Lytro Light Field Camera: technology, impressions, and more – The Verge

Toshiba to take on Lytro with refocusing smartphone camera

2012-12-27T05:25:40-05:00

toshiba lytro sensor

Toshiba is working on an image sensor that will let smartphone or tablet users refocus photos that have already been shot, according to the Asahi Shimbun. The effect sounds very similar to the Lytro light field camera that was released earlier this year, but that device was over four inches long.

500,000 microlenses, 1-centimeter cube

Toshiba's module, on the other hand, is cube-shaped, uses an array of over 500,000 microlenses in front of a 5 x 7mm sensor, and measures about one centimeter on each side, meaning it should fit into a smartphone - albeit not a particularly thin one. Toshiba's software will combine the images captured by each mi …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Lytro adds 3D-like perspective shifting and filters to its light field images

2012-11-15T18:59:54-05:00

Gallery Photo: Lytro review pictures

One thing we loved about Lytro from the beginning is that the camera should get better over time - the company has always claimed it's collecting more data than it's using, and over the last six months has been rolling out software updates that add more features to your camera, and even to your existing images. The company announced two new features today, as it gears up for the holiday season: perspective shift and filters.

When we saw perspective shift for the first time (a feature we had a hunch was coming to Lytro's cameras), it almost felt impossible. Instead of shifting focus from one spot to another, you can actually move the image a …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Lytro adds manual controls as its camera hits stores worldwide

2012-10-09T11:00:35-04:00

Lytro controls

The futuristic light-field Lytro camera is finally hitting store shelves today, and to mark the occasion the camera's getting a big update as well. So the company's added the ability to control shutter speed and ISO into the equation, plus the ability to lock exposure and toggle a Neutral Density filter. When we spoke with Eric Cheng, Lytro's director of photography, he told us the biggest request he's gotten from users is for more control so more experienced shooters can get the exact shot they want - these updates don't create a totally manual experience, but they're a step in the right direction.

Lytro's always been reluctant to give use …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Lytro inks retail deals with Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and international distributors

2012-09-25T08:00:52-04:00

Gallery Photo: Lytro review pictures

Lytro, the Mountain View-based company that produces the eponymous light field camera, has signed distribution agreements with a number retailers, both in the US and internationally. From October 9th, US customers will be able to purchase the device online from Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, supplementing Lytro's existing online store - it will also be available in Target's CityTarget brick-and-mortar stores in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Westwood, Seattle, and Chicago from November.

International availability is more complicated. The company notes that the camera will be available online through Canada's Future Shop on October 9th and in-st …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Lytro light-field photography finally makes its way to Windows via new app

2012-07-24T13:52:06-04:00

Lytro hero (1024px)

Lytro's light field camera is certainly one of the more creative photograph tools we've seen in recent years, but so far Mac users have been the only ones able to process its unique photos. That all changes today - Lytro just released desktop software for Windows so Microsoft users can now download and process images from the camera. Due to Lytro's proprietary file format which lets users shift focus after the image has been taken, standard photo-processing software is useless - having a Windows app opens up a whole new market of potential buyers.

Make sure you check the minimum specs before rushing out and buying a Lytro, though - users ar …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Lytro CEO Ren Ng steps down, assumes Executive Chairman role

2012-06-29T21:09:42-04:00

Lytro Ren Ng stock 1024

Ren Ng, creator and CEO of light field camera maker Lytro, has announced that he will be stepping down and taking on a new role as the company's Executive Chairman. Detailed in a blog post on the company's website, Ng says he will shift his focus from day-to-day operations to a more product development and strategy-centric position. While the company has not named a permanent replacement, the company's current Executive Chairman Charles Chi will be taking the helm as interim CEO. While no further explanation was provided for the reorganization, Ng says that the shift will allow him to focus on areas where he is "most passionate."

Read the full story at The Verge.

Lytro interactive pictures now part of Twitter’s ‘expanded tweets’

2012-06-13T19:23:02-04:00

Gallery Photo: Lytro review pictures

We recently covered Twitter's roll out of what it calls "expanded tweets," and now you can add Lytro's interactive images to the list of supported embedded content. This means that images taken with the light field camera can have their focal point, or depth of field, adjusted right from your Twitter stream rather than following a link out to Lytro's photo sharing site. Be patient, though, because this feature "begins rolling out today," so it might take a bit of time for it to take effect for everyone.

Read the full story at The Verge.

Lytro plenoptic camera now shipping to early adopters

2012-02-29T17:59:01-05:00

Gallery Photo: Lytro review pictures

Looks like we're not the only ones to get a Lytro this month: according to company founder and CEO Ren Ng, the tubular light field camera is now shipping to the first batch of pre-order customers. If you were entranced by the groundbreaking shoot-first, focus-later camera in our review today and plan to order one now, we're sorry to tell you that you'll won't be getting it quite that soon yourself. Lytro tells us that production is underway and units will be shipping continually to customers from now on, but if you buy today, you'll still have to wait for April or May for it to arrive at your door.

Read the full story at The Verge.

Lytro review

2012-02-29T17:00:08-05:00

Lytro hero (1024px)

There are a few easy ways to make a digital camera better: make the sensor bigger, improve the quality of the lens, speed up the processor. But those are incremental improvements on a basic technology that hasnâ€™t changed much in a long time. Lytro scrapped all that and built the self-titled Lytro camera, a digital camera that neither looks nor operates like any camera youâ€™ve ever seen: it measures megarays instead of megapixels, captures light fields instead of light, and lets you focus your pictures after youâ€™ve taken them. The company promises more impressive, more malleable, and more useful pictures than youâ€™ve ever gotten from a …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Lytro Light Field Camera teardown finds Bluetooth & Wi-Fi chip hidden inside

2012-02-09T04:59:11-05:00

Lytro FCC

The Lytro Light Field Camera has made its way through the FCC testing process, and during its disassembly revealed a surprise along the way - the camera has a Marvell Avastar 88 W8787 SoC capable of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity inside. We'd not heard anything about wireless options from Lytro before now, but the chip's inclusion opens up a number of possibilities, including wireless transfer of photos or remote control of the camera from your smartphone or PC. It's possible that Lytro only plans to enable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but we can't tell since they're both on the same SoC - a common way to deploy wireless on mobile devices. However, …

Read the full story at The Verge.