# Here comes the future... Lytro!



## Precarious (May 9, 2012)

Ng is the founder of Lytro, a Mountain View, CA start-up that has been lauded by tech-obsessed first-adopters and photo enthusiasts alike. The product that has everyone so excited? A compact "plenoptic" digital camera. The camera, a short square-edged tube, uses a unique sensor resembling an insect's multi-faceted eye to capture "all the light traveling in every direction in every point in space." Pair the camera with Lytro's proprietary software, and the result is an image that can be focused and refocused after it's taken. Use Lytro's special Flash widget to post that photo on your blog or site and everyone who sees it can focus and refocus on any point in the image. In the words of Wired's John Bradley -- it's "addictive."

http://news.yahoo.com/the-next-digital-image-revolution-.html

Check out this image!

https://www.lytro.com/living-pictures/70499'&gt;https://www.lytro.com/living-pictures/70499

More:

https://www.lytro.com/


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## Precarious (May 9, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7babcK2GH3I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3UGP0cNNfE


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## Precarious (May 9, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6r7UdTIfM4


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## Bryce08 (May 9, 2012)

Precarious said:


> Check out this image!
> 
> https://www.lytro.co...-pictures/70499


Thats really cool, and is some what addictive, finding new points and things in the picture, lol


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## angelofdeathzz (May 9, 2012)

Finally a camera for dummies, like me. :lol: How much $$$ will one set you back?


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## Precarious (May 9, 2012)

angelofdeathzz said:


> Finally a camera for dummies, like me. :lol: How much $$$ will one set you back?


$400 for the 8GB version (350 photos), $500 for 16GB (750 photos). You can also output 3D versions of any photo viewable with glasses.

I can't wait until they have units capable of HD quality.


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## Precarious (May 9, 2012)

I would imagine this will be how shallow depth of field in macro photography is finally overcome. Would not be unreasonable to think they could generate an algorithm that would display the sharpest focus for all elements of the photo. This is pretty ground breaking!


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## Precarious (May 9, 2012)

"The good part is that since you're working with the original image data collected from the camera, Lytro can continue to add new editing tools or develop different ways of interacting with the living pictures. This could also potentially mean that the results you get now from the camera could be improved down the road. As the software gets better, so should your images. A good example of this is that while the current software won't allow you to have everything in focus, Lytro says an update coming in the first half of 2012 will allow you to do this. Another software update will add a perspective shift feature that will allow you to slightly change the angle of view of your photo just by clicking and dragging on the image. Do it back and forth and you get a 3D effect."

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/lytro-light-field-camera/4505-6501_7-35045210-2.html


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## Bryce08 (May 9, 2012)

Precarious said:


> I would imagine this will be how shallow depth of field in macro photography is finally overcome. Would not be unreasonable to think they could generate an algorithm that would display the sharpest focus for all elements of the photo. This is pretty ground breaking!


Was thinking in that direction...glad to hear that from you...look forward to see how this continues to unravel as we go!


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## angelofdeathzz (May 9, 2012)

Do they give any specs on the max resolution as of now? Once they have a video mode and HD it will be awesome for sure(or does it shoot video now?), and could even make things like photoshop obsolete in the near future since it should come with some editing software in the bundle.


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## Precarious (May 9, 2012)

angelofdeathzz said:


> Do they give any specs on the max resolution as of now? Once they have a video mode and HD it will be awesome for sure(or does it shoot video now?), and could even make things like photoshop obsolete in the near future since it should come with some editing software in the bundle.


I would not recommend this as a normal still camera. It won't fill the shoes of a good point and shoot or DSLR. It represents a new technology that has a lot of growing to do before it gets to that point. It's the cutting edge of a wave that will change photography in a big way. The interesting thing about the format is the 'photos' are similar to RAW format in that they can be improved through processing using software that hasn't yet been written.

If image quality were better I would jump at this but may still be worth it just for the 3D/refocus features. I'd like to explore its macro capabilities.


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## angelofdeathzz (May 9, 2012)

Oh I know your salivating all over your keyboard on this one  , but you should hold off a gen or 2 for it to improve further and pay less more than likely.


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## Davedood (May 9, 2012)

Very cool man!


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## Precarious (May 10, 2012)

angelofdeathzz said:


> Oh I know your salivating all over your keyboard on this one  , but you should hold off a gen or 2 for it to improve further and pay less more than likely.


Thought provoking...







Wait....did you just say something?

*CHA-CHIIIING!*











I probably should have paid attention.


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## Mantiskid (May 10, 2012)

I have a Lytro! I was given one recently because I was a presenter at the 2012 TEDx San JoseCA conference, and Ren Ng was there. As a result, every

presenter got a Lytro.


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## Precarious (May 10, 2012)

Mantiskid said:


> I have a Lytro! I was given one recently because I was a presenter at the 2012 TEDx San JoseCA conference, and Ren Ng was there. As a result, every
> 
> presenter got a Lytro.


Well, get on it, man! Let's see what it can do. Either that or shoot me a price to buy it off you.


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## Mantiskid (May 10, 2012)

Precarious said:


> Well, get on it, man! Let's see what it can do. Either that or shoot me a price to buy it off you.


LOL no way am I selling it! I have a lot of nice macros of my Mantids, but I don't have a Mac to download them. I have a PC.


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## Precarious (May 10, 2012)

Mantiskid said:


> LOL no way am I selling it! I have a lot of nice macros of my Mantids, but I don't have a Mac to download them. I have a PC.


  Just checkin. I can't see paying $400 for one but eventually I may pick up a used one to mess with. I'm really holding out for the DSLR version so I can shoot macro with the whole shot in focus without stacking. I give it 6 to 10 years and that will be how it's done.


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## Mantiskid (May 10, 2012)

Precarious said:


> I'm really holding out for the DSLR version so I can shoot macro with the whole shot in focus without stacking. I give it 6 to 10 years and that will be how it's done.


Sorry what? I don't know much about photography.


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## Precarious (May 10, 2012)

Mantiskid said:


> Sorry what? I don't know much about photography.


A version that is a real fully functional high resolution camera. Once they work out all the software algorithms you'll be able to see all portions of the image in focus at the same time. That's what they're working on next.


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## Mantiskid (May 10, 2012)

oh I see.


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## dlemmings (May 15, 2012)

isnt stacking the method currently used to create an image that has good focus across depth by "combining" multiple pictures do capture different fields of focus?


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## Precarious (May 15, 2012)

mantiscurious said:


> isnt stacking the method currently used to create an image that has good focus across depth by "combining" multiple pictures do capture different fields of focus?


Yes, but stacking is a laborious process. Really detailed stacking requires a completely still subject (think dead bugs) or the automated algorithms inherit ugly artifacts. Conversely, manual stacking is very time consuming. I generally manually stack no more than 2 or 3 images, whereas deep stacks of dead insects can be composed of hundreds of images.

Would be truly amazing to capture everything in a single shot! That is a very exciting concept. Would revolutionize macro photography.

Just imagine if I could have all the detail of both flies in one shot...







And a shot like this would take one shot instead of two and have everything in sharp focus...


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## rs4guy (May 15, 2012)

Cool beans, I cant wait to see a HD version, I'll be in line..


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## Paradoxica (Jun 27, 2012)

What an age we live in :whistling:


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## more_rayne (Jun 28, 2012)

I'll only be interested when they come out with a high resolution version and drop the price some.


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## ShieldMantid1997 (Jul 5, 2012)

once they come out with an advanced DSLR version for macro i will hop on that so fast!


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