LYTRO Light field camera

I think this will be the future. I like it how everyone here says focussing is easy etc. Rubbish. Everyone has missed a shot in their lifetime due to poor focus. I have missed many that are just out. The ability to refocus post shooting is groundbreaking although very much in its infancy.

It will make things easier for photographers and I am sure there will be nay sayers, as there was with in camera mattering, autofocus, the rise of digital etc.

Never judge products like this on their merits now, look at what they could become in 5-10 years time.
 
Personally I don't like this.

I see photography as an art, not a technological exercise, and for me I can see this taking half the fun and satisfaction away.
 
I think the Lytro is far less about the technology than, for example, 50D. But where you draw the line between what is the technology of photography and what is the art of photography is one of those things that's different for each of us.
 
odd jim said:
Personally I don't like this.

I see photography as an art, not a technological exercise, and for me I can see this taking half the fun and satisfaction away.
Click to expand...

In what way does this take the art out of photography?
 
dubcat said:
In what way does this take the art out of photography?
Click to expand...

It doesn't take the art out per se, I never said that, only that the technology is almost taking over skill sets of the photographer and taking away some of the importance of the photographers camera inputs in the photo taking phase. It's automating the process of photography a little too much IMO and the end result is far less what the photographer achieved than what the camera achieved.

Dont get me wrong, the technology would certainly have it's uses, especially in compacts where the user is happy for it all to be automated but I personally wouldn't like to see this is dslr's / slt's.
 
Last edited:
odd jim said:
Dont get me wrong, the technology would certainly have it's uses, especially in compacts where the user is happy for it all to be automated but I personally wouldn't like to see this is dslr's / slt's.
Click to expand...

Auto focus of infinite varieties, metering options all over the place, digital, hd video etc. When they came out the same thing was said that too far taking the skill. The skill has always been composition and there is no way for a camera to do that.........Yet.

I understand your point about skill, but I think it will be something that will be something a lot of people want, What's the difference between this and the top of the line Canikon focussing system that is in their flagship camera to help you get focus bang on. Just technology helping you.
 
ding76uk said:
Auto focus of infinite varieties, metering options all over the place, digital, hd video etc. When they came out the same thing was said that too far taking the skill. The skill has always been composition and there is no way for a camera to do that.........Yet.

I understand your point about skill, but I think it will be something that will be something a lot of people want, What's the difference between this and the top of the line Canikon focussing system that is in their flagship camera to help you get focus bang on. Just technology helping you.
Click to expand...

The difference is that the tog selects the focus point, depth of field, etc, before taking the shot, not afterwards.

Having said that, I can see its uses as well - not only compacts, but also medical/scientific/surgical and maybe some video applications as well - shifting focus points in post-production, for example...
 
Catdaddy said:
The difference is that the tog selects the focus point, depth of field, etc, before taking the shot, not afterwards.
Click to expand...

And the artistic difference is what, exactly?

Until it's printed it doesn't count.. unless you're displaying in a non-print medium, in which case the Lytro derived image presents additional and alternative artistic possibilities.

The artistic input starts well before the shutter is pressed and ends only when the audience views it. The order you make your decisions as the photographer/artist in between these two points is entirely unimportant.
 
Don't get me wrong - I DO see its uses, as I've said. But I also think it's going to be a long way off until it can offer the same versatility and quality as a decent DSLR with associated lenses.
 
You've got to remember though, this is more of a camera than a DSLR. Photograph is light drawing effectively, yes?

The lytro's selling point is that it uses light field technology to allow you to capture the moment AFTER you've composed it. So you can take a picture of your friend at the football pitch and have them in focus and the background out of focus as if you had taken it with a fast aperture lens or have absolutely everything in focus to capture the true essence of the picture you were trying to capture.

sure, i'd love to give this a go, but at the end of the day it's a £499 toy. Thats an iPad to some other people.

It is the first ever camera to use patented light field technology though, it would be nice to have a blast on it :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top