This camera changes everything!

The Lytro Illum (First impressions)

 So you have your hobby, your job, your daily activities. You have your way of doing things; a set of mental directions and guidelines that you have developed over the years. But imagine that one day, something happens. You start mixing your whites in with your coloured wash to improve your wardrobe. You go back to pen and paper because Word doesn't have enough font choices. You introduce golf clubs into your local football club because you feel your hands are useless.

Now imagine someone took your camera and did that, giving it a whole new purpose.

That's exactly what Lytro did.

Looks good sat on top of a granite chopping board.

 In 2014, Lytro introduced the Illum. Although this may look the lovechild of your typical DSLR and the loins of Tron Legacy, it is not your everyday camera. This is another page in the book of Light Field photograph technology. It's a hard concept to explain, but an easy one to understand, so let's give it a shot.

 A normal DSLR will receive and capture light and colour in the form of a 2-dimensional image, a picture. The body and lens are capable of changing focus and using contrast to automatically focus, creating depth in the image, but the recorded data is still only 2-dimensional.

 The Lytro Illum is different. Through witchcraft and wizardry[1], the camera is able to record not only the 2-dimensional image it sees, but to a certain degree, the 3rd dimension: actual depth. Because of this profound ability, the user is able to refocus the image[2] even after the picture has been taken.

 So we know how it works, but I still think one of the most outstanding aspects of the camera are the aesthetics. I mean c'aw, get a load of that sleek body, the perfectly-merged lens, that unique sloped screen. This camera is a work of art. Although mostly plastic and rubber, with hints of metal around the body, it feels sturdy in the hand. There is no flex or give on any component and it just gives off this premium feel. That being said, I would still have to untie my stomach if I dropped it. Actually, could we just have another look at it again.

C'aw blimey, she's a looker.

 So she looks good and serves a unique purpose, but how does she handle? Well Lytro have gone for a more minimalist approach than what us photographers are used to. No more large wheels and buttons, like you'd be familiar with on a Canon DSLR. This baby is rocking a total of 7 buttons, 2 small dials and a large 4-inch, articulating touchscreen. The buttons consist of a power button, discreetly placed flush against the top of the body, a shutter button and depth-view button (more on that in a bit), then 4 remappable buttons on the rear; AF, AEL, Fn and an 'infinity' button.

 That touchscreen handles most of the good stuff but the important functions can be easily mapped to one of the 4 buttons to the right as previously mentioned[3]. Its a nice, sharp panel, albeit leaving a little to be desired in terms of viewing angles, but the good news is that it DOES move, which definitely helps when getting those low-to-the-floor shots. On the screen, you will find a series of helpful tools: Histogram, ISO, shutter speed, exposure adjustment, focal length, shooting modes and a blue/orange bar which represents the focal range/distances available after shooting[4].

 As well as that blue/orange bar, I also previously mentioned a depth view button. It's a handy little button that adds a bunch of blue and orange dots to your live view. These dots represent the distance between the object and the camera, blue dots being behind the subject, orange dots being in front. Generally speaking, if an object does not have a coloured dot anywhere near it, you won't be able to focus on that distance in post-production. So a useful tool when learning how to use the camera.

 And if you thought it all stopped at the camera, you'd be happy to know that the software that Lytro supplies specifically for their products is no pushover. As well as focussing images that you have taken, amongst the bog standard colour correcting and exporting tools, you can animate your photo in a variety of ways and bring it to life! Moving the focus between subjects, changing the perspective to give a 'panning' or dolly look. The world is your oyster once those pictures are on your computer.

 But what does this all mean? Why would I need to care about this if I already have a perfectly decent DSLR that I use effectively on a day-to-day basis? Well, sit back, Timothy[5], this is where I ramble.

 There are a few different people who would use this. Firstly, did you ever get a fantastic shot at your son's birthday party, only to find that you had accidentally auto-focussed on the kid picking his nose behind him? You wouldn't need to worry if you had this. Or maybe you like taking pictures which have a lot of depth to them and maybe you just like to decide which leaf to focus on after the shot. Maybe, you just like snapping away and worrying about it afterwards. Maybe. Or maybe you want to tell a story. Maybe you want to portray an emotion in a way that a still image wouldn't capture. However, a video would just kill that feeling of having that still frame. That moment captured and frozen in time. First kisses. Wedding vows. Roars of laughter. Tears of sorrow. Maybe you want to bring them back to life.

 I am saying a lot about the possibilities of a camera that I have owned for less than a whole day, but I can already see the potential. Yes, it's 4 years old. On the day of its release, it was slow to use, the software had its faults, and it was nearly £2,000, but with a now more-forgiving price of £300-£450 on the used market[6], it could be that thing you're missing to take your photography to the next level. The next time you see me on here, hopefully it will be my new-found impressions and findings from using it...

...and I sure hope I don't let it down.

[1] A normal camera will record the amount of light that is captured by the sensor and aperture (which controls the duration the sensor is exposed to light). In a light field camera, there is an extra piece of kit between the lens and sensor called a 'microlens array', which helps record more information about the image, such as the direction in which the light is captured.

[2] Not only refocus, but partial adjustment of the perspective and also changing the aperture, so you can control how blurred the background is.

[3] However, during use, I found myself returning to the touchscreen anyway. I don't know, I just found it easier.

[4] It allows you to focus your shot afterwards, yes, but you didn't expect it to give you access to the FULL range of distances did you? Mind you, the range available is more than adequate for what you'd want it for.

[5] Do you mind if I call you Timothy?

[6] I picked mine up for £350 (Which included the cost of shipping it from Russia to UK). It came in perfect condition with the original box, documentation and accessories.