Camera adjusts focus after taking pictures

SAN FRANCISCO —

A radical camera that lets users adjust the focus after taking pictures will be available in October at shops in Australia, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States. Since introducing the Lytro camera just six months ago, nearly 400,000 light field pictures have been shared on Lytro.com.

The telescope-shaped camera uses what is known as light field technology to allow the focal point of a digital image to be changed after the picture is taken, a feature that Lytro calls shoot now, focus later. Clicking on a Lytro picture displayed on a computer screen allows a viewer to shift the focus from a subject in the foreground, for example, to a subject in the background. The Lytro can do this because it uses powerful sensors to capture significantly more light than a conventional camera.

When Lytro pictures are shared online, the light field engine travels with each image so anyone can change focal points as desired. The 16-gigabyte model of the camera, which is about the same size as a stick of butter and can fit easily in a pocket, costs $499 and can hold 750 pictures. An 8GB version costs $399 and can capture 350 images.

There has been a lot of excitement to be a part of this next phase in photography and start producing light field pictures in Australia.