Nokia not only announced new products and accessories at Nokia World 2013, the company also unveiled some new software features - one being Nokia Refocus. The app enables you to capture an image, much like you would with the Nokia Camera app, with the ability to alter which elements of the photo are in focus afterwards.
It's a really cool idea that Nokia is now discussing on their Conversations blog.
So how does the app work this magic? When snapping a shot, the Windows Phone will take numerous photos over the focus range. This makes it possible to simply hit the shutter button without messing around for three days to get the right object in focus. Think about this example: you take a self-shot and the background is in focus behind a blurry face. With Refocus you can select your own self and boom, the focus is now corrected. Alternatively, you can choose to have the entire shot in focus.
See the image samples below (though you will need to be in a browser, not our app). Simply tap on different areas with your mouse to see refocus in action:
Not only will you be able to mess with objects to correct mistakes or achieve perfection, but you may also notice something new in the photo you didn't spot previously, potentially leading to new results. The best part of Nokia Refocus is how simple it is. Nokia really is pushing photography hard by taking advanced techniques, simplifying and then introducing them to the average smartphone consumer.
Finally, Nokia Refocus doesn't simply end with editing photos on your Windows Phone. When sharing the results with friends and family, they'll be able to choose parts of the photos to focus when viewing them on Facebook or the web. This all sounds great, but when will Refocus be available and for which Windows Phones?
If you own a Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 925, Lumia 928, Lumia 1020 or Lumia 1520 you're set to go when the app launches in the coming weeks.
Here's a quick look at the app from Nokia World 2013, courtesy of Nokia’s Juha Alakarhu and our Daniel Rubino (who should really do modelling after this encounter):
We'll be sure to update you all with details when the app hits Nokia Collection and is available for download.
Source: Nokia Conversations; thanks, unnatixlr8, for the tip!
