms then turn all that data into one image, but users can still manipulate the way in which it's presented after the photo has been taken. Primarily, this means that they can choose between having the foreground, middle, or background subjects in focus, or they can select all three together.

By contrast, regular cameras simply combine all the light rays, and represent them as one amount of light - once the photo has been taken, you're stuck with it the way it is.

Light field technology also allows pictures to be taken in lower light (because all of the light is used), shutter lag is greatly reduced (the camera doesn't have to focus), and both 2D and 3D images can be obtained from the same shot. Even when viewed in 2D, users can still subtly adjust the viewing perspective after the fact - if they think that a certain photo would have looked better had the camera been located just an inch to the right, for instance, they can adjust the shot accordingly.

Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers
Lytro's consumer light field camera, which allows users to adjust a photograph's focus after it's been taken, is now available to consumers

Lytro's new camera is very simple - at least on the outside. It has a fixed-iris f2 lens, an 8X optical zoom, weighs less than eight ounces (227 grams), and its pocket-sized aluminum body comes in three colors. It has only two controls - power and shutter - along with a touchscreen display on which shots are manipulated using Lytro's "light field engine."

Buyers can choose between 8GB and 16GB models, which store 350 and 750 shots respectively. Although 3D capability won't be available immediately, the required algorithms should be ready (presumably in the form of firmware) sometime next year.

Users will be able to download shots from the camera onto their computer using a free desktop application. It will also allow them to share their photos on sites such as Facebook and by email. As the light field engine data travels with the images, people receiving the shots will still be able to change their focus as desired. An OS X version of the software is already available, with a Windows version coming next year.

The camera can be preordered now on Lytro's website, at a price of US$399 for the 8GB model, or $499 for the 16GB.

You can see first-hand how the technology works, by clicking on different parts of the Lytro-supplied light field photo below.

View gallery - 5 images
5 comments
5 comments
Kirill Belousov
I like this, would be cool if this would be applied to video as well.
APink
The novelty will wear off very quickly and, other than for a few users, this piece of kit wont be around in a few years time. What if I want the whole picture in focus or two/three specific elements in focus rather than just one area ? Can\'t see the point myself except for a few very limited applications, particularly as the quality of the images wont compare to the current high MP cameras that are two a pennjy.
FastGuy
Kind of like the way a synthesizer breaks sound into component pieces: pitch, timbre, duration, intensity, etc, so they can all be manipulated separately. Here you have color, intensity, and vector stored separately, to play with after the fact. It\'s a photo synthesizer.
martin
I think this is a significant and disruptive discontinuity for photography.
I don\'t see why you couldn\'t have the whole photo in focus. It would seem apparent that if you can bring different distances into focus separately, then you could also bring them all into focus simultaneously. That\'s dependent on the amount of processing and the semantics of the user interface; all they\'re showing here is a single simple option for interacting with the captured data. This isn\'t just RAW... it\'s hyper-RAW.
Will Sharp
Wow, no SD card slot? Looks like they\'re just ripping us off by charging for memory...don\'t really like that form factor either. Too bad, I was looking forward to this...