[Peter Zack]

This could easily change cameras as we know them. That is if it works and is adopted by or licensed to major manufacturers.

Lytros Light Field camera

Sure would change many lens collections.

[psychdoc]

Interesting. But I am skeptical.

I am waiting for the day though when glass in lenses are no longer needed. Replace glass with something else so that cameras are super compact but have the same image quality. No need to lug around big stuff. But I am not keeping my fingers crossed on that happening. At least in my useful lifetime.

[Michaelina2]

Check out....

Topaz Lens Effects - Simulate Lens, Filter and Speciality Camera Effects

It permits the photographer to determine (after the shot) the image's picture plane location then allows the application of various "filters" that can alter the features within the image. Several webinar recordings are provided that demonstrate how it works.

Cheers...

[slip]

I am betting that this is done with multi photos (photoshop layers) on top of each other with different DOF.
they seem to have software that can auto choose the proper layer in the area you click.

cheers

[paulh]

Interesting stuff. Here's a NYTimes article on the same subject: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/technology/22camera.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 According to this article, the company will be making their own cameras, instead of licensing to a large camera manufacturer.

[newarts]

It is cool. I'm guessing the basis used to be called 4D photography... http://schlerplotti.typepad.com/quantworks/2005/11/stanford_studen.html

The key thing was that at each "point" on the sensor recorded not only
three colors but also a number of ray directions - like maybe straight, angled
up, angled down, angled left, & angled right. The NYT article refers to microprisms IIRC.

The angle info can then be computationally analyzed for depth info.

When I first read about it I thought computation speed might be a problem.
I guess that computational load seldom is a problem anymore.

[nater]

Check out....

Topaz Lens Effects - Simulate Lens, Filter and Speciality Camera Effects

It permits the photographer to determine (after the shot) the image's picture plane location then allows the application of various "filters" that can alter the features within the image. Several webinar recordings are provided that demonstrate how it works.

Cheers...

This new technology is nothing like software post-processing. It involves a micro-lens array (upwards of 90,000 micro-lenses) in front of the sensor (and either in front of or behind the main lens). It's a new way of capturing light. The wikipedia articles on plenoptic cameras and light field photography give a good technical introduction.

The real question for me is the form of this new camera - will it be a high-end point and shoot to begin with? What will the main lens be like? Will there eventually be any sort of interchangeable lens system? How much light is lost by the extra microlenses? Will the microlens array make sensor-based shake reduction impractical due to size/weight issues of the sensor system? What will the total light gathering capability and final resolution be like? Will it be using a traditional Bayer filter sensor or something else? Will there be any video capabilities? What will processing times be like?

[George Lama]

Interesting read... all cool technology aside, wonder how many will whine if it's not a FF sensor

New camera lets you focus photos after you shoot - CNN.com

[K-9]

It certainly could render millions of cameras as obsolete as the vinyl record.

Vinyl is certainly not obsolete. Even the local FYE record store in the lowly mall near me sells new vinyl, as well as several other new music stores in my area.

You should have said 8 track, or cassette.

The pictures here were probably all shot at f22, or with a tilt/shift type lens and then the software lets you change focus areas later.

[nater]

I just had another thought... if a plenoptic camera can capture light waves in such a way that aberrations (chromatic, spherical, etc.) and coma are a non-issue, and if one of the reasons we like different lenses today is because of their 'flaws' (i.e. character, which is due to aberrations and lack of perfection, as well as minor things like number of aperture blades), perhaps it will be possible to model particular lenses mathematically and then apply those mathematical models on a computer during the light field processing stage, i.e. perhaps one day I will be able to simulate a picture with a Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2 lens model applied to the captured image taken with a plenoptic camera. Companies with patents on lens designs may be able to extend these patents into the digital domain regarding these mathematical models of their lenses, and sell the virtual lenses in the future.

[Peter Zack]

Vinyl is certainly not obsolete. Even the local FYE record store in the lowly mall near me sells new vinyl, as well as several other new music stores in my area.

You should have said 8 track, or cassette.

The pictures here were probably all shot at f22, or with a tilt/shift type lens and then the software lets you change focus areas later.

I take your point but how many kids these days know what a turn table is? I have a large collection of vinyl but my kid's friends have never seen them until they visit the house. maybe i should have said Beta VCR

Interesting stuff. Here's a NYTimes article on the same subject: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/technology/22camera.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 According to this article, the company will be making their own cameras, instead of licensing to a large camera manufacturer.

If they don't license this, I wonder how well it will fly? Apple doing it themselves is one thing but even Sony failed with the superior Beta system and they had much deeper pockets. People aren't going to toss out $thousands in lens and cameras for this too quickly. Plus as others have stated, this may not be completely new and who knows what the mainstream camera makers have sitting on the shelf.

I could see someone like Canon buying the company before it gets big and burying the patent in the bottom of the file cabinet.

[DogLover]

Pretty soon, there won't be much "sport" to taking photos at all. It's already getting harder for pros to make a living, this is just another step in that direction. I guess eventually they'll automate creativity and "vision."

[stevebrot]

This technology has been floating around research circles for several years and the theory extends back more than 100 years. Here are a few links from Lytro's founder's research on the subject:

Light Field Photography with a Hand-Held Plenoptic Camera
Light fields and computational photography
Light Field Microscopy

...and the inevitable Wikipedia articles...

Light field - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plenoptic_camera

What you get is not a true captured image, but instead is an extrapolation of available data to create a synthetic image. It is indeed very cool.


Steve

[Deimos]

I bet you will never get the kind of interesting bokeh you see with many of the lenses popular here. That said, it would be a great feature to have.

[K-9]

Yes, betamax would have worked. I remember going into a local mall in the 80's and they had two video stores, one that had VHS rentals and one that had Beta. The VHS rental store had about 12x as many movies to choose from. Needless to say, I never went back to the Beta store.