Lytro Light Field Camera

rxmd said:
Yes, I remember this already from the earliest light field technology demonstrators - it seems clear that from a technical point this is possible with light field technology, the question is whether this particular camera and its software will permit you to do this. So far the examples and advertising seem not to have mentioned this at all.

The example you posted, where was that from?
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That photo was posted in the blog.
 
Imagine using this kind of technology for 3D movies. Your glasses will follow the movement of your eyes and will focus on whatever it is your staring at. Be it 3D Doutzen Kroes or your childhood toys heading for the incinerator.
 
I consider the Lytros to be a starting point in a new technology. Whether it goes anywhere in the market is still to be seen. An interesting concept, but I wonder how many folks (after the original surge of fashionistas) will actually buy the thing?

PF
 
Griffin said:
Imagine using this kind of technology for 3D movies. Your glasses will follow the movement of your eyes and will focus on whatever it is your staring at. Be it 3D Doutzen Kroes or your childhood toys heading for the incinerator.
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I'm not sure whether this would work for projection, after all you have to project an image with a defined focus point already.

But for filming it would be really neat. Resolution requirements aren't that high for cinema anyway, and being able to set the focus point after the fact could be quite useful in movie making.
 
Just ordered one myself....I'm always interested in new ways of seeing, and this seems to be an interesting approach to image-making.
 
I'm confused. Is it now capable of infinite focus? Last I looked at it months ago it would only allow selection of one plane of focus.

This device has applications for medical imaging, scientific photography, and similar applications that currently require focus stacking. I can't see it replacing cameras with lenses, because it has no lens to impart character to flat images
 
Yes, it has two settings -- one for 'infinite focus', and one for that 'selective focus' that you can manipulate on the Lytro website.

I'm still getting used to mine, but so far I think it's a pretty neat camera. Hopefully I'll be able to integrate it into my commercial work, one way or another!
 
Had one, returned it! I understand it is a young technology but noise in normal well lit indoor lighting! C'mon! Gimickey! Can only make use of the novelty on their/your web album, export of "flattened focus stills" low res.

Admire the tech but maybe in a couple revisions I'll give it another try!
 
Deep Fried said:
there is no lens in the traditional sense is my understanding
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It's got a lens - and a pretty nice one:
lytrolens1.jpg


From the Lytro site:
The Lytro Light Field Camera starts with an 8X optical zoom, f/2 aperture lens. The aperture is constant across the zoom range allowing for unheard of light capture.
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8x - short normal to pretty good tele (~350mm-ish)
 
Chris101 said:
It's got a lens - and a pretty nice one:
lytrolens1.jpg


From the Lytro site:

8x - short normal to pretty good tele (~350mm-ish)
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it has a chunk of glass where light enters. But does this chunk of glass focus light on a flat plane like a lens as we know it does? My understanding is no. Maybe the 'light engine' works with any lens? Or maybe the glass used in the device is special in the way it focuses multiple planes? I dunno. I say its voodoo :)
 
Vince Lupo said:
Yes, it has two settings -- one for 'infinite focus', and one for that 'selective focus' that you can manipulate on the Lytro website.

I'm still getting used to mine, but so far I think it's a pretty neat camera. Hopefully I'll be able to integrate it into my commercial work, one way or another!
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"Everyday" mode is not infinite focus, but at the widest zoom, optical infinity is about 3 and a half feet, so you need to get close. Close focus at that zoom is about 4 inches away, so get real close to get the blur effect.

The other mode is called "Creative" mode, and gets so close that the subject can touch the lens. It also doubles the zoom range, so you can shoot super-tele stuff with it. And all at f/2!
 
I shot this one last weekend to illustrate the conceptual idea behind refocus ability:



(Click the picture above to check out the "live picture" version. Then you can click on the people to see who the butterfly is observing.
 

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Deep Fried said:
it has a chunk of glass where light enters. But does this chunk of glass focus light on a flat plane like a lens as we know it does? My understanding is no. Maybe the 'light engine' works with any lens? Or maybe the glass used in the device is special in the way it focuses multiple planes? I dunno. I say its voodoo :)
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It focuses the light. There is indeed a traditional plane of focus, but that plane is not necessarily on the "light field sensor". In 'everyday' mode the focus is at the hyperfocal distance of the lens, so infinity is always in focus. In 'creative' mode you set the focus distance via the touchscreen. It works just like 'macro' mode on many close focus zoom lenses, by changing the focal length of the lens.

The micro lens array placed in front of the ordinary cmos sensor (together they make up the light field sensor) distributes the focussed image to many sensor elements. The 'light field engine' then computes the focus based on the distance information that is present in the recorded data. They call it "computational photography" because the image does not exist except when calculated.

I find that it is akin to the way color is calculated by computation of the Bayer array grid. Only about 5 or 6 times more complex. And add the color complexity on top of that. All in all, there eis a bunch of computation going on to recreate the image from the data recorded.

I told Lytro's Adam Gould last weekend that their 3D technology is the real thing I'm waiting for, but until they have it 'product ready' I'll play with the refocus thing, in anticipation.
 
I think I'm too dumb to participate any further in this discussion;)

The processor deciding which plane of focus to assign data to makes sense on a basic level; but my little brain is having trouble with a lens that cannot be focused creating multiple focus planes. I'm going to bow out gracefully before I injure my head trying to work this out.
 
I find the whole Lytro phenomenom as a kind of "one trick pony" that will as someone else said, either here on this thread or elsewhere, "get tired very quickly".

I agree with that sentiment and as a result just cannot get interested in it for any practical photographic purpose - for me.

OK I concede it might have some commercial applications - security cameras maybe.

But software now being experimented with by a few different companies including Adobe promises to do wonders in terms of unblurring / re focussing images that are out of focus or blurred by movement and I kinda think that this offers many more advantages than a hardware box that does only one thing. (Although I acknowledge its not quite the same thing.)

My point is, how many times can you take a picture with Lytro and change its point of focus without the novelty wearing off. Epscially when all of this is achieved with highly proprietary software that does not allow you to do all that much else from what I have seen.

My apologies to those who already have one - I do not mean to offend. Fine if you enjoy it, but its just not for me.

Here is a link for those who have not seen the deblurring technology - I gather there are other companies experimenting with similar technologies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxjiQoTp864
 
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