Amazing New Camera

[John D]

Just received my copy of 'Outdoor Photography' in which there is an introduction to a new camera. For details see - Light Field camera | Lytro and click on 'The Science Inside'..

Very interesting development !

John D
Zenfolio | John's Wild World

[Ukwildlifeo]

I saw something on this a few weeks ago. Quite remarkable, a true raw file where not only can the white balance, exposure be changed but the focus as well!

[turkeyneck]

Just checked the link out John, looks really interesting but........I don't know?
It feels like that little bit of work (ie fun) we have to do after going digital from film, to get the shot, that even this will be taken away from us.
Could this be the beginning of the end of another era in photography

[PMG]

I hope they keep this for fun cameras and not start changing the dslr's its all very clever and all that - but frankly I want to decide what I;m focusing on at the time I take the pic - not be presented with a fait accompli once I have downloaded as in it sharpens what it thinks it will - its ok for a point and press but I wouldn't be happy with it for my work with wildlife photography??

Pauline

[nightshade]

I hope it comes with good software, it is a pain having new kit then having to find £500 for good 3rd party software

[GTH]

Originally Posted by turkeyneck

Just checked the link out John, looks really interesting but........I don't know?
It feels like that little bit of work (ie fun) we have to do after going digital from film, to get the shot, that even this will be taken away from us.
Could this be the beginning of the end of another era in photography

....I have to agree with Turkeyneck. In theory this changes photography completely and takes the "Art and skill" of the individual out of it. Scary really. Like Pauline i hope it`s just a point and shot, however why should they stop just there ?

Geoff

[bripriuk]

Hi
The downside of the Lytro is that it takes a 16Mp sensor to take a 0.5Mp image, so it will be a long time before it's practical.

Brian

[John D]

Originally Posted by bripriuk

Hi
The downside of the Lytro is that it takes a 16Mp sensor to take a 0.5Mp image, so it will be a long time before it's practical.

Brian

Maybe so but it isn't so long ago since the same was being said about 'DIGITAL'.

John D
Zenfolio | John's Wild World

[DorsetDunk]

I would not worry about it replacing our existing dslr its Just a gimmick and hardly revolutionary in fact the concept can easy be replicated with a normal dslr using a series of stacked shots and transparent layers in a slideshow to achieve the same effect

[Lancashire Lad]

Actually, I can see such technology being extremely useful, not only for the point and shoot types, but for serious "enthusiast" photographers as well.

If I understand correctly, with this technology, everything within the frame is actually available to be in perfect focus, but only a given plane of focus is rendered as sharp at any given time.

If this is correct, then it can only be a matter of software interpolation, to be able to adjust that "sharp plane of focus" to whichever section of the image that the photographer wants.

Think about it - what is the most common gripe that photographers have with digital cameras? - "Well it would have been a great shot but the camera's autofocus didn't quite lock onto the bird's eye" - or whatever.

Since the dawn of photography, photographers have tweaked virtually every aspect of their photos "post camera" to create the best possible image. Sharpening, cloning, white balance, colour, saturation, & contrast correction - the list goes on.

Why then, if also being able to tweak the plane of focus was an option, should that be classed as "taking the art and skill" out of things any more than the effects we already take for granted? - Look at it this way, we might be able to use this instead of the image sharpening that we currently need to do.

One area where I can see great potential for this would be with macro. Surely it would be possible (again via suitable software) to produce what would effectively be focus stacks from a single image. i.e. such software would effectively stack the various in focus slices available within the recorded image data, to produce one fully focussed (stacked) image.

Currently, focus stacking is time consuming when compared to single shot photography, and, depending on equipment, method of focus adjustment, and the number of images in a given stack, it can be somewhat hit and miss. - How great would it be to be able to remove many of the variables that can cause a stack to fail.

I don't consider technological innovation to be contrary to the enthusiast ethos. As far as I'm concerned, the end image is my reason for taking a photograph. If I can get exactly what I want with a minimum of fuss, then so much the better. - Many people decried autofocus and digital technology when they were in their infancy - but how many would now prefer to go back to the days of manual focus and film?

That this sort of thing removes art and skill, to me, seems rather odd. The way I look at things, it is the photographer's eye, sense of composition, creative vision, and all the other "intangibles" which make a great photographer. - You can give anyone the best kit available, but if they don't have the "insight" to make the best of a given situation, even with top of the range equipment, they will only produce record shots.

Regards,
Mike.