A newer, slicker and almost entirely odd looking when thinking of the new Lytro Illum camera that was announced by the Silicon Valley start-up, which aims to take interactive photography into the next level. The idea is simple, and for photographers, unique, in that users are able to refocus an image even after it has been captured.
The idea came about three years ago with Lytro's first camera, a boxy version of today's slicker, yet still a bit cumbersome which allowed photographers for the first time to refocus an image even after it had been taken, making it an industry's first.
This new version is a bit more "high-end" and costs around $1,600, around double the price for a semi-professional SLR model on the market.
The goal [video] is to help photographers not worry about how the focus of the image they are capturing is in at the moment of exposure, because with this model, touching up the photograph can now include refocusing the image to get exactly what is needed.
Ideally, a photographer captures with precision focus the subject they are going for in each image, but with Lytro, a photographer need not worry too much about focus as they can adjust this using their computer or mobile device.
This should do wonders for photojournalists and those taking images moving at speed, enabling photographers to capture an image and refocus on the exact subject they want through the editing process.
The company released a number of images of the new camera to the press and the model is now available on its website.
Lytro is also offering a $100 discount on the new model, with free shipping, for American destinations.
"With LYTRO ILLUM, creative pioneers - ranging from artistic amateurs to experienced professionals - will tap into a new wave of graphical storytelling. Now artist and audience alike can share an equally intimate connection with the imagery, and, in a sense, jointly participate in the magic of its creation," said Lytro CEO Jason Rosenthal in a statement released to the press. "By combining a novel hardware array with tremendous computational horsepower, this camera opens up unprecedented possibilities to push the boundaries of creativity beyond the limits inherent in digital or film photography."
The photography world should be looking at this as an opportunity to fine-tune photographs without the cumbersome need to capture each image exactly as it should be and delivers even more freedom to each user, even those not in a professional level.
