Light Field Camera
By capturing all the light rays in a scene, photos can be focused after they're taken.Lytro’s light field camera represents the most significant shift in photography since the transition from film to digital. The light field fully defines how a scene appears, from the foreground to the background and everything in between.
Unlike conventional cameras, which can only record a scene in two dimensions, light field cameras capture all of the light traveling in every direction through a scene in four dimensions. A light field picture taken with a Lytro camera can be manipulated after the fact in ways not possible with editing software.
Light field cameras capture fundamentally more powerful data than possible in regular photographs. To record this additional data, Lytro cameras feature an innovative new light field sensor that captures the color, intensity, and direction of every light ray. Powerful software within the camera then processes the picture into a light field picture file that anyone can interact with, without needing special software.
“This is the next big evolution of the camera,” said CEO and Founder Dr. Ren Ng. “The move from film to digital was extraordinary and opened up picture taking to a much larger audience. Lytro is introducing Camera 3.0, a breakthrough that lets you nail your shot every time and never miss a moment. Now you can snap once and focus later to get the perfect picture.”
Lytro camera capabilities include shoot now, focus later capabilities; unparalleled speed (no need to autofocus as the shutter button is pressed); living pictures (viewers can focus on different details without needing software); low-light sensitivity (the camera uses only available light with no flash); and immersive 3D (control the perspective view of a scene).
HOW IT WORKS
The light field is a core concept in imaging science, representing fundamentally more powerful data than in regular photographs. The light field defines how a scene appears. It is the amount of light traveling in every direction through every point in space—it’s all the light rays in a scene.
Recording light fields requires a new kind of sensor called a light field sensor, which captures the color, intensity, and vector direction of the rays of light. This directional information is completely lost with traditional camera sensors, which simply add up all the light rays and record them as a single amount of light.
By substituting software for many of the internal parts of regular cameras, light field processing introduces capabilities that were never before possible. Sophisticated algorithms use the full light field to unleash new ways to make and view pictures. Relying on software rather than components can improve performance, from increased speed of picture taking to the potential for capturing better pictures in low light. It also creates new opportunities to innovate on camera lenses, controls, and design.
Light field cameras allow both the picture taker and the viewer to focus pictures after they’re snapped, shift their perspective of the scene, and even switch seamlessly between 2D and 3D views. With these amazing capabilities, pictures become immersive, interactive visual stories that were never before possible.
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Posted by Bruce at 14 Nov 2011 
Categories: Entertainment Engineering
Tags: Lytro photography camera photo editing Dr. Ren Ng digital photography
Categories: Entertainment Engineering
Tags: Lytro photography camera photo editing Dr. Ren Ng digital photography
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