Lytro camera revealed

755 megapixel cinema camera can refocus post-production

The realm of what was thought possible in the world of cinematography has just gotten a lot wider.

Lytro Inc., a company that specializes in developing light field cameras, unveiled their newest 755 megapixel cinema camera on Monday, and the reaction from those within the industry could be described as jaw-dropping.

The Lytro Cinema camera is bringing what was once thought of as an impossible dream to the hands of those lucky enough to experience it.

These cameras are very different than the traditional cameras we are used to. Traditional cameras act much like our own eyes do.

Light field cameras do not. Light field cameras are able to capture light from multiple vantage points. Images are produced with more color and depth than those produced by traditional cameras. And now, Lytro has created a way for filmmakers to refocus anywhere within a scene, even after it has been captured.

A video was released at the time of the announcement, describing and showcasing the technology, making even the most novice filmmakers and camera operators stop in their tracks.

The sensors in the Lytro Cinema are able to detect the direction in which light rays are traveling, recording photons in ways not done before. Every image in a shot suddenly becomes 3-Dimensional. That means that in addition to refocusing, the camera allows the user to adjust nearly anything about the scene.

Because of the way these photons are recorded, it makes it easier for editors to extract images within the scene, to place new ones in, making the need for the green screen nearly obsolete.

You can even change frame rate and shutter speeds postproduction. This can be adjusted for the whole shot or just objects within a shot. Angles, zooms, pans – almost anything you can think of – can all be changed after the fact. The Lytro Cinema is erasing the boundaries put on a filmmaker’s imagination.

The output for this camera is not very high-res, but fear not, it has the capability to render movies for 4K and 2K playback.

Lytro is otherwise known for their Illum photography camera that allows users to alter the focus of photographs. These cameras were built ready for the average consumer. Their cinema camera is not. The technology is completely novel and will not be marketed as a commercially purchasable product in the foreseeable future.

How much do these magic cameras cost, and how do you get your hands on one? Due to the military-grade technology used, Lytro has announced that they will offer rental packages starting at $125,000 for the equipment and software as opposed to selling the product as a whole unit.

It is unknown what effect this new technology will have on the rest of the camera world. If these cameras take off, eyes will turn to more well-known companies to see how they will compete.

One thing is for certain, though: with the Lytro Cinema camera, every shot has the potential to be a good shot.