16 lenses on one camera | Hacker News Reader

16 lenses on one camera

light.co

11 pointsXioNoX6 comments

This camera is not only doing bracketing, it is simultaneously capturing multiple images at multiple focal lengths and exposures. It is then stitching this data in software to make composite images that can be re-focused, re-zoomed and change depth of field after an image is composed.

They are calling it the first multi-aperture computational camera.

edit: Just discussed this some around the coffee pot, that the real value of this tech will be in new cell phones 2-3 generations down the road. I then saw this press release about light.co and Foxconn. they have already licensed this tech. http://spot.light.co/light-partners-with-foxconn/

To skip to the content: https://vimeo.com/141273968

This is a great product, but the landing page needs work.

The first video on light.co shows people taking photos with what looks like a smartphone, with no further explanation. I almost left at that point.

The rest of the page's text is very general, never explaining to me why having multiple cameras is a good idea, other than wishy-washy "this is amazing technology" self-praise. It sounds gimmicky.

The /camera page is much better. It explains your value propositions; great UX, great low-light performance, great DOF control. Make that your landing, with that vid above the fold.

This is a really cool idea! I'd love to see more specs on the 16 individual cameras, but the theory seems solid. The only image I didn't like in the gallery was the macro shot of the chessboard. If you look at the pieces in the background, you can sort of make out different layers (which I presume come from the multiple lenses), and it looks a little unnatural. But for anything besides macro photography, this looks awesome!

I can't see the point beyond simultaneous (rather than consecutive) bracketing. If all you want is quality - get a bigger lens and sensor.

Obviously I have no idea how they've implemented this camera but right off the top I can see several advantages to being able to have multiple sensors firing at one time. The first obvious advantage is HDR photography, where each sensor would use a different setting, then software would combine the images, using different settings for different lighting areas in the picture. Similarly, this same tactic could be used for different focal ranges and depths of field. Personally, I'm just happy to see that someone is trying to rethink what a camera is. Other than being digital, cameras haven't changed much in how they fundamentally work in many years.

You don't think simultaneous rather than consecutive bracketing matters? I guess it wouldn't, if subjects were all perfectly still and cooperative, but that's hardly what real life is like. Giving a greater effective depth of field for a single shot is pretty cool IMO. It would be even cooler if they'd address over/under exposure to do single-shot HDR at the same time, but maybe they're saving that for v2.

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