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Camera tech moves up a notch


pierces
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A couple of years ago, a company called "Light" started hinting of a camera that relied less on traditional optics and more on image processing. It uses 16 lenses and sensors in various combinations to produce highly detailed images by combining the multiple segments using a complex image processing engine that they named "computational fusing".

 

They recently announced that sales of the Light L16 will begin at the end of 2017 and Imaging Resource just posted an article link with a dissection of the company's full-size (66MP) sample images.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2017/08/01/light-l16-full-size-sample-images-are-now-available

 

The company's website is worth a look if unusual tech interests you. This may not be the ultimate future of cameras, but it sure is a step off the beaten path.

 

https://light.co/

 

Dave

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Dave, how does this compare to the Lytros venture of a few years ago? I am curious but my brain it still a big fogged from yesterday's general anesthea....so I will rely on your knowledge for a summary.

 

The Lytro captures an image by measuring intensity and angle of light as it passes through a series of microlenses in front of the sensor. An image is then viewed by taking that data and extrapolating the focus from it. A wide range of focus distances can be calculated from the captured information. The downside is that you trade resolution for additional focus data making the final image fairly small compared to a conventional image from the same sensor.

 

The L16 captures an image by what amounts to stitching a very sophisticated panorama from the several images captured simultaneously at different focal lengths.

 

Dave

Edited by pierces
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It is a piece of the future, unquestionably. Computational photography will displace much of traditional optics. The iphone 7+ works on the same concept in "portrait mode" but simplified to just 2 lenses.

So this is absolutely the future of phone-photography. And phone-photography is quickly become the main type of photography for most people.

Whether it will displace ILC photography for advanced users and pros... that I don't know.

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Thanks for the explanation Dave. A good friend went to work for Lytros and it sounded really cool until I reazied how small the images were and that they were not really designed for making prints. After seeing it in person I kind of shook my head and said "Not me, not even as a toy". Just making the jumps from BW to color and then from film to digital were enough to confuse me most of the time. Honestly all of the tecnology today makes it wasy for anyone, including my 3 year old granddaughter to come up with a passable image. She used my iPhone7 last week to take a picture of her minnie mouse doll in her little brother's car seat.....and she got sharp and framed too. THen she went on to selfies and was too busy giggling at herself to get them right....

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Whether it will displace ILC photography for advanced users and pros... that I don't know.

 

We have the L16. I's sure the L-"something else" is already in prototyping. The tech is growing faster than we can find a need for it.

 

I don't know if it will replace enthusiast or pro stuff, but I never thought I'd dump my DSLR for a tiny mirrorless system. As is stands in this iteration it's a curiosity for me and while I really respect the innovation, it won't be replacing my ILCs quite yet.

 

I do have my fingers crossed that since it looks like Light is at least partially funded by Google Ventures, there may be a multi-lens Pixel in my future!

 

I think it's time for me to repeat that it's a great time to be a photographer.

 

Dave

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I knew that camera was reminding me of something...

 

From the movie "The Hybrid"

maxresdefault.jpg

 

camera-front-1.jpg

 

Creeped me out.

 

If I understand the technology correctly, it sounds kind of like interferometry...I had the great privilege of touring the LBT in Arizona a couple of times. It uses two large mirrors that combines the images with an interferometer (nicknamed the Lucifer Bridge - don't ask me why) to get much greater detail. That unit was the size of a VW Bug...

B3LqTWfOfecAnwM9qOmQVrpX_k-NL21tn9qnpLsKLpM1l5NdZAFV9ZpyF3CfAztEg1x34LO6twsdIINTm3c5qKsWIToqWkgxJgvuFxtMZatm53wroWKN4R3SbHr4QEjxeaHzxc2VaR0YhH_tDBJvDN4TY5pDh970qvfJsi3OeZNt6YxRjDzA6mZadFixpF8DGOKO5BtsUZ9iauOTuDcH5cVZ45Nrw-R2sIIViXdjHl9kUPN5DnDrM63apz4EtG4Lq1eGaed6_7TuY_uqc8sRxjBljijwECBHjMvIZLdERKKszNMPJm81UASLuz1WK02klqlBtkJEKc4-IKjxJOmTWMqzN-VZ21_ms0kbkO5PiRqbTgTVaXUPZ9IuVyC9KAUszN_RUdWRHVDbW9ohPPdH0CElu4uqVrz8Ohq9dCSEI0anNpL2hY2bSitypv3ArdQMcE39l-tNvfa67E4v6Hj6NcnYae87uKI_n9RVejkaO0q4Uq-z5-ns0v1k_GzhCShsF0TI3hJ3MzyscNZsCuqBPe0O5FFu8l1wp4gHfeLdoRr6j4hgZ9tM63NFLvf6bu5i59oKbJFuS9rvX4BJCZjRaOTUjmrgIx8iWrIcGSjo5LM=w1284-h963-no

Now this little guy...Technology...Crazy.

Edited by shootr
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We have the L16. I's sure the L-"something else" is already in prototyping. The tech is growing faster than we can find a need for it.

 

I don't know if it will replace enthusiast or pro stuff, but I never thought I'd dump my DSLR for a tiny mirrorless system. As is stands in this iteration it's a curiosity for me and while I really respect the innovation, it won't be replacing my ILCs quite yet.

 

I do have my fingers crossed that since it looks like Light is at least partially funded by Google Ventures, there may be a multi-lens Pixel in my future!

 

I think it's time for me to repeat that it's a great time to be a photographer.

 

Dave

 

It's early. Very early.

I remember e-books struggling to get off the ground.

I remember early digital photography being a novelty, and thinking it would never replace a film dSLR.

 

So yes, right now it's just a curiosity. But it will get more serious.

And it's easy to imagine the possibilities of displacing even some of the high end pro market.

For example, it should allow for manipulation of DOF and focal point -- even after the shot.

 

There is a reason that humans have 2 eyes.

Traditional cameras are effectively handicapped by only having 1 lens. Some day in our lifetime, people may be saying "why would anyone want to use a mono-lens camera."

 

As to it being a great time to be a photographer.... yes and no. Many pros are struggling with competition from amateurs.

The manufacturers are struggling with plummeting sales. As a result, you're seeing fewer new models. Cost cutting in the models being released.

 

The massive adaption of phone photography has positive and negative features.

On the plus side, more people are exposed to taking photos with decent cameras. On the negative side, it dumbs down photography.

 

The golden age of photography was probably at the climax 5 years ago.

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Well said all around Havoc315. There is always some new technology coming along in the world, not just in photography. Some of it works well and has a great us, some of it not so much. I looked closely at Lytros then they made their big push about 2 years ago and it sounded very intriguing, especially since I was retiring and looking for some new things to do in photography but when I found out how small the images were I decided to pass on the camera. Apparently I was not alone in my feelings. For now I will stick with my Canon gear because I already own it and know it well. For me it is a lot about the comfort of being able to grab the camera and get that image without having to stop and think about it all. I am sure I will be spending some real time at the big photo shows this fall and spring exploring the L-16.

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As to it being a great time to be a photographer.... yes and no...

 

Tech always has a disruptive effect on professions. Portrait painters probably hated the early camera tech. Tax preparers probably hate programs like quicken. ATMs replaced many of the bank tellers and banking apps have made them as common as unicorns.

 

In context, my comment should be read as: "I love photography and the tools available to pursue the thing I love are better than ever."

 

Maybe a little selfish considering the chaos these tools have thrown the industry and the profession into but I'm enjoying my hobby more these days than any time since I first picked up a camera.

 

Great times!

 

Dave

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Tech always has a disruptive effect on professions. Portrait painters probably hated the early camera tech. Tax preparers probably hate programs like quicken. ATMs replaced many of the bank tellers and banking apps have made them as common as unicorns.

 

In context, my comment should be read as: "I love photography and the tools available to pursue the thing I love are better than ever."

 

Maybe a little selfish considering the chaos these tools have thrown the industry and the profession into but I'm enjoying my hobby more these days than any time since I first picked up a camera.

 

Great times!

 

Dave

 

Even from the perspective of a pure amateur consumer, it's a mixed bag.

Of course, for all technology, we always have more options today than we had yesterday. And tomorrow, we will always have more options than we had yesterday.

 

But looking at an extreme example, we could say it's a great time for typewriters. The typewriters today are better than ever. Of course, there aren't too many of them being made anymore.

 

Applying it to photography....

Nikon showed evident cost cutting with the D7500. In some ways, it is a worse product than the D7200.

Now, you can say that for a Nikon shooter, today is better than yesterday -- That is technically true. They can now choose between the D7500 and the D7200.. where the D7500 didn't exist a few months ago. But on the other hand, they are being forced to accept some downgrades in order to upgrade. They are getting fewer and fewer new options.

 

Look at it more broadly.... Unless you live in a major city, it can be hard to even find a place to touch and buy real cameras. I live just 20 miles from Manhattan --- Yes, I can go into Manhattan, to B&H, etc. But without taking a train in to the city.... there is no place within 45 minutes where I can buy a real camera. I was in a local Best Buy the other day -- No full frame models. They basically had a Nikon D3300, a Canon Rebel, and a Sony A6000, along with a few point and shoots. 5 years ago, those shelves were stocked.... I remember trying the Nikon D750 and Sony A7 at the local Best Buy.

Meanwhile, some photography companies are going out of business, giving consumers less resources. Samsung stopped making mirrorless cameras. Pop Photo shut down. These are real losses for photographers.

If you're a Sony A-mount shooter (which you and I both were in the past), your brand is barely alive. Tamron and Sigma likely aren't going to develop new lenses for A-mount anymore. Sony hasn't introduced a new a-mount lens in about 5 years. I strongly suspect the A99ii was the last A-mount full frame we will see. Not sure whether we will ever see a Sony A77iii (it is slightly overdue by now).

 

So in some respects.. it is a great time to be a photographer. At my disposal, I have some absolutely amazing camera gear and choices. But at the same time, one can feel things going in the wrong direction for us ILC shooters. (Within brand specific, Sony is going in the right direction overall... but their ceiling will be much lower than it was a few years ago).

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I guess is a point-of-view thing. I don't really miss shooting with my A-mount stuff (Still shoot with the 100mm macro on an adapter) and I didn't bemoan the demise of my MC and MD Minolta cameras when the Maxxums hit the street. The Maxxums were better and I started over with better stuff than I had before. Happened again with digital, though the Minolta 7D let me use my maxxum lenses for a while.

 

Removal of features for cost cutting is common in every market. Sony did that with the virtual level in the A6000 and brought it back in the A6300 due to demand. If a missing D7200 feature was important enough to enough people, it will likely reappear on the next D7x00. Companies respond to demand.

 

Availability of hands-on stores has dropped due to online competition but I haven't been in a "real" camera store in 25 years. Don't miss it either. Driving 30 minutes to the nearest one was always a pain with B&H a phone call away. (The last one I went into told me to throw away my Minolta equipment and buy a real camera if I wanted to take more than snapshots, so their demise was actually a civic improvement IMHO :) ). Even at the peak, 80% of the population was probably an hour or more from a well-stocked store (Ritz and Wolf's do not count). Try before you buy is easy with places like Lensrentals.com and renting something for a week of shooting is way better than fiddling with a demo model for 10 minutes in a shop.

 

For everything lost, something is almost always gained. If you had a heavy investment in Samsung or Nikon 1 ILCs, you still have them and they shoot as well as they did when the decision was made to buy them in the first place, so the net loss is really zero. If you really, really need to upgrade, starting over is hard, but even if you can't unload the old stuff on eBay, it's no harder than someone starting their hobby the first time and the gain is that the new cameras have more bang for the buck every year.

 

Forgive my optimism. I'm having a great time being a photographer and to me, the future's so bright, I need an ND filter! An electronic one. With variable opacity LCD coatings. :)

 

Dave

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A point for Havoc315, if you live in NJ check out Unique Photo on Route 46 in Fairlawn. They have a huge selection of all kinds of gear, no trains, no buses, not a lot of tolls. They have been in business since the 50s when the started in the Oranges, moved out to Hanover and then to their current place. Nice folks, knowlegeble and reasonable prices.

 

Dave, it is not the great technology that has "ruined" the photography business, it the people who are willing to invest tens of thousands of dollars into that technology and then go out and work for $125 per day, no expenses paid all so they can say " I was at the big game". It makes me glad that I am old enough to have enjoyed a very long, successful carrer before it all fell apart now how I have enough good health to be able to get out and make pictures of things I want to shoot. My biggest problem today is I am running out of walls.....and we have two homes.

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Dave, it is not the great technology that has "ruined" the photography business...

 

A technicality, but I said "disruptive". Access to the game-changing tech isn't the issue, it is as you said, what the people who have access choose to do with it.

 

Just to be clear...we agreed on that point. :)

 

My biggest problem today is I am running out of walls.....and we have two homes.

 

We have several beautiful metal prints but that wall space thing is a real obstacle! After I'm done with the kitchen cabinets, I plan on installing a couple of smallish (40" or so) 4K TVs with computers-on-a-stick plugged into them to display pre-formatted 3840 x 2160 images on a yet-to-be-determined rotating cycle. If it turns out to be a success and I can tune them to look as good as the ones at Disneyland, I plan on mounting more in assorted landscape and portrait orientation around the house.

 

Dave

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Whether it is disruptive or ruin the reality is making a real living in photography today is a big challenge. The technology has allowed people, even encouraged people to get into the business but they tend to forget that it is a business. Enough of that, the topic has been talked to death on many other photography forums and few are listening.

 

As far as wall space goes, If I did not have grandchildren I would have a lot more wall space for my other work but I get so much joy from seeing their pictures as they have grown in the past 3 years.

 

I had some metal prints made a few months ago and they arrived damaged so they never got hung. Since then I have stuck with putting my favorites onto glass.

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A point for Havoc315, if you live in NJ check out Unique Photo on Route 46 in Fairlawn. They have a huge selection of all kinds of gear, no trains, no buses, not a lot of tolls. They have been in business since the 50s when the started in the Oranges, moved out to Hanover and then to their current place. Nice folks, knowlegeble and reasonable prices.

 

Dave, it is not the great technology that has "ruined" the photography business, it the people who are willing to invest tens of thousands of dollars into that technology and then go out and work for $125 per day, no expenses paid all so they can say " I was at the big game". It makes me glad that I am old enough to have enjoyed a very long, successful carrer before it all fell apart now how I have enough good health to be able to get out and make pictures of things I want to shoot. My biggest problem today is I am running out of walls.....and we have two homes.

 

I'm on their email list already. There have been times I almost went down, but it's over an hour drive.

 

There are lots of reasons professional photography is suffering.

And a lot of it goes hand in hand with it being a great time to be an amatuer photographer:

There has become a perception that the uncle with the dSLR should be able to take photographs just as good as a pro. While not usually true, high quality photographs are more accessible to amateurs than ever before. So it makes it less likely to hire photographers for "small jobs." Birthday parties, head shots, etc.

For newsrooms, that just need a small sized photo for a blog or newspaper -- instead of sending a photographer with their reporter, just let the reporter take the shot with a smart phone.

For "stock" photography, the high quality gear in the hands of advanced amateurs has produced an over-abundance. Just search instagram or flickr for practically anything....

I've been approached several times regarding use of my flickr images. The local yellow pages used 1 of my images on the cover -- they didn't have to go pay someone for one.

And this all puts downward pressure on the pricing for the professional jobs that are left. People still mostly will hire a photographer for a wedding. But as you said, there are more and more self-trained amatuer/pros, who may be willing to take the job for a few hundred dollars... making it harder and harder to charge thousands for a wedding.

 

The irony though, if professional photography suffers, then amatuer photography will ultimately suffer with it.

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We have several beautiful metal prints but that wall space thing is a real obstacle! After I'm done with the kitchen cabinets, I plan on installing a couple of smallish (40" or so) 4K TVs with computers-on-a-stick plugged into them to display pre-formatted 3840 x 2160 images on a yet-to-be-determined rotating cycle. If it turns out to be a success and I can tune them to look as good as the ones at Disneyland, I plan on mounting more in assorted landscape and portrait orientation around the house.

 

Dave

 

Sounds like Harry Potter magic pictures to me!

 

Vic

 

 

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Sounds like Harry Potter magic pictures to me!

 

Vic

 

 

 

Save

 

Maybe I could add Microsoft Kinect video tracking and analysis functions so they respond to wand gestures...

 

Dave

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I'm on their email list already. There have been times I almost went down, but it's over an hour drive.

 

There are lots of reasons professional photography is suffering.

And a lot of it goes hand in hand with it being a great time to be an amatuer photographer:

There has become a perception that the uncle with the dSLR should be able to take photographs just as good as a pro. While not usually true, high quality photographs are more accessible to amateurs than ever before. So it makes it less likely to hire photographers for "small jobs." Birthday parties, head shots, etc.

For newsrooms, that just need a small sized photo for a blog or newspaper -- instead of sending a photographer with their reporter, just let the reporter take the shot with a smart phone.

For "stock" photography, the high quality gear in the hands of advanced amateurs has produced an over-abundance. Just search instagram or flickr for practically anything....

I've been approached several times regarding use of my flickr images. The local yellow pages used 1 of my images on the cover -- they didn't have to go pay someone for one.

And this all puts downward pressure on the pricing for the professional jobs that are left. People still mostly will hire a photographer for a wedding. But as you said, there are more and more self-trained amatuer/pros, who may be willing to take the job for a few hundred dollars... making it harder and harder to charge thousands for a wedding.

 

The irony though, if professional photography suffers, then amatuer photography will ultimately suffer with it.

 

I see people on vacation hiring professional photographers to take pictures of them on vacation. The more pictures a person takes with their phone, the more they want a good - or great - picture taken. These are tourism photography jobs and probably not highly paid, but as photography changes the job market around it will also change. Oh Vanity!

 

 

I would argue that big advances in online photo processing and sales takes away as much income from a photographer as the changes in photo technology. I can get a metal or acrylic print of my own photo for less than $100, instead of paying hundreds of $$ for a pro's photo. It might not be as technically perfect, but I was there, and the memory is priceless to me.

 

 

It is a great time to have photography as a hobby - and if you can figure out a way to make a living out of it - good for you!

 

Vic

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... instead of paying hundreds of $$ for a pro's photo. It might not be as technically perfect, but I was there, and the memory is priceless to me.

 

Vic

 

This shot by Henri Cartier-Bresson would probably get flamed on a photo forum.

 

henri_cartier_bresson_bicycle.jpg

 

The same forums are filled with "technically perfect" pictures of brick walls, bookshelves and cats. Every image on my walls is mine (except for a Peter Lik gifted by a friend) and each means something to me. I agree that an image that triggers a pleasant memory is worth more to me than a pretty picture that I have no connection with.

 

Dave

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  • 2 months later...

Well, the first units are shipping and while it does actually seem to work, our DSLRs and ILCs are safe for the time being.

 

Imaging Resource did an analysis of the samples provided by light and considering that the company probably posted the best of the best, the L16 is not the answer to Life, The Universe and Everything. That might require another 26 sensors on the camera. ;)

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2017/10/23/have-you-seen-the-light-l16-ready-or-not?utm_content=buffer41c73&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

Dave

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