depth of field
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Nokia releases its Refocus app for all PureView Lumia smartphones
Unveiled at its Lumia launch event in Abu Dhabi in October, Nokia has finally made Refocus, its Lytro-like variable depth of field app, available to all PureView Lumia devices. The tool makes use of Scalado's imaging technology to change the focus of a photo using "clever algorithms," while also adding deeper color using a feature found in other Nokia apps called "color pop." Nokia's new app integrates with SkyDrive to host your photo, creating a unique page on Nokia's dedicated Refocus website that can be shared via email, SMS or Facebook. If you own a Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 925, Lumia 928 or Lumia 1020, you'll need the Amber update installed to enjoy the app. Lumia 1520 owners can grab it when the device goes on sale in the coming days.
How would you change the Lytro?
Few products make everyone here at Engadget quite as giddy with excitement as Lytro's light-field camera. Given how regularly we need to photograph things, we were desperate to know if this was going to revolutionize the way we snapped pictures. It had more than a few things going for it, innovative product design, great engineering, it was fast, responsive and had a great UI. However, the pictures themselves were of a low resolution, and the depth-of-field trickery only works with extreme close-up-and-background shots where you can mess around with your bokkeh. As nice as it is in theory (and practice, on a well-lit day), it's certainly not going to replace your DSLR any time soon -- but given that the company's presumably working on version 2.0 of the device, what would you suggest they tweak?
Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic brings a slice of tilt-shift to your life (sample photos)
C'mon, admit it -- if you won one of many lotteries, you'd be purchasing a legitimate tilt-shift lens right after picking up a new Ferrari and buying a chocolate factory. Given that said scenario is highly unlikely to pan out, Lensbaby is stepping in to make the letdown a bit easier to stomach. The Edge 80 Optic is the latest in the outfit's growing Optic Swap system, which is compatible with the Composer Pro, Composer, Muse, Scout and Control Freak, and it's capable of transforming those bodies into "a tilt lens that delivers a slice of sharp focus through an image that falls off to a soft blur." There's a 12-blade adjustable aperture (f/2.8 through f/22), and when not shifted, it's fully capable of taking flat (read: standard) photographs. As the name implies, there's an 80mm focal length, but macro lovers should be aware that you'll need at least 17-inches to focus on your subject(s).We've been toying with one on our D3S over the past few days, and it certainly does what it says; moreover, it's far easier to justify at just $300. (For those unaware, dedicated T-S lenses can easily top $1,500.) And if you're already invested in the Optic Swap system, it makes even more sense. Granted, it takes some work to compose a shot. You'll need to rely on manual mode, and you'll need to tweak your ISO to match your desired aperture and available light. Leaving the ISO too high while using f/2.8 in broad daylight will result in white captures, while not boosting the ISO enough after dark will leave your shot murdered out. Once you've got your settings right, though, the lens couldn't be easier to operate, and the shift + lock mechanism is as smooth as butter. We threw together a gallery of our favorites taken recently in Hawaii and French Polynesia, so dive in below to see if this piece of kit is deserving of your attention.
Engadget Primed: What is aperture, and how does it affect my photos?
Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. You can follow the series here. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com. Last week I wrote a piece for Engadget Primed on image sensors -- arguably the most critical component of any digital camera, having a direct influence on the quality of each and every photo. In a completely different way, another component that controls and changes the look of your photographs is the aperture. To create amazing photos with impact takes much more than the will to capture them -- sadly we can't all be like Ashton Kutcher, snapping away at well-lit parties overrun with models. It's a multifaceted process; to have the desire to work for a shot, to make the effort to put yourself into position, and to know how to utilize the equipment you have in the best way possible. None of these skills are easy to master, yet just like a painter who knows how to use their brush, mastering the photographic tool that is your camera yields more opportunities to plaster that Google+ page with shots you're proud of. In this Primed installment, we'll define the mechanism, explain the concepts and share ways to better convey messages in our two-dimensional stills -- just by adjusting the aperture. Ready to dive in? It's all after the break.
Lytro's light field camera hits the FCC, drop-dead simple user manual in tow
2011's most outrageously incredible camera just hit the FCC, leaving it a step or two shy of being on retail shelves here in America. The Lytro light field camera (hands-on) -- for those who blinked through late October -- is a rare game-changing device that enables photographers to shift the depth of field after the image has been captured. The downside, of course, is that this functionality is tucked into a pocket-sized toy rather than Canon's incoming EOS 1D-X (or similar), but we're hoping that it's only a matter of time before the company licenses this out to the big boys. The included user guide proves just how simple the $399 device will be to operate, but on the same token, how few options there will be for advanced users. Dig in yourself in the source link below -- looks like that "early 2012" shipping promise might just be kept.
OmniTouch projection interface makes the world your touchscreen (video)
Sometimes you just want to make notes on your forearm. Put that permanent marker down though, because PhD student Chris Harrison et al at Microsoft Research have created a new system that allows touchscreen interaction on hairy and uneven surfaces. It uses a short-range depth camera instead of the infrared sensor we've seen on similar devices, which allows it to gauge the viewing angle and other characteristics of surfaces being used -- and it can even handle pinch-to-zoom. There's a video after the break, if you fancy a bit of wall-based digital finger painting.
Samsung camera patent application adds simulated depth-of-field to point-and-clicks
High-end DSLRs are pricey and a tad complicated for the everyday user, but that doesn't stop most folks from wanting to take professional-looking shots of their own. Enter Samsung with a patent application that could add simulated depth-of-field discernment to your average point-and-click and smartphone camera. According to the filing, a dual-lens setup -- similar to the 3D cameras we've seen hit the market -- delegates full-resolution image capture to a primary lens, while its secondary partner calculates object distances. The data is then merged with the initial image "to create a depth map" with simulated blur, saving you from tedious Photoshop drudgery. No word on whether this neat trick will make its way to consumers' hands -- but with 3D still the reigning buzz, we'd upgrade that possibility to a very likely.
Adobe shows off plenoptic lenses that let you refocus an image after it's taken (video)
Yes, you read that correctly. The fevered dreams of crime scene investigators up and down the country are being brought to reality by Adobe, with just a single extra lens and some crafty software knowhow. Basically, a plenoptic lens is composed of a litany of tiny "sub-lenses," which allow those precious photons you're capturing to be recorded from multiple perspectives. The result is that you get a bunch more data in your image and an "infinite" depth of field, meaning you can toggle at what distance you want your image to be focused after the act of taking it. These plenoptic lenses are inserted between your shooter's usual lens and its sensor, though commercialization is sadly said to still be a fair distance away. Never fear, you can get hold of a video demo much sooner than that -- you know where it's at.
