Light field cameras

[cteno4]

Was wondering if anyone has played with light field cameras for prototype or model train photography? seems like some interesting things might be done.

 

https://www.lytro.com/

 

wondering if the post will help bring back depth of field lost in many model shots.

 

a friend has one but has not fiddled with it much, i need to poke her to mess with it some.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[KenS]

Interesting concept, but a pretty steep price.

 

The small size could also make it possible to take photos from within the layout, but I'm afraid that for most people (like me) a "street level" close-up would just show how poor the models look up close.

 

Now I'd like to see some photos of Quinntopia taken with one! But most of us aren't Jerry.

 

With an SLR I believe there are stacking programs that will let you take multiple images with differing focus distances, and merge them to increase depth of field (see this post). I'd thought about playing with that at one point, but never found the time to do it.

[cteno4]

yeah the hyper focal software programs work pretty well. matthew messed with one a few years back on some layout photos

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/photos/_oldtown/pages/page_3.html

 

interesting effects and makes everything look more realistic on model shots. ive been meaning to look into them again.

 

my friend who has one of these lytros is a former large format photographer and loves the idea of being able to play once you have the shot! she has been getting her pilots license so has been a bit distracted lately from playing with toys (well playing with all the airplane toys!)

 

lens systems makes them pricy, lots of elements.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Guest ___]

Never used it in model RR photography, but have played with a few of the cameras in the field. I honestly think that this is the immediate future of digital mobile photography and will be a standard in every cellphone camera within the next decade if not sooner.

 

The Lytros went on sale this past February, and I got to play with one for the first time in March. The interface is... frustrating to many an SLR and RF camera user. The limitations of relying 100% on the supplied software was also a point of contention. Add in a lack of Photoshop-Lightroom support and needless to say, sales have been slow.

 

A second generation is on the way.

[cteno4]

will they be able to get the optics into a cell phone? looks pretty wild the set of lenses they need and the format, making the latest one the square tube design. with cell phones getting ever slimmer it would end up making the sensor array to be very tiny in order to get the lenses in.

 

it does require the post production which im not sure how many folks will be into, but if it simple enough might bring a new level of fun into photography for many folks. it only spits out its raw style files, correct, not a best guess image as well? for consumer use it will have to supply a good best guess shot for those masses that wont want to fiddle.

 

it does sound quite interesting!

 

jeff