Lytro Camera Launches Worldwide, Adds Manual Controls

Lytro's innovative light field camera was announced back in June, and it promised the ability to adjust the focus on an image even after it was already taken. That's quite a concept and one that we're pretty excited to see in action. Lytro has finally unleashed its camera to all consumers worldwide today.

To celebrate the launch, Lytro is also introducing some new features to its camera. Users will now be able to manually control shutter speed and ISO, as well as the ability to lock in exposure and adjust a Neutral Density filter. The new controls actually don't create a fully-manual experience, but it's certainly a start and it's better than no control at all.

It turns out that the more settings users change, the harder it is to achieve the unique focus effect, so Lytro was a bit reluctant to give users too much control, but the company said that manual controls was a hotly-requested feature, so they ended up putting some in the camera. The shutter speed can go as fast as 1/250th of a second, or you can do long exposures for up to eight seconds. The ISO can go from 80 all the way up to 3200.

The Lytro camera sells for $399, which is actually about the same price as a decent used mirrorless camera that comes with full manual controls. However, if you're looking for something that allows you to change the focus after you've taken the shot, this is probably the camera for you. However, the target market for this device is probably only for a select few of specialty photographers.

[via The Verge]