Lytro announces its second light-field camera today, the camera comes with massive hardware upgrade compared to it predecessor, the new Illum camera features Custom-designed 40-megaray light field 1″ sensor (4X bigger than its predecessor) and a F2 (constant aperture) based 30-250mm (8X) fixed zoom lens.
The bigger sensor and a bright lens will allow lytro to create images with more depth and details, other new pro-features include full manual controls like Program, ISO priority, shutter priority. The Illum runs on android OS and features built in WiFi connectivity, on the rear side we have 4-inch articulating touchscreen LCD with 800×480 pixel resolution.
You can pre-order your camera from Lytro’s @ $1,499. Current Lytro owners can get $200 off the purchase price.
Press Release:
Mountain View, Calif. – (April 22, 2014) – Lytro, Inc. revealed today its powerful vision for the future of photography with the unveiling of LYTRO ILLUM, a light field camera and software platform designed to redefine the way we portray the world around us. Built to harness the full power of the light field, the professional-grade LYTRO ILLUM will give photographers a new medium capable of capturing visual experiences in their purest form — not as a static cross-section of reality but an authentic, interactive window into their world.
The camera paves the way for an immersive brand of storytelling in which images can be brought to life in multiple dimensions through Light Field Photography — a transformative new category that empowers artistic creation and expression beyond what is possible in the 2D world of digital and film. In capturing the color, intensity and direction of every light ray flowing into the camera, LYTRO ILLUM provides a massive amount of visual information that allows photographers to recreate sights and scenes on a truly experiential canvas.
“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. “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.”
To enable such rich, layered compositions, LYTRO ILLUM delivers unparalleled optical versatility by merging custom-built hardware with a powerful software platform. The camera offers a 40-megaray light field sensor, 8x optical zoom range, constant f/2.0 aperture and a high-speed shutter capable of freezing motion under a wide variety of conditions. After image capture, the innovative software platform empowers photographers to adjust aspects of images that were previously fixed, such as focus, tilt, perspective shift and depth of field, which allows the photographer to create images that will resonate for the viewer not just in one dimension, but in every dimension.
“My photography style pushes me to look for ways to tell a more compelling story with every image. LYTRO ILLUM gave me that ability by incorporating an interactive element that captures different visual touch points at every depth,” said Kyle Thompson, a Chicago-based photographer known for his surreal conceptual style and
one of the early users of the camera. “With LYTRO ILLUM, I’ve been able to make a multi-dimensional image with more perspectives to explore.”
LYTRO ILLUM’s totally unique photographic experience reflects the technological revolution around virtual reality and 3D graphics as powerful new storytelling formats in the Digital Age. In the hands of creative pioneers, the camera is a catalyst for a transformational shift in which the world will increasingly look for opportunities to craft a more immersive artistic experience.
“Light Field Photography is following the classic pattern for a transformational concept,” said Lytro founder Dr. Ren Ng. “The original Lytro camera, which launched in 2012, introduced an entirely new era in photography. LYTRO ILLUM will advance this movement to a new level. We are very excited by the potential of this camera to ignite a photography revolution on the magnitude of the transformation from film to digital.”
In addition to enabling post-capture image adjustments, LYTRO ILLUM’s proprietary software platform enables users to view images in 3D, build custom animations, export images into common formats like JPEG and share to the Web or mobile devices. LYTRO ILLUM’s workflow is also compatible with existing photo-editing suites like Adobe’s Photoshop and Lightroom software and Apple’s Aperture software, allowing creative pioneers to use the tools they already know and love.
LYTRO ILLUM Availability
The LYTRO ILLUM camera will ship starting July 2014 for a retail price of $1,599.
Lytro Illum Specification
Technology: Lytro Light Field Sensor and Lytro Light Field Engine v2.0
Weight: Camera 33.15 oz | 940 grams Battery 3.17 oz | 90 grams
Camera Dimensions: 3.38 in x 5.7 in x 6.5 in | 86 mm x 145 mm x 166 mm
Body: Magnesium and Aluminum
Grip and lens rings: Silicone
Lens: 8x zoom, 30 – 250 mm eqivalent focal length; constant f/2 aperture
Max Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec
Controls: Power button; shutter button; Lytro button; zoom control (electronic ring);
focus control (electronic ring); front and rear dials; AE-L, AF, Light Field
Hyperfocal and custom buttons; touchscreen
Display: 4 in | 101.6mm, 480 x 800, articulating back-lit LCD with glass touchscreen
Exposure Control: Program, ISO Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual
Depth Assist Features: Depth Scale, Depth Histogram, Depth Overlay, Spot Depth Feedback
File Output: Light Field Picture file
Light Field Resolution: 40 Megarays: the numbers of light rays captured by the light field sensor.
Picture Storage: Free storage for living pictures on Lytro.com, subject to the Terms of Use
(internet access required).
Picture Viewing: View and interact with living pictures on the Lytro camera as well as any
supported computer, smartphone or tablet.
Software: Includes a free desktop application for importing, processing and interacting with
living pictures from the camera. Software requires Mac OS 10.8.5 or higher or
Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8.
Wireless: Enabled
Battery: Removable Li-Ion battery
Storage Media: SD memory card slot
E-waste: RoHS certified
Box Dimensions: approx. 8.07 in x 8.07 in x 8.07 in | 205 mm x 205 mm x 205 mm
Included: Lytro Illum Camera; battery, battery charger, mirco USB 3.0 cable, lens cap,
lens hood, cleaner cloth, strap points, strap
Lytro Illum Software Platform
• Virtual camera controls in post-processing, including aperture focus and perspective adjustments and physically accurate tilt control
• Instantly displays 3D photos on 3D-capable devices
• Integrated sharing to leading social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+
• Library of drag-and-drop cinematic animations, including pan, zoom, focus and perspective shift
• Interactive depth assist
• Workflow is compatible with existing photo-editing suites like Adobe’s Photoshop and Lightroom software and Apple’s Aperture software
