Comments on: In Case You Missed the Crazy Future Camera That's Refocusable in Post, Here It Is

By: Antony Alvarez

Antony Alvarez — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:06:17 +0000

Showed this to a VFX artist and they were convinced that it was a digital blur (gaussian, fast, etc.), so a deep DOF with just real time post processing. What would be the best way to explain how it really works?

By: Mystical Lytro Light Field Camera Now Allows for Equally Magical Perspective Shift, Plus Living Filters - NoFilmSchool

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:27:14 +0000

[...] scientifically possible, seems to invoke more Gandalf than optical physics — which is to manipulate focus, dynamically and after the fact. By sampling the whole ‘light field’ within the field of view, they are truly [...]

By: eph

eph — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:14:17 +0000

Image quality is such crap though! Worse than an iPhone camera. Let’s see some good glass on that and then I’ll listen.

By: That Crazy 4D Camera Becomes a $399 Reality, and RED Works on a Professional Motion Version - NoFilmSchool

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 17:27:12 +0000

[...] that crazy 4D camera that lets you refocus after the fact? After the initial teaser, the Lytro has now gone official, [...]

By: Rich

Rich — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:39:12 +0000

“imagine watching a movie and focusing on what you want right now”

Of course, porn would be the obvious early adopter of this potentially interactive format

By: anonymous

anonymous — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:45:59 +0000

This is so lazy. Surly the image is in the eye of the beholder captured in the timeless capture of the image, a Photograph, is this a photograph? Is it a still image? Or is it something else.

By: amandeep

amandeep — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:55:03 +0000

it is fake according to me! go through pictures in the complete gallery. you might find one that is clearly photoshoped. better ask a photographers opinion

By: Don Strong

Don Strong — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:57:51 +0000

I think this may, at some point, spell doom for the 1st AC, but it’s a long, long way off: the cost of a skilled person is still much less than the investment in technology–including even MORE storage and back-up (it’s cheap, but it’s not free)–and even the increased time ($$) on the back-end (if the files are, say, five times bigger, that means five times longer to transfer, right?) And this is all assuming a plenoptic system that delivers video at professional quality.

For now, it’s an interesting curiosity…a bit more than a gimmick, but not yet a game-changer.

It will be interesting to see what impact it has on editing systems, though: real-time focus shifts that don’t need to be rendered until the final print? Hm…

By: EVERETTE NICOLLS

EVERETTE NICOLLS — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 01:14:36 +0000

The ac’s job is essentially over. We will go the way of the negative cutters.
Aahh, but we will still be needed, that is, until they find a robot to move and service the camera.

Everette

By: MARK GEORGEFF

MARK GEORGEFF — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:12:20 +0000

If this is the real deal? I’ll take it in a heartbeat. Nothing against my buds who have great paying union gigs on studio union shoots; but for us indies…I need to shoot on a string, just getting my own stuff going.
Smaller the crew the better. That’s just the way it is.

By: JonathanWVS

JonathanWVS — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:14:33 +0000

This is very cool if it moves to video camera’s this would be insane to be able to just film something and not worrying about it being in focus is crazy! definitely a game-changer just WOW

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:37:38 +0000

I agree. Interesting development and a *potential* game-changer. adobe now already offers a software based solution where you can change the focal plane on sth that was shot with deep focus. This can be a workable solution, but requires yet another few more hours in post.

IMHO, these technologies are best suited for those who have their story developed in the edit bay, rather than as a well thought-out script beforehand. I mainly do live marketing events, so I can see the benefits, although my clients are genarally not willing to pick up the tab for fixing it in post…

By: Devant

Devant — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:40:39 +0000

I think this will turn into a kinect-like device which will eventuallyy allow to capture hi-res depth information from footage from the actual sensor (I’m guessing you could build a z-depth map from those pictures using highpass filters). the applications in post production and interface design are endless.
This thing makes me very happy :)
totally a game changer!

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 02:21:27 +0000

The little discussed facts about plenoptic lenses are that they have less sharpness and contrast than ordinary lenses, and they require massive amounts of data storage and processing bandwidth to actually work. I would be surprised if these lenses make their way to video any time soon, and even if they do, they will not touch the quality and clarity of pro lenses.

For further research you might want to read about Adobe’s Plenoptic camera system. http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/23/adobe-shows-off-plenoptic-lenses-that-let-you-refocus-an-image-a/

By: MRH

MRH — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:37:46 +0000

Sorry that should say “Likewise if this new lens cans the 1ST AC job…”

By: MRH

MRH — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:36:24 +0000

I do think there will always be a place for a 1st AC and keeping good focus. But the ability to change the focus afterwards would be great to fix any mistakes or for a run+gun docu shooter who has no 1stAC. Even switching to digital media didn’t can the 2nd AC, instead of a loader now we have a “Data Management Technician” who, at least around here, is considered part of the Camera Department (as much as it is almost assistant editor work). Likewise if this new lens cans the 2nd AC job, the workload of Assistant Editors in post will be that much heavier that we’ll see 2nd AE’s or some other name pop up to fill all those extra jobs that the AE does now. These technologies are never really replacing people, just moving them to different departments.
I welcome the new technology, it’s a great power to have in a pinch, but nothing beats getting footage from a seasoned pro and his team that needs the slightest curve and colour adjustment to fit into sequence.

Fix it in PRE, not POST.

By: RevBenjamin

RevBenjamin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:14:42 +0000

Agreed. This basically cans the 1st AC job if it’s applied to video. This is the next generation of photography and cinematography as we know it. I predict in 5 years, we’ll all be scrambling for hdslr-like cameras with these type of lenses. And then in 5.25 years, our clients will be saying “what, you can’t just fix that in post?” if we happen to have the old-fashion-y manual focus lenses : D.

By: gili

gili — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:56:00 +0000

WOW!!!!!!
what a concept. i wonder what the implications are for the lens.
no need for follow focus. concentrate on the framing and then take care of the shot in post? sign me up