eleskin
Well-known
Lytro's Camera Lets You Shoot First and Focus Later
www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/technology/22camera.html
It seems a sensor has been invented that will record information coming from a lens without the need to focus by collecting enormous amounts of information coming from the light being focused by the lens. That comes later on the computer. If this works, it may very well revolutionize cameras as we know them. Will this impact the digital M? I hope so.
This could render the SLR and Rangefinder method irrelevant. You could still have the SLR to see through the lens or an M9 viewfinder that is used to compose the image but no need to focus.
For the street shooter, this would be a tremendous advantage. For the Noctilux user, perfect focus all the time. Fashon, in focus, Sports, in focus, etc,,,,.
You could use lenses in new ways not imagined before. Take the Noctilux and other fast lenses. Yes, we love the out of focus bokeh, but what if we used this new sensor and the advantage of fast lenses that have great flare resistance and layered in photoshop so every part of the photo was in focus. Just a new use for these fantastic lenses with a technology that may change everything as we know it.
So for anyone using the M8 and M9, pay attention, because this will impact us as much as those using Nikon, Canon, or anything else out there!
www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/technology/22camera.html
It seems a sensor has been invented that will record information coming from a lens without the need to focus by collecting enormous amounts of information coming from the light being focused by the lens. That comes later on the computer. If this works, it may very well revolutionize cameras as we know them. Will this impact the digital M? I hope so.
This could render the SLR and Rangefinder method irrelevant. You could still have the SLR to see through the lens or an M9 viewfinder that is used to compose the image but no need to focus.
For the street shooter, this would be a tremendous advantage. For the Noctilux user, perfect focus all the time. Fashon, in focus, Sports, in focus, etc,,,,.
You could use lenses in new ways not imagined before. Take the Noctilux and other fast lenses. Yes, we love the out of focus bokeh, but what if we used this new sensor and the advantage of fast lenses that have great flare resistance and layered in photoshop so every part of the photo was in focus. Just a new use for these fantastic lenses with a technology that may change everything as we know it.
So for anyone using the M8 and M9, pay attention, because this will impact us as much as those using Nikon, Canon, or anything else out there!
sdotkling
Sent through the ether
Reading the article in today's TIMES, it's clear that the way the thing works is by an array of lenses. Think "fly eye." Each lens records a different focus, and software combines them according to your preference. So we're talking about a Leica M with 16 Summicrons? Think an M9-P costs a lot?
Beemermark
Veteran
And this is different or better than present AF systems?
Andy Kibber
Well-known
I don't anticipate that this technology will be incorporated into existing camera systems or will use conventional lenses.
From the NYT article:
The Lytro camera captures far more light data, from many angles, than is possible with a conventional camera. It accomplishes that with a special sensor called a microlens array, which puts the equivalent of many lenses into a small space.
It sounds like many lenses are put in front of the sensor. Not sure how that would interact with a single, conventional lens on the front of the camera.
Anyway, we'll see what happens.
From the NYT article:
The Lytro camera captures far more light data, from many angles, than is possible with a conventional camera. It accomplishes that with a special sensor called a microlens array, which puts the equivalent of many lenses into a small space.
It sounds like many lenses are put in front of the sensor. Not sure how that would interact with a single, conventional lens on the front of the camera.
Anyway, we'll see what happens.
ampguy
Veteran
I'm surprised more vendors don't offer focus bracketing, where a series of shots are taken, moving the focus behind and beyond the user's intended focus point by a fixed or variable step amount.
wgerrard
Veteran
Looks like the focusing happens in the post-processing and allows the user to bring any specific area in the image into focus. That's not the same as we are used to playing with DOF.
Per the article, they hope to sell a camera priced to compete with current point and shoots.
It pays to remember than lenses, of any kind, simply deal with photons and that both chemicals and digital deal with data, in one form or another.
JamSee
James Craig
Hmm...
It certainly is an interseting concept... But for some reason I am not warming to the idea of focusing in post-capture.
It certainly is an interseting concept... But for some reason I am not warming to the idea of focusing in post-capture.