What is the minimum focus distance for the Lytro LightField camera?

What is the minimum distance that the infamous Lytro LightField camera can still focus on? I’ve been looking out for this bit of information, which is an important feat to anyone who’s keen on taking macro photos.
In an extensive Interview on Youtube, Director of Photography Eric Cheng noted that there was a “sweet spot” to create maximally refocusable lytro images: Pictures taken at about 6 inches (15 cm) away from the subject (when zoomed out completely) are most interactive, according to him.
Other than that, it seems like Lytro staff was avoiding the question of minimum focus distance.

Then, a few days ago, Grand Hatchimonji of DigitalCameraReview shed more light on the matter. In his experience (gained during a photowalk), the minimum distance is about 4 to 5 inches (10-12 cm).

When shooting outside of Creative Mode and taking a full-wide shot (shooting with no zoom), the focus range of the Lytro goes from roughly 4 or 5 inches to infinity.

You can get an idea of how that works out in close-up scenes, if you check out the following two living pictures:

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3 Responses

  1. pleecan says:

    I have been able to get even closer than 4″ with auxiliary lens ie 10x microscope objective…. placed infront of the Lytro unit.

  2. RolandRB says:

    The Lytro can focus to much less than an inch. You can try it yourself if you have a Lytro. Whether that is a good distance to use is another matter, but certainly it can focus very close up.

    • markus says:

      Lytro’s light field camera can focus almost on the surface of the lens itself, while in Creative Mode. In Everyday Mode, however, the 4-5 inches (10-12 cm) are still very much valid.

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