As a person who occasionally dabbles in visual design, video, and still photography, I’m always intrigued by any tool that seeks to open up the flat, rectangular field of traditional imaging. And that is precisely what the Lytro Illum does. It’s a form of Light Field Camera, meaning that rather than only capturing the intensity of light – as a traditional camera does – it also captures information about which direction those light rays are traveling in space. Combined with the ability to store and manipulate this information, one can create images that have multiple fields of focus, which can be manipulated by the viewer. Describing this with words is close to pointless, even if you grasp the concept. The possibilities are mind blowing, as the video below hints:
For some insight into device itself, check out the additional video below. The camera amazingly provides an f2 aperture across the entire range of its custom-designed 18mm-250mm lens, and features the ability to define and review multiple focal points in-camera. The camera until recently was over $1700, but is currently available on Amazon for under $400. The only reason I didn’t buy one today? I’m pretty sure it would compel me to head off in a new creative direction which would consume all my time. No joke. This camera is that innovative, and they’re currently taking the tech to the next level, with cinema-dedicated tools. Imagine the possibilities with VR!