When the first Lytro camera came out two years ago, it promised to eliminate a fear almost every photographer has experienced: that a once-in-a-lifetime shot will be out of focus. No Instagram filter or Photoshop tweaking can fix a blurry picture of a baby's first steps or a wedding procession. Lytro's light-field technology captures data about the direction of light rays entering the camera (along with brightness and color) and combines that information with sophisticated software to let you actually refocus a photo after you've shot it. The first few times you use this feature, it feels magical.
However, as our original review noted, the Lytro had some pretty significant limitations: It was awkward to hold, shot low-resolution photos, had a quirky software interface, and lacked editing features and video. The camera was fascinating, but it just wasn’t practical compared to conventional models.
For more on conventional point-and-shoot cameras, check out our buying guide and Ratings for digital cameras.
The company has now started shipping preorders of a new model, the Lytro Illum. Unlike its predecessor, a rectangular device with a lens at one end that didn't look like a camera at all, the Illum resembles a number of large superzoom cameras, with a protruding lens barrel and a prominent handgrip.
The company says the Illum has several changes. The image sensor is bigger, and there's a large, 4-inch swiveling LCD. Like the original model, the Illum has an f/2.0 lens and an 8x optical zoom lens (30mm-250mm). The camera captures images in a proprietary format, but you can also output a 4-megapixel JPEG; the old model produced just 2-megapixel JPEGs. There are other improvements as well, including more shooting modes, the ability to use a memory card, and built-in Wi-Fi.
Still, the Lytro Illum won't provide you with features found on many other cameras. For instance, it lacks video capability and an on-board popup flash (although it does have a hot shoe for an external flash).
But the biggest drawback might be the $1,600 price, which is about four times the price of the original.
—Terry Sullivan
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