The Lytro camera is the first consumer camera that records the entire light field-all the rays of light traveling in every direction through a scene-instead of a flat 2D image. Shoot first, focus later By capturing the light field, you can do incredible things. Like refocus pictures after you take them. This also means that the Lytro camera has no autofocus-and none of the shutter delay that comes with it. Do more than tell a story. Recreate it. Refocus to discover new elements within the scene and move the picture in any direction to change your point of view with Perspective Shift. Use Living Filters to create a unique look. Now every picture you take is a chance to tell a new kind of story. Grip Made from precision-tooled silicone, the grip is easy to hold. Shutter Button The Lytro camera has no auto-focus - and none of the shutter delay that comes with it. Lens An 8x optical zoom lens with a constant f/2 aperture offers a wide range of creative shots. Touchscreen You control most of the camera functions with a tap or a swipe. And the backlit display lets you compose, review, and refocus your pictures. Light field sensor We joined a micro-lens array to a digital image sensor to capture the color, intensity, and direction of light entering the camera - 11 million light rays to be precise. Light field engine The light field engine processes the light rays captured by the sensor, so you can view pictures on the screen and refocus them with a tap. Battery Long-life Li-Ion internal battery lets you continue shooting without having to stop for a charge. Shop Amazon - Hot New Releases in Camera & Photo
FEATURE :
- 16GB storage captures 750 living pictures.
- 8x optical zoom lens with constant f/2 aperture offers a wide range of creative shots.
- Unique micro-lens array with digital image sensor captures the color, intensity, and direction of light entering the camera.
- Light field engine processes the four-dimensional data captured by the sensor, so you can view it on the screen and refocus with a tap.
- 1.52" back-lit LCD glass touchscreen display allows you to control most of the camera functions with a tap or a swipe.
SOME OF THE SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEW FROM AMAZON :
1) A great new photo technology, but not for everyone! So do your research! - I've owned a Lytro for about 5-6 months now, after eagerly pre-ordering it last October. I am big into taking pictures of my 2 kids (4 and 6) and am starting to do more photos of insects, birds, nature stuff I notice... I am not anywhere near a "professional" photographer, or even a very proficient. I take a lof of pictures with Canon sx230HS, but I got very impressed with the new opportunities when I read about LYTRO technology. The ability to refocus, hence have "multiple pictures in one", the possibility to unlock new possibilities with the future software releases (like 3D, "allinfocus"), as well as adding functionality to the camera with firmware updates, like just added manual settings mode - the technology seemed very exciting. This is something that has never been done before.
I do get frustrated sometimes with the light glare on the LCD, and the inability to really evaluate the images on the camera due to the small LCD. Also the processing time required on a PC can be annoying at times... but this is a new way of thinking and an opportunity to be a part of something groundbreaking.The quality of pictures, as compared to digital photography of even point-and-shoot cameras, is certainly not there, as you can only get a static image of 1080x1080.. but that is NOT the point of LYTRO.. The point of it is to "tell a story in a different way". Once you get over that and actually think in the way Lytro enables you too, the fact that the images can be shared only through Lytro's website (which you get access to, and storage on, when you get the camera), as well as the "insufficient" megapixels, and noticeable grain in the images when lighting is not perfect... that all dissolves when you adjust your thinking - but only then. It's really not even about the initial "wow" effect of the abilities of the camera.. it's more about the "image revolution" that this device may create in the photography world.
I am actually learning about photography and becoming more interested in it because of this camera.
Being able to take part in few Beta evaluations for Lytro was quite an experience as well.. and simply keeps showing me that comparing it to, or attempting to replace a current camera with this one, is not the goal here.. Which seems to confuse a lot of users who were considering or even ordered the camera and then decided to return it due to image quality or just not meeting their expectations...
Also realize you HAVE to have a MAC with certain level of OS or a Windows7 64bit PC to use the software. The memory is not expandable, the battery not replaceable... cannot attach filters and lenses "as is". There are more and more accessories, like a tripod mount, wall charger, people have made "LED lights" for it... so the market "around it" is growing.
So make sure and look through Lytro's web site - support forums, knowledge articles, how tos, galleries, whether Lytro is right for you! But, if you decide you want to try it, you will probably not be disappointed. If however the photo size and the quality are huge for you - hold off till the future hardware releases - in case they do manage to put a larger CCD in there and add other hardware improvements.
Definitely DO NOT buy it blindly only reading the Amazon description and specs.. that will not give you the full picture of what you are getting and may skewed your expectations big time!
Oh, and if you get it, prepare for a relatively high learning curve.. that goes for the way of thinking even more than the actual skill to use the camera in a "technical" sense of the world... although, that is a part of it too ;)
I hope this review is helpful to you, and that if you do get the camera - you will enjoy it!
Happy decision making and have fun if you get it!
By Grzegorz Tokarski on October 10, 2012
2) Amazing, but with one small problem - When I read about the Lytro its coolness factor made it a "must have" addition to my hobbiest photo bag. As another reviewer pointed out, when you point this red rectangle at subjects in public you attract attention. The non-photographers glaze over quickly -- it's often difficult to see the refocusing effect on the viewfinder, and they just don't get it. But I've also heard "you mean the light field camera exists? I thought it was just theory!" and "you've got one! Can I see it?"
The Lytro is not an easy camera to be successful with. Go skim the public gallery at [...] and be amazed at the depth-of-field tricks. Then try to duplicate those fantastic images. Keep trying. Try different subjects. As someone else said, you have to change your composition thought process for this camera. You have to look at everything, and look for contrasts. My impulse is to shoot rows of similar things -- a row of terra cotta warrior statues, a bush covered in flowers. But many of the more striking images are of contrast -- the thing in the foreground provides commentary on the surprising thing in the distance, once you refocus. That kind of composition is much harder. Also, what about the lighting conditions? When it's bright, the Lytro can capture everything in sharp focus at once -- at least that's my experience.
Originally in this review I had said that you can't export your images to a common, "flat" format. It turns out you can: In the desktop software (not on the Lytro web site), pick a focal point in an image, return to the library view, and right click to select Export JPG. Unfortunately, the resulting image is not very big -- about 3.5 x 3.5 inches at 300 dpi. You won't be able to make a big, beautiful print to frame. But it's suitable for social media and email.
So what's the problem? You're going to lose the lens cap. It's this totally cool magnetized rubber square that falls off at the slightest nudge. An A+ for sleek design. An F for utility. Check the support forums -- you'll see that so many early buyers complained of this, Lytro sent out free replacements. Lytro says they'll do a redesign, but we early buyers can try a piece of duct tape along the bottom edge of the cap folded onto the camera. Then it can flap down for shooting. Effective, if ugly. Or put a lens cap leash on it (and use some extra strong glue, because the stick-um comes detached from the rubber).
That negativity out of the way, I'll conclude that I love this thing for making me look at things differently. It's always with me, even when I leave the big Nikon behind.
By S. M. McCroskey on October 26, 2012
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