Light-field Technology

[Kallenator]

This is rather mind boggling to be honest. :o

http://allthingsd.com/20110621/meet-...mera-industry/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_fields
http://graphics.stanford.edu/papers/...era-150dpi.pdf

[lkiller123]

Must be very very VERY expensive.

[1ke]

Idea is that it's cheap. So far the company is only funded with $50 million venture capital (small cost). We know they are targeting consumers because anyone who can manually focus a lens can do this already.

[Kallenator]

Must be very very VERY expensive.

I doubt that. Given that we already have similar stuff on our DSLR's today. Canon has implemented micro lenses onto the CMOS sensor itself to help each photocell gather more light. This I think is comparable to a certain degree.

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/canoneos7d/page3.asp

[Lestat]

http://www.lytro.com/picture_gallery


this is way beyond what the current cameras are doing. like way wayyyy beyond.
current cameras capture small amounts of data, and only collect the right amount of light for the given focal point, this Lytro camera claims to capture every single piece of light in the entire frame.
which, can and would allow the focal point to be moved.

the picture above of the 50D vs 7D is nothing more than pixel density light gathering.
more pixels require more light gathering capabilities and Canon knew it so they had to give the 18mp sensor more light gathering lenses.
otherwise you end up like you did with the 50D and have poor iso performance.
its also why the 40D is a better iso performer than the 50D. its pixel density and light gathering methods for said pixel density are better.
fewer pixels per square mm vs more pixels crammed into the same area.

thats a pi$$ poor comparison to what Lytra is doing though.

this is why on current cameras if you are off even a cm on the focal point the entire shot is blown.
sure you might be able to sharpen it up in photoshop but it wont fix a misfocused shot, you can not physically move the focal point to a different shot to recover a blown picture.

Lytra claims to be able to do that.
somehow i dont think this will ever come to light, or if it does, them it will be from a different company and called something different because Lytra wont have the funding to mass produce the cameras.

BUT, if they get enough on the market, then funding wont be an issue since they will have forever changed the way we use our cameras and everyone will be buying their products.
i picture movie companies buying and using this technology long before consumer or prosumer or even pro cameras get it.

they said that it will be competetively priced with current consumer cameras.
they also said it will be small enough to fit in your pocket.
so... priced to compete with current point and shoot cameras... means $250-$500

any way you look at it this is mind blowing if its real.

[Kallenator]

I should have made myself clearer, my point was that microlenses today are being used in large scale at a far smaller physically size. Therefor making far larger microlenses should be possible.

I am not an idiot lestat

Btw, has anyone read through their thesis. Looks to me like they take use of what is known as the hyper focal point, amongst other things which I do not understand.