When Lytro’s Light Field Camera came on the market a few years ago, the concept seemed really cool: unlike traditional cameras, this one allowed you to focus your pictures after you took them. Having tested the hardware, though, we weren’t thrilled with the resolution of the shots or the overall execution of the concept. Now the company is taking another swing at things with Illum ($1,600). This time, the camera actually looks like a camera, and with higher specs, it’s aimed at the pros.
This time, Lytro says the camera has a 40-megaray light field sensor, apparently equivalent to a 4-Megapixel camera. With its new engine, pictures can be previewed on the camera’s 4” touchscreen, rather than having to wait until you get back to your computer to refocus. Illum also comes with a 30-250mm equivalent focal lens capable of 8x optical zoom. To get the pictures from the camera to your computer or iOS device, there’s an SD card slot, USB 3.0 port, and Wi-Fi. It remains to be seen whether photographers will be willing to spend so much money for the depth-of-field feature.
