LYTRO Technology is Perfect for the iPhone 5

In the upcoming Inside Apple book by Adam Lashinsky, it's revealed that Steve Jobs had expressed interest and subsequently met with the CEO of LYTRO, the makers the first light field camera.

Quote from the book:
The company's CEO, Ren Ng, a brilliant computer scientist with a PhD from Stanford, immediately called Jobs, who picked up the phone and quickly said, "if you're free this afternoon maybe we would could get together." Ng, who is thirty-two, hurried to Palo Alto, showed Jobs a demo of LYTRO's technology, discussed cameras and product design with him, and, at Jobs's request, agreed to send him an email outlining three things he'd like LYTRO to do with Apple.

The light field technology by LYTRO is poised for the smartphone market..... especially the iPhone 5. I can't tell you the number people I've seen who have simply no clue to touch the area of their screen to focus the picture. The LYTRO technology will eliminate this all together. Being "focused" on the moment before you is key. Having the ability to focus after the image is taken is a better way to approach an image.


I've actually had the pleasure of a hands on demonstration of the LYTRO camera. You can read about that experience on my blog post by clicking here.

LYTRO - as a camera I'd have to say NO, however as a technology LYTRO's breakthrough will be a welcomed feature in any smartphone, tablet, digital camera or imaging device.

Related articles:

Steve Jobs Met with Light Field Camera (Lytro) Company's CEO - MacRumors Forums.

Book details Apple's 'packaging room,' Steve Jobs's interest in advanced cameras.

Will Apple's iPhone 5 be the only camera you'll ever need? - Computerworld Blogs.

Nikon D4 Overview: Digital Photography Review

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Nikon has finally released the news that the Nikon D4 will be on the shelves starting in February of 2012. Finally a Nikon camera with some cojones!!! I personally have been waiting for this camera since 2009 when I realized the Nikon D3s was sub-par. Some features I am excited to put the test are the facial recognition system, the 204,800 ISO which should be noisy but could play that up to create some interesting images. Ohhhh and finally the 1080p video... YES! That is the sole reason I did not purchase the Nikon D3s because it was wimping out at 720p for the video. I have to say was a bit upset to see the $6,000 price tag when the past price point for Nikon's flagship cameras had been steady at $5,000. OUCH!!!


Here are some things to note about the Key Specifications for the Nikon D4:
• 51 AF focal points - When people's faces are priority subjects, the Advanced Scene Recognition System delivers particularly outstanding performance. The camera's auto-area AF mode accurately recognizes human faces and achieves sharp focus immediately and automatically
• D4 also has the all new card format.
• 16.2 effective megapixel, full-frame sensor (16.6MP total)
• 10fps shooting with AF and AE, 11fps with focus and exposure locked, 24fps 2.5MP grabs
• 91,000 pixel sensor for metering, white balance, flash exposure, face detection and active d-lighting
• ISO Range 100-12,800 (extendable from 50 – 204,800)
• MultiCAM 3500FX Autofocus sensor works in lower light and with smaller apertures
• Two sub-selector joystick/buttons for shooting orientation
• 1080p30 HD video at up to 24Mbps with uncompressed video output
• The D4 is designed for crisp stereo recording with a built-in external stereo microphone connector. Attach the compact Stereo Microphone ME-1 to record clear sound while significantly reducing mechanical noise. An external headphone connector enables use of headphones to effectively monitor and control audio in isolation. The indicators offer visual confirmation of audio level and the microphone sensitivity can be precisely controlled in 20 incremental steps.
• New EN-EL18 battery (21.6Wh capacity, CIPA-rated at 2600 shots)
• Twin card slots - one Compact Flash and one XQD
• Wired and wireless communication system
The D4 employs a built-in wired LAN function of IEEE802.3u standard (100BASE-TX). Moreover, the D4 is compatible with the compact, easy-to-connect, newly developed WT-5A/B/C/D* (optional) that realizes high-speed wireless transmission. Also, IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council) data can be automatically added to the images within the camera. In addition to input with a camera, it is possible to add information to a series of images at high speed using an IPTC file created on a PC in advance. *Wireless Transmitter WT-4A/B/C/D/E is also compatible.

Below are some related articles.

Hands on: Nikon D4 review | News | TechRadar.

Nikon D4 overview: Digital Photography Review.

Nikon | Imaging Products | Nikon D4.