The Lytro camera is the first implementation of a plenoptic camera for the consumer market. We consider it a successful example of the miniaturization aided by the increase in computational power characterizing mobile computational photography. The plenoptic camera approach to radiance capture uses a microlens array as an imaging system focused on the focal plane of the main camera lens. This paper analyzes the performance of Lytro camera from a system level perspective, considering the Lytro camera as a black box, and uses our interpretation of Lytro image data saved by the camera. We present our findings based on our interpretation of Lytro camera file structure, image calibration and image rendering; in this context, artifacts and final image resolution are discussed.

Date Published: 7 March 2013
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 8667, Multimedia Content and Mobile Devices, 86671J (7 March 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2013581

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8667:
Multimedia Content and Mobile Devices
Reiner Creutzburg; Todor G. Georgiev; Dietmar Wüller; Cees G. M. Snoek; Kevin J. Matherson; David Akopian; Andrew Lumsdaine; Lyndon S. Kennedy, Editor(s)