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A few years back, the media went ga-ga over the Lytro Light Field Camera, which promised to revolutionize photography as we know it.
Didn’t happen. Although CNET had some good things to say, reviews were mixed across the board — and potential buyers balked at the $400 price tag.
The Lytro camera.
Lytro
Ah, but how about $50? Yugster has the Lytro Light Field Camera (8GB) for just $49.97, plus $5 for shipping, and they’re going fast: Of the four colors available, two show just a handful left. Consequently, I was hesitant to even share this deal, as I fear they’ll all be sold out soon — but I also wanted to gauge reader interest for the next time they come around.
I’m no photography expert, so I’m going to let CNET’s Joshua Goldman do the heavy lifting:
“Instead of relying on the standard sensor found in other digital imaging devices and cameras, Lytro outfits this camera with an array of microlenses that allow it to capture the color, intensity, and vector direction of rays of light. Called light-field photography, the technology allows the camera to shoot instantly without the need to focus first.
“When you press the shutter release, the camera collects light from all directions. Next, the camera’s software compiles what’s basically a 3D map of the captured image. Once you post the photo, anyone with the URL can refocus the image by clicking on a new area of focus.
“The technology is amazing, without question.”
Sounds pretty cool, no? Unfortunately, the camera still suffers from limited, non-expandable storage and a proprietary file format.
But at this price, I think you can forgive a lot. Photographers who routinely pull out different cameras and/or lenses depending on the situation might be very glad to have one of these in their bag of gear.
I’m going to wrap it up there so I can get this published quickly, in hopes that anyone who wants a $50 Lytro can get a $50 Lytro.
Your thoughts?
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