Lytro again ...

[Hamish Gill]

This Lytro "light field camera" has been used for some fashion shots

http://ec2-174-129-161-52.compute-1.amazonaws.com/wordpress/2011/07/

fascinating stuff, im definitely intrigued!

But can anyone find anything about what this thing actually looks like?
How how much it is likely to cost
or what sort of res these images traslate into?

why is it so hard to pin down any technical info?

They seem to be taking sort of pre orders ... but what would anyone actually be buying?
is this thing any type of practical replacement for a "conventional camera"
Loads of hype ... but for me no substance, its very frustrating ... i feel teased ...

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Fascinating - However image quality doesn't look very special, if you ignore the cool 'do your own focus' trick...

 

[Larry Bolch]

I expect that it exists in a hand-built prototype and is a long way from a camera on the shelves of stores. I covered the introduction of the Foveon sensor for a Brit hi-tech magazine, and this smells much the same. As it became obvious back then, all the hype was aimed at gathering investors. The actual camera is many months—or even years—away from retail sales. With well established camera companies struggling to stay alive, turning a theoretical technology into working hardware, getting it manufactured, gaining distribution channels, setting up a world-wide network of regional offices and getting stores to stock it, all the while remaining in business is an incredible challenge.

While the idea is certainly novel, it also seems like a solution in search of a problem. Even cameras using contrast detection focusing are now quite fast and accurate. Phase detection focusing in dSLRs is violently quick and positive. To an experienced photographer, not only is accurate focus second nature, but choice of focal-length/aperture to control depth of field is as well. Focus bracketing and the stacking feature in Photoshop can provide much of the same post-shoot control, but at the full resolution of the camera. For snapshooters, it would mean having to use software, something that to a great extent separates the snapshooter from the photography enthusiast. Current P&S cameras not only have reasonably quick and accurate focusing, but with extremely short lenses and tiny sensors produce enormous depth of field.

If I read the information correctly, it will take a very large sensor to collect the light and the resulting image will be very low in pixel dimensions in comparison. It may be really remarkable that three very thick Hungarians can stand on their bald heads and twirl dinner plates with their hands and their feet, but the entertainment value is short and not much productive has been accomplished. It is equally remarkable that the camera will let you pick the point of focus after the shoot, but who really needs it—other than a gadget to show off once or twice?

 

[Hamish Gill]

I'm perhaps a little less sceptical...
... I can see that it could have legs in a world of snapshooters and web only images ...

But yeah, putting the creative control in the hands of the viewer is a little on the odd side I think and definitely a novelty that would wear...

 

[Thomas brookes]

Ok I have looked but don't understand it, could someone explain in laymans terms please???

 

[Hamish Gill]

It's a camera that takes a photo that you can adjust the point of focus on the computer ...
Go on your windows 95 pc open chrome and click the mouse on different parts of the photo to see what happens

 

[Thomas brookes]

Ohhhh sweet!!!!!!!! Now that's cool. Yeah I can only get it on my iPhone, my 56k modem is screaming at me on the pc

 

[Hamish Gill]

Does your computer have cogs? Did you build it at work?