Tech Blog

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By now, some of you out there have probably already heard about Lytro and its Light Field Camera — the idea that you can snap a photo without having to focus on a subject first. No, because you can focus on the subject after the image has been taken, and even when you send the photo to someone else, they can focus on what they want too.

The technology behind is based on the concept that, unlike a conventional digital camera that captures light in two dimensions, Lytro’s can capture that and the entire light field around it. That means it can capture all the light sources in the photo and whatever direction they happen to be in.

Why is this cool? Because it’s different from 3D photos, which offer a unique depth of field, but no ability to alter the focal point or perspective. In this case, the photos may not ‘pop out’ like a 3D image, but the so-called “3D light sampling” is complemented by added information in the image to allow for more post-production options.

Here’s an example of how this works. The photo is the same, but notice how the focal points have changed? That was all done here with one click on the spot I chose.

Rather than megapixels, Lytro uses a term called “megarays”, which speaks to the millions of light rays the camera captures. And because there is no mechanical or active shutter, there should be no delay in snapping pics, since there’s no need to focus on anything to begin with.

Lytro is offering three models of the camera. The “Red Hot” 16GB model is going for $499, while the “Electric Blue” and “Graphite” 8GB models are going for $399. They’re apparently good for 750 or 350 photos, respectively.

None of them are out yet, and they’re not expected to be until 2012. Looks like Canada is left out right now, as are Windows PC users (coming soon, they say), since the software is Mac-only (how’s that for a rarity?).