Back in June, we reported on the Lytro light-field camera that wants to change modern photography to let you focus after the photo has been taken. Pre-0rders are now open and the Lytro camera reveals its pricing and its different tubular form factor.
You can get the Lytro camera in red, grey, or blue. The red can hold 16GB or 750 pictures. The grey and blue only have 8GB of storage or 350 pictures. Red will set you back $499 while grey and blue are $100 less for $399.
You can pre-order yours at www.lytro.com/camera if this tickles your fancy. However, there are some caveats Lytro will kindly tell you before you put down your cash. The camera is only shipping to the US currently. Only Mac is supported for importing and editing your pictures though a Windows version is on the way, which you can sign up for an e-mail for when that happens. Finally, they give you a reminder that this is a pre-order. Cameras won’t start shipping until early 2012.
The official press release (.pdf) highlights some other features of the camera, like it’s no need for a flash and the native 3D nature of its photos.
- Form follows function: The Lytro’s unique compact design is driven by its 8x optical zoom lens, which features a constant f/2 aperture. The Lytro’s anodized aluminum body is lightweight yet sturdy. At less than eight ounces, the Lytro puts remarkable power in a pocket-sized camera.
- Proprietary light field science: The Lytro is the only camera that captures life in living pictures. Its innovative light field sensor captures 11 million light rays of data (or 11 megarays), including the direction of each ray, something conventional cameras don’t do. The light field engine then processes the data into a picture that is displayed in HD quality.
- Unparalleled speed: The Lytro’s speed ensures that people never miss a moment. It turns on instantly and has an instant shutter. With no need to auto-focus, the Lytro has no shutter delays.
- Low-light sensitivity: By using all of the available light in a scene, the Lytro performs well in low-light environments without the use of a flash.
- Significant storage: The Lytro is available in both 8GB and 16GB models, storing 350 and 750 pictures respectively. In addition, our first camera owners will enjoy free storage for the light field pictures they’ve uploaded to Lytro.com.
- Seeing in 3D: Coming soon! Captured as a full light field, all pictures taken with the Lytro are inherently 3D. Special light field algorithms, available in 2012, will be applied to the light field pictures to enable viewing on any 3D display and to enable viewers to shift the perspective of the scene.