Focus better with light field

By Li Qiaoyi Source:Global Times Published: 2014-4-25 5:03:02

On the list of photography rules for neophytes, finding focus is always among the few top basics that must be remembered. But being precise with the focus in order to take sharp images isn't an easy task even for professionals.

The emergence of new technology, however, has offered a workable solution by allowing photographers to effortlessly refocus their photos after shooting.

It's hardly a pure lab experiment, but rather has been available to consumers since Lytro Inc's introduction of the world's first light-field camera back in 2011.

Lytro, a Mountain View, California-based light-field startup company, was founded in 2006 by Ren Ng, who created a new range of gizmos based on his research conducted at Stanford University.

Unlike traditional shooting, light field, or plenoptic, enables adjustments to be made to photos by recording the entire light field around the camera, therefore photographers can choose different focus points to refocus the frame after they've taken the pictures.

In a fresh attempt to show its muscle despite the market's lukewarm reception, the startup company unveiled on Tuesday its new Illum camera, a more sophisticated, digital SLR-like light-field machine.

With the new camera, Lytro appears to live up to its pledge made in November 2013 when the camera revolutionary announced it had raised a $40 million round of financing to expand its picture renovation with new products.

A few other companies are peeking into light field as well, although they have yet to unveil any plans to join Lytro in the plenoptic adventure.

Japanese electronics giant Panasonic has patented a light-filed image sensor earlier this month, hinting at a focus-free full-resolution camera, according to media reports.

US consumer gadget giant Apple Inc was granted in late November last year a patent for a Lytro-like camera system enabling refocusing of an image, triggering speculation of a big upgrade in the next-generation iPhone by sporting a refocusable camera.

Furthermore, some smartphone vendors have equipped their phones with Lytro camera-like functionality adding to the strength of their hardware.

With increased attention on the new technology, some people believe the light-field camera segment is showing promise this year, but there are still lots of doubts about the new gizmo's future.

"Lytro's revolutionized products may light up the camera market, but it is hardly redefining the camera sector to an extent that it poses a threat to the current market dominators such as Canon, Nikon and Sony," Horse Liu, Shenzhen-based principal analyst for consumer electronics research at consultancy firm IHS, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

To pitch the professional-grade Illum camera to even amateur photographers, Lytro quoted Kyle Thompson, a Chicago-based photographer known for his surrealist self-portraits in its press release Tuesday.

"My photography style pushes me to look for ways to tell a more compelling story with every image. Lytro Illum gave me that ability by incorporating an interactive element that captures different visual touch points at every depth," Thompson said.

But it appears to be not convincing enough for photography lover Han Tao to consider trading in his old Nikon D90 for a fancy Illum camera.

"Finding focus is a primary source of pleasure for many photography aficionados," 29-year-old Han, hailing from Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "I could surely resist the lure [of being able to refocus after shooting], however desirous it might seem to be."

Lytro Illum



With the release of Lytro's second-generation light-field camera, founder Ren Ng said in a company statement on Tuesday that he hopes to advance the new era in photography with the original Lytro camera to a new level.

Unlike the original model which looks like a pocket flashlight, the new Illum won't raise questions over its identity as a camera.

Featuring its proprietary software platform that enables a set of playback controls in addition to post-capture image adjustments, the camera measures in at 86 by 145 by 166 millimeters and weighs 940 grams.

It packs a 40-megaray light field sensor, 8x optical zoom lens, a constant aperture of f/2.0, and a 1/4000 of a second high-speed shutter as well. The camera also sports a 4-inch "smartphone-class" touch screen, according to the company.

To encourage early adopters, Lytro announced the availability of pre-orders for the new gadget on its website starting from Tuesday, offering early birds a special introductory price of $1,499, and an extended warranty for two years.

Shipments of the camera with a retail price of $1,599 will begin July 2014, according to Lytro.

The price tag of the Illum, more than triple that of the original Lytro camera, priced at $399, will discourage potential buyers who can't resist the lure, photography lover Han believes. 

Nokia Lumia 1520



 Handset veteran Nokia still retains some clout with camera phones despite the headwinds it has suffered in the hard-fought smartphone arena.

With the availability of its Refocus app for its Lumia lineup with Windows Phone 8, which lets users refocus a picture after it is taken, Nokia is hoping to sustain its reputation in camera phones.

Lumia 1520, which has recently been added to Nokia's Windows Phone lineup, sports Nokia's PureView branded camera featuring a 20-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and f/2.4 lens. The camera phone offers a light-field camera with the Refocus app, allowing users to opt for post-capture focal points.

The 6-inch phablet phone comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU and 2 gigabytes of RAM. Measuring in at 162.8 by 85.4 by 8.7 millimeters, the phone weighs 209 grams.

The light-field functionality may add to the hype of smartphone vendors, but it's unlikely to dramatically impress camera phone users, Liu at IHS remarked. 

HTC One M8

 

Taiwan phone maker HTC is also banking on mind-bending new technology to sharpen its brand image.

Its new flagship smartphone model, codenamed M8, was announced in March, and boasts its Duo Camera enabling users to "choose where to focus," according to the company, mimicking a Lytro-style effect. The new phone featuring an ultrapixel 4-megapixel sensor claims to achieve the refocusing effect with a single exposure, instead of a solution purely based on software.

With a frame of 146.36 by 70.6 by 9.35 millimeters, the new phone, weighing 160 grams, features a 5-inch full high-definition display. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and 2 gigabytes of RAM, the phone runs on Google's latest Android 4.4.2 operating system, also known as KitKat.



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