Dr. Rajiv Laroia, a photography enthusiast, came to the same realization that many photographers, amateur or otherwise, have come to: even though he owns expensive DSLR cameras and lots of expensive lenses, which take phenomenal photos, he was taking more and more pictures with his cellphone because he had it on him all times! It’s probably something that everyone with a cellphone has experienced. I certainly have.
I’m not any kind of photographer. The majority of the photos I take are on my cellphone, and most of them are lousy. They’re blurry, grainy, and the color is all off, but I continue reaching for my iPhone everytime I want to take a snapshot because it is so darn convenient. Well, Dr. Laroia was not satisfied with less than awesome photos, so he co-founded Light with Dave Grannan.
John came across this product and shared it with the team. I think it is really cool.
The premise was to create a camera that delivers DSLR quality images with smartphone ease and convenience. What they created is the L16 camera. By capitalizing on the innovation that has resulted in inexpensive camera modules and lenses, Light is able to replace one big lens with 16 small ones. By folding the optics (bouncing the light that enters the aperture off of a mirror and shooting it 90º into the module that is laid horizontally into the body of the camera), they are able to keep the camera very thin with no protruding lens.
There is a large touchscreen on the back of the L16 which allows users to pinch and zoom just like they do on their smartphones. When a single picture is taken, 10 of the cameras fire simultaneously. Instantly, the “L16 captures the detail of the shot at multiple fixed focal lengths. Then the images are computationally fused to create an incredible high-quality final image with up to 52 megapixel resolution.”
This allows for really cool control of the photo after the fact, like infinite depth of field control, which allows users to adjust the focus on pictures that have already been taken!
For someone like me, who likes to take smartphone photos but is not willing to put in the time, money or effort to get DSLR quality images, the Light L16 is a really exciting new product. Check out the story of Light:
https://vimeo.com/141273968
John came across this product and shared it with the team. I think it is really cool.
The premise was to create a camera that delivers DSLR quality images with smartphone ease and convenience. What they created is the L16 camera. By capitalizing on the innovation that has resulted in inexpensive camera modules and lenses, Light is able to replace one big lens with 16 small ones. By folding the optics (bouncing the light that enters the aperture off of a mirror and shooting it 90º into the module that is laid horizontally into the body of the camera), they are able to keep the camera very thin with no protruding lens.
There is a large touchscreen on the back of the L16 which allows users to pinch and zoom just like they do on their smartphones. When a single picture is taken, 10 of the cameras fire simultaneously. Instantly, the “L16 captures the detail of the shot at multiple fixed focal lengths. Then the images are computationally fused to create an incredible high-quality final image with up to 52 megapixel resolution.”
This allows for really cool control of the photo after the fact, like infinite depth of field control, which allows users to adjust the focus on pictures that have already been taken!
For someone like me, who likes to take smartphone photos but is not willing to put in the time, money or effort to get DSLR quality images, the Light L16 is a really exciting new product. Check out the story of Light:
https://vimeo.com/141273968 
