Last week I reported about a Panasonic patent disclosing a Light Field sensor with high-resolution (original article can be read here). Well to get a glimps of how such a Panasonic camera could work check out the newly announced Lyto Illum camera at lytro.com. It has an astonishing 30-250mm f/2.0 constant aperture lens for a 40 Megarays 1 inch sensor! 40 megarays is around 4-5 megapixel in 2D resolution. Such a compact and fast lens is possible to make for a Light Field camera because you don’t need glass to correct aberrations (A Light Field Sensor captures all light directions).
Now imagine Panasonic making a MFT camera with such a sensor. I think it could become a killer camera!
P.S.: Play with that image to learn in three seconds what a Ligh Field Camera can do:
27 Responses
Why there are two rumour websites (mirrorless rumors and 4/3 rumors) when both of them brings the same kind of news? 4/3 rumors it’s no longer about 4/3 news, it’s becoming some kind of “all-sort-of-photography-news”.
I don’t know, if any mft camera with this sensor would be a “killer camera”, but I do know that I am not interessed in this Lytro image browsers that you need to view multiple-rays-focus-anywhere photos. And in fullscreen mode these photos aren’t as nice as in small resolution.
It does not impress me at the moment too… but…
But be aware current Lytro cameras are kinda Wright brothers (in aviation) or Lumiere brothers (in cinematography). Let’s wait and see what happens. In between, I have enough of camera gear to keep me engaged.
Problem will be solved soon as I will have a new writer for MR this summer. Thatw ay I can keep me focused on 43rumors.
That said, Panasonic is working on such a tech. And I think it’s interesting news for the MFT world. Imagine such a camera with MFT mount. Could be quite a big news!
As I wrote somewhere else, it could be funny to play with the depth of field. Playing with the linked image sample I notice that when zooming in the image is not sharp. I wonder if this camera can be used as a “traditional” camera or limited to its software. I remember the original Lytro pictures being usable only via its own software.
Personally, the exagerated blurred background or foreground is distracting and in the long terms I find it quite boring.
It reminds me of the “Quicktime VR” (and similar tech) fad. Fun in a geeky sort of way, interesting in multimedia context, but of no real creative / artistic interest. The sort of thing which makes issues of WIRED magazine get outdated so fast 🙂
Then again back in the early 90s I said I couldn’t see the point of having photos on the WWW …
Yup, I agree. For now it seems (to me) something to play with, some kind of app. But built in the camera file. It is surely a new way of looking at pictures, please notice the word “looking”. Call me old fashioned, but I don’t like the idea of snapping pictures and then choosing the subject. I see it as going fishing by throwing grenades in the lake and then choose the right fish.
Yes, another cool toy.
If they could figure out a way to make an iPad app that uses the camera, it’d sell like hotcakes.
As far as I know, Steve Jobs, just a month before passing away, had a meeting at Lytro HQ because he was interested in their tech for his iDevices. I would not be surprised to see a similar if not the same implementation on next models.
It is more than a toy.
It is a revolutionary new way of conveying a scene. Yes you need portable computing technology and software to enjoy this new way of looking at a photographed scene, but it is very interesting and appealing. No wonder Jobs was interested. It is indeed early days, but we will see development efforts made by the big electronics/video/camera companies. I can see mobile devices with proximity sensors (the new thing after touch screens) allowing users to explore this imagery quite meaningfully. Imagine an aerial view of a multi-storied forest where you can focus down on different layers of the canopy as you need to. Or what about architectural presentations? The technology will definitely have more value than just play.
Paid fishermen do not have the luxury of nostalgia, they rake the sea with nets, pull in the biggest catch, and then pick from the best. This will eventually translate to pulling focus in post. Simply because we never had the tool before, does not make it any less relevant. Pulling focus in post (especially video) is the way of the future much like film to digital. Embrace it because here it comes!
Honest fishermen do not throw grenades in lakes but use nets. They have their hands dirt and work hard.
I’m not into video at all, so I can’t say, but as I wrote I see it as a different way to have fun while looking at a photo.
I prefer to choose the subject and do my best to capture what I see and want at that moment.
In my opinion with Lytro tech the special feeling of capturing “that” moment is lost and reduced to a simple step in post production.
I’m not against Lytro at all (I receive their newsletters since three years), I simply consider this tech a way to play with photos rather a way to improve my photography.
I believe you are confusing the two. There is making money in a profession, and the security of nailing a shot. Then there are enthusiasts who take photos for the love of the craft. They pour their time and energy into getting that perfect shot and the gratification that comes along with that. When you have a major contract with a client and you are rushing to achieve a shot and your AC does not pull the focus correctly or your peeking is off ever so slightly in 4k that can make or break a deal in the edit. If you do not achieve critical you cannot go back and recapture that moment without spending an exorbitant amount of time and money to reschedule the scene. This also becomes very taxing to your reputation as a professional amongst your peers and clients alike. You can be the very best DP in the industry and still make mistakes because afterall we are only human. With a new tool such as light field technology, I do not believe it’s fair to call it a cheat or scapegoat in opposition to “honest” photography… simply an evolution in a profession that was not originally available.
I understand what you say and I agree with you, when you say that this tool might help the pro photographer to nail the focus in PP. At the end it depends of what kind of photography you’re doing: are you in a hurry? Then snap and run home. Are you “tasting” the whole experience, composition, light exposure, focusing? Take your time and then adjust the image in PP if needed.
I’ve always seen the Lytro products as a different way to look at photos, not as an improvement. For example I personally don’t like the bride picture: when focusing on the bride the pink flowers are an ugly and distracting pink stain on the picture. When focusing on the flowers the bride could be a dancer, a mannequin, a poster on the wall, a Barbie. Perhaps it’s still too early to appreciate this tech but I admit it seems like a good step forward, compared to the first Lytro cameras. Let’s see and wait. In the meanwhile we’re lucky to have more than good tools for our hobby/passion/profession. Robert Capa’s Sligtly Out Of Focus is so far.
Ahh we can both agree! An exciting time this is. Lytro is not there yet but in 2-3 years I think they will wow us. Word is Red cameras are working on light field technology as well. I firmly believe this will change everything. Happy shooting to you!
This is much more impressive than their first camera. I like the prospect of digitally correcting aberrations using the extra information, thus keeping the lens construction simple. Other than that, words cannot describe how much I hate the term “megaray”. Marketing nonsense at it’s finest.
Admin, you hear Shaggy.
Wished you were not such a fanboy for Panasonic. No need to post lytro story because you think panny also working on such project.
When you have info/rumor to share about that, please do. But now lytro deserves to be celebrated as it’s own for what it is. Therefore leave this to your MirrorlessRumors page instead and think of us oly fanboys who already read MirrorlessRumors blog.
I completely disagree Mike. It’s good to see how such a Ligh Field image looks and works. If you don’ care just skip the news. I cannot post every time articles that can satusfy 100% of all the readers 🙂
Panasonic fanboy…lol. You have to read the comments back when I wrote about the E-M5 and E-M1. Soem said I was Olympus fanboy 🙂
you are…
You’re talking to the admin of an m4/3 rumor site. Wouldn’t it make sense for the blog to excitedly revolve around the two main m4/3 camera companies? I mean, isn’t that why most people come here?
Pejoratively calling him/her a fanboy is like getting upset because a sports team’s fan site posts too much about that team. Really really silly.
No worries. I am not upset
As much as I am an oly fanboy, admin should be a panny fan boy.
Otherwise how can he put all this time in to running this blog.
Hard job.
I will give him a break for this time. No hard feelings. 🙂
Guys at Lytro did a decent job updating their box design. It looks pretty sleek.
Mike, you are a guest here. Right now, a rude guest. Suggest you remember that.
http://www.non43rumors.com
Well, there is a Pansonic patent showing they are working in that direction. Isn’t it nice to see in real world samples what such a tech could do? Or are you pure fanboys with no interest in tech that is likely to come on a Panasonic camera?
It will fade away after the gimmick has worn off. I don’t see how you can have sharp focus optically on every depth. Too much reply on software – trash in trash out.
Speaking of non-rumors…what happened to the “FT-5” rated rumor for an E-P5 firmware update that would address shutter shock and improved focus peaking????
The re is no update and the topic has been dropped here??????
this certainly nothing for people who want to have everything in focus, but it should be a solution for the pdaf units where we experience alot of front and back focus issues 🙂