New "Game-Changer" Camera Tech

[shocksyde]

This is incredibly interesting, to say the least...

http://gizmodo.com/5814337/lytro-is-a-focus+free-camera-that-will-change-how-you-take-pictures

The digital camera market is about to be turned upside by a young Stanford Ph.D named Ren Ng. Ng is the brainchild behind the Lytro camera which lets you take pictures without focusing. The technology is mind-bending. Mind-blowing. Wow.

The Lytro is a light field camera which is much different than your standard digital shooter. It doesn't capture one angle, one lighting effect or one focus plane. It captures everything, all at once, in one photo. The image can then be manipulated to change the focus from an item in the foreground to an item in the background on the fly. The camera is targeted for an end of the year launch and could cost under $500 if Ng can pull it all together.

 

[angry hampster]

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[nboy22]

Personally, I don't see how it could change the focus from one item in the foreground to an item in the background on the fly. The reason I say this is due to parallax. If there is no parallax, there is no way to judge depth of items in the scene (as far as I have seen). I do camera tracking for special effects all the time (how a lot of special FX are done in hollywood) and one of the main concepts is that there must be parallax in the shot so that the depth of items can be assessed.

 

[Cogman]

I'll believe it when I see it.

They have a demonstration on the website.

 

[Cogman]

Personally, I don't see how it could change the focus from one item in the foreground to an item in the background on the fly. The reason I say this is due to parallax. If there is no parallax, there is no way to judge depth of items in the scene (as far as I have seen). I do camera tracking for special effects all the time (how a lot of special FX are done in hollywood) and one of the main concepts is that there must be parallax in the shot so that the depth of items can be assessed.

I don't know exactly how he is judging depth. It seems like he is recording the image at all focus levels and using some programming wizardry to allow for multiple focuses.

 

[shocksyde]

Personally, I don't see how it could change the focus from one item in the foreground to an item in the background on the fly. The reason I say this is due to parallax. If there is no parallax, there is no way to judge depth of items in the scene (as far as I have seen). I do camera tracking for special effects all the time (how a lot of special FX are done in hollywood) and one of the main concepts is that there must be parallax in the shot so that the depth of items can be assessed.

Did you check out the site? It explains the differences between a normal camera and the new concept.

 

[JohnnyRebel]

This is incredibly interesting, to say the least...

http://gizmodo.com/5814337/lytro-is-a-focus+free-camera-that-will-change-how-you-take-pictures

Adobe made a prototype back in '07. It had 19 lenses and around 100 megapixel. Each lens shot a 6 megalpixel-ish image that combined for a 4d composite (or something like that).

The technology works and will be an interesting tool eventually.

I don't think it'll be fast, and am sure there will be artistic limitations, but perhaps will make the ultimate P&S.

JR

 

[shocksyde]

Engadget is in on the fun, with a CRAZY video that shows 3D effects. Amazing.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/light-field-camera-captures-unprecedented-images-lets-you-cho/

 

[CptObvious]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plenoptic_camera

Cool stuff.

 

[Griffinhart]

So, if I follow the wikipedia article correctily, It is a series of "micro lenses" sharing a single primary lens and sensor. Each micro lens is set to a different focus point. resulting in the sensor actually storing several versions of the same shot and software trickery allows you to play with the focal point later.

It sounds pricey as each micro lens takes up an equal share of sensor and you would need to have enough of them or each would have to have a pretty wide depth of field. A camera with only 4 micro lenses would need to be 20 megapixels sensor to produce a 5 megapixel image.

The ability to slighly change perspective of a shot is kinda cool. I can see this type camera being a popular replacement for point and shoots. I'm not sure if this would replace DSLRs anytime soon though.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

Now we can really do the "zoom, enhance" thing from the all those CSI shows.

 

[shocksyde]

So, if I follow the wikipedia article correctily, It is a series of "micro lenses" sharing a single primary lens and sensor. Each micro lens is set to a different focus point. resulting in the sensor actually storing several versions of the same shot and software trickery allows you to play with the focal point later.

It sounds pricey as each micro lens takes up an equal share of sensor and you would need to have enough of them or each would have to have a pretty wide depth of field. A camera with only 4 micro lenses would need to be 20 megapixels sensor to produce a 5 megapixel image.

The ability to slighly change perspective of a shot is kinda cool. I can see this type camera being a popular replacement for point and shoots. I'm not sure if this would replace DSLRs anytime soon though.

Check out the video on Engadget, the 3D effect it gives towards the end is awesome.

It also mentions that the camera would probably be at or below $500.

 

[Griffinhart]

Check out the video on Engadget, the 3D effect it gives towards the end is awesome.

It also mentions that the camera would probably be at or below $500.

I did see the video, that was the perspective change thing I mentioned. I just don't see it replacing DSLRs any time soon. Point and shoots, if the price is right, sure.

 

[Munky]

If anything, I can see it being used for a "defocus" effect on P&S cameras. But most people shooting a DSLR probably know what to keep in focus and what to blur before pressing the shutter.

 

[James Bond]

http://www.lytro.com

 

[Cogman]

http://www.lytro.com

hmm, some of the "no focus" stuff is a little disappointing. The refocusing looks to be limited to fairly close up shots, anything in the distance remains blurry.

http://www.lytro.com/pictures/lyt-35

Even something that is moderately far away (but not really that far) is blurry. Look specifically at the words under the clocks.

 

[jpeyton]

This isn't a "game-changer". Selective focus and depth-of-field are artistic tools that photographers use.

Changing the focus point after taking a photograph sounds like a neat gimmick with very limited real-world application.

 

[JohnnyRebel]

This isn't a "game-changer". Selective focus and depth-of-field are artistic tools that photographers use.

Changing the focus point after taking a photograph sounds like a neat gimmick with very limited real-world application.

Very limited? If this were low cost and small it would revolutionize P&S photography, making it truly point-n-shoot. Since the vast majority of camera users are neither photographers nor artists, this has the real potential to change the game. The market is driven by the masses and photographers and artists will have to work with the tools that come from this pressure. You already see this with all the megapixel idiocy, nested menus full of consumer options on pro-IQ cameras, and stupid "scene mode" options on the bar-raising D7000 (instead of something more useful like additional custom user settings).

JR

 

[shocksyde]

Very limited? If this were low cost and small it would revolutionize P&S photography, making it truly point-n-shoot. Since the vast majority of camera users are neither photographers nor artists, this has the real potential to change the game. The market is driven by the masses and photographers and artists will have to work with the tools that come from this pressure. You already see this with all the megapixel idiocy, nested menus full of consumer options on pro-IQ cameras, and stupid "scene mode" options on the bar-raising D7000 (instead of something more useful like additional custom user settings).

JR

This is more in line with what I was thinking.

Obviously changes nothing for experienced DSLR users.