# After RAW and HDR comes Lytro



## Metryq (Jun 23, 2011)

*Camera Takes Pictures That Allow For Focus Adjustment AFTER The Photograph Is Taken*


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## TheDustyZebra (Jun 23, 2011)

I was just looking at this -- awesome!


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## Metryq (Jun 23, 2011)

In the Film forum there is a discussion about 3D films, and I expressed the opinion that true 3D will arrive when the medium delivers holographic information. That is, all 3D systems up to now are parallax 3D, delivering a slightly different image to each eye. Some of the eye strain with the various systems is due to darkening of the image, but even the latest circular polarization from RealD 3D causes some strain. Why? Because part of real world 3D is depth-of-field and "tracking." When something is closer, our eyes track closer together and refocus for distance. Parallax systems deliver everything at the same distance. Thus, our eyes get caught in a repeating loop between parallax telling our eyes one thing and tracking/depth-of-field telling our eyes something different.

What makes laser holograms so special is that they capture the complete interference patterns of an object. Interference is when the waves from two point sources overlap. If you toss two stones into a pond, where the ripples overlap is interference. With laser holograms a single laser beam is split so that one portion of the beam illuminates the subject, while the other portion of the beam "interferes" with the reflected light. Like radio, when one "heterodynes" the recording with the reference laser, one gets the interference patterns even though the object is not there. The term "hologram" means "whole image."

I'm not saying Lytro is electronic holography, but it may be a step in the right direction.


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