KaleidoCamera turns any DSLR into a light-field shooter

Scientists in Germany have created an add-on for DSLRs, called KaleidoCamera, which will allow photographers to customize their shots at an unforeseen level.

DSLR cameras have become very powerful in recent times. Manufacturers have achieved a standard where they can remove optical low-pass filters from their shooters and even develop lenses with built-in image sensors.

It seems like the next step in photography is light-field technology. This technique is already available in Lytro, a dedicated shooter which captures only light-field photography, while Pelican Imaging is aiming to revolutionize the mobile industry by adapting engineering to smartphone sensors.

KaleidoCamera is a DSLR add-on with support for HDR, light-field, polarization, and multispectral photography. Basically, photographers will be able to take a photo and choose all settings when they arrive at home.

Saarland University researchers reveal revolutionary KaleidoCamera

Innovation will not end anytime soon as a team of researchers at the Saarland University located in Saarbrücken, Germany have taken things even further with the help of KaleidoCamera.

The device consists of an add-on which can be placed between the lens and a DSLR. It has been developed by Alkhazur Manakov and his partners, in order to allow photographers to recombine photos after taking them.

KaleidoCamera splits light into nine beams for polarization, HDR, multispectral, and light-field imaging

This new type of lens is capable of splitting the light into nine beams. The filters found in the add-on are responsive to a certain type of light. Users can take a photo and then use whatever color they want to create impressive shots.

KaleidoCamera is described as a device for polarization, high dynamic range, multispectral, and light-field imaging. The aforementioned filters can be exchanged, allowing photographers to take advantage of each one of the aforementioned photography types.

KaleidoCam creates several copies of the same photo, leaving photographers to recombine them however they want

The DSLR add-on can achieve such impressive goals by creating copies of the same shot at different exposures, thus opening the door to multiple photographic possibilities.

Users will be able to refocus photos after taking them, as stated above. Additionally, white balance will become history, since the camera takes multispectral images.

The KaleidoCamera might also reduce the need for macro lenses, though the researchers say that the implications are much bigger than that.

Researchers are working hard to improve the technology and commercialize it in the near future

KaleidoCamera is not ready for prime time, yet. It is just a prototype and requires further testing. Scientists have confirmed that they are working on miniaturizing the device without compromising image quality.

Furthermore, they are aiming to improve resolution and even to make the technology compatible with smartphones.

Meanwhile, the researchers will be present at a conference in Anaheim, California, called SIGGRAPH, where they will demo the add-on to fellow engineers.