Lytro Camera, More Like Kaleidoscope, Unveiled

The Lytro camera, which has the power to fix the image's focus after it shoots, was formally introduced by no less than its CEO and originator Ren Ng at an event in San Francisco. In the traditional sense, the Lytro comes with a lens and LCD screen, but it is designed very much like a kaleidoscope.

The “camera” measures 4.4 inches long, weighs just 8 ounces, and features an F/2 lens with 8x zoom on one side and a 1.46-inches LCD touchscreen that lets you frame the shot and browse previous images. The device only has two buttons, one for the shutter and another to turn the camera on or off, as well as a slider for zoom.

The Lytro will comes in two models: The 8GB version, which comes in blue or gray and holds 350 shots for $399; and the red 16GB version that holds 700 images for $499. This makes the camera eat about 22 megabytes per shot, similar to many RAW shots of today's DSLRs. These images can be hosted on Lytro's website for free.

Shipping is expected in early 2012. It is now available for pre-order at Lytro's site.