We recently added options to allow you to install your favorite Android third-party apps. Please note that the L16 does not have access to the Google Play store. In order to download these apps, you must do so by downloading them from a third-party Android app store.*
*Light does not endorse or encourage the installation of any third party software or applications and does not take responsibility for any harm they may do to your L16, your photos, or your other information. Installing software that damages your L16 may void your warranty.
This update will allow you to share images directly from your L16 to your favorite social media sharing apps, edit them further in apps like Lightroom Mobile and Google Snapseed, or even do things like listen to music or upload images to a file hosting service so you can easily download them on your iOS device.
Important notes:
- Please make sure to Process images in the Light Gallery app before sharing for the highest resolution. Remember that the preview image in the gallery is only a 1.3mp thumbnail, so we recommend processing your images for higher resolution. For information on how to turn on background image processing whenever charging, please click here.
- Third-party camera apps will have limited functionality with the L16 camera. Specifically, camera capture, autofocus, flash, and preview functionality frequently do not perform as expected since they are not used to the power of 16 lenses. We recommend using only the L16 camera app to capture images.
- Apps such as Chrome may provide a better experience on 3rd party Android app sites. Certain apps (such as Google Drive or Gmail) may not work because they require Google Play services.
- Images edited in 3rd party apps are not visible in the L16 gallery app. However, they are visible in the Gallery and Photos folders.
Steps:
Install the latest update, 1.3.4.1, which allows for installation of third-party apps
Turn on “Installation of apps from unknown sources”
Access device settings.
From the camera or gallery modes, swipe down three times from the top of the touchscreen then tap the gear icon in the top right corner.
From the home screen, tap the arrow icon on the right to open the apps menu. Tap the Settings app to open the full device settings menu.
Scroll down halfway and tap “Security”
In the “Security” section, scroll down until you see “Unknown sources” and slide the toggle to the right.
Read the disclaimer and click “Ok”
Download an APK from third-party Android app store
From Browser on the L16
From the home screen, tap the arrow icon on the right to open the full apps menu.
Tap on Browser, type in "android apk," choose a third-party APK site, and then search for the Android APK you wish to download.
Download and install.
Disclaimer: Light does not endorse or encourage the installation of any third-party software or applications and does not take responsibility for any harm they may do to your L16, your photos, or your other information. Installing software that damages your L16 may void your warranty.
The images in Light's gallery in addition to those published to Light’s social feeds are processed using Light’s proprietary software, Lumen, which is powered by Light's proprietary Polar Fusion engine. The engine is comprised of sophisticated imaging algorithms which computationally fuse the many images captured by the L16 to create one incredibly high-quality image.
For more information, check out our in-depth guide to the technology behind the L16.
Every week, we make the Light L16 a little better. That's the beauty of a camera built on software: the experience never stops improving. In case you haven’t had a chance to test the latest software, we compiled a few highlights from our release notes.
Click here to learn how to update your camera.
* Note: Light does not endorse or encourage the installation of any third-party software or applications and does not take responsibility for any harm they may do to your L16, your photos, or your other information. Installing software that damages your L16 may void your warranty.
spot.light.co/l16-software-update-1-3-3-5
On-device depth editing: We added the ability to adjust depth effect on your L16. You can now change the effective aperture from f/15 to f/2 and add that beautiful background blur. You can also change the focal point using your L16’s touch screen.
Video recording (beta): Your L16 can now record single-camera video at 1080p and 30fps. The video is based on using either the 28mm camera or the 70mm camera, allowing you to zoom all of the way from 28mm to 150mm.
Editing presets: Customize and create presets to easily edit your images in your style - all on your L16. Presets include color and geometric edits. Any changes will carry over to Lumen and be applied to the full (up to 52MP) resolution.
Capture experience: We updated the capture screen to include resolution (approximate megapixels) and handshake warning for low-light.
Lumen deletion: Now you can delete images in the L16 gallery directly from Lumen while your camera is plugged in.
Important: Some of these new features (rating system and editing on-camera) will require you to update to the latest version of Lumen Beta (v2.3.0 or later).
spot.light.co/l16-software-update-1-3-2-5
Low-light assist: When you’re shooting at a higher ISO in auto mode, your L16 will now utilize image stacking to capture significantly more detail and much less noise.
Tripod assist: The L16 now has a sixth sense. When the camera detects stability and stillness in auto mode, it will lengthen the exposure time and lower ISO to improve image quality.
Basic editing tools: We added the ability to crop and rotate your images on camera. All of your edits will save automatically and transfer to Lumen when you import.
Tutorials: We updated the L16’s onboarding tutorial to help you get up to speed faster.
Key focal length: We made it easier to zoom to 75mm, which provides the best edge-to-edge resolution.
Usability: A few of our basic camera modes got a facelift. It should be easier to see which mode you’re shooting in.
Home screen: We made a few tweaks to the L16’s home screen experience, making it easier to access settings, software updates, and the feedback app.
spot.light.co/l16-software-update-1-3-1-3
Important: Some of these new features (rating system and editing on-camera) will require you to update to the latest version of Lumen Beta (v2.1.0 or later).
https://spot.light.co/l16-software-update-v1-3-0-6/
https://spot.light.co/l16-software-update-v1-3-0-4/
https://spot.light.co/l16-software-update-1-3-0-1/
Note: Updating your camera with this new software will require you to download a new version of Lumen on your computer.
https://spot.light.co/l16-software-update-1-2-2/
https://spot.light.co/l16-software-update-1-110/
https://spot.light.co/l16-software-update-1-100/
https://spot.light.co/l16-software-update-1-080/
https://spot.light.co/l16-software-update-1-060/
https://spot.light.co/l16-software-update-1-030/
• MacOS Catalina Support: Lumen now supports mac OS 10.15.
Remote delete L16 images: Now you can delete images on the L16 directly from Lumen while your camera is plugged in. Easily manage your L16 gallery and storage in a few clicks.
Batch editing: Create and apply your style quickly to multiple images. Create presets or apply edits from one image to another. Editing options include everything on the right side of Lumen, including color, tone, and geometric edits.
Video import: Added support for video during import. Download your videos from the L16 for easy playback in your favorite video application.
Histogram: We improved the editing functionality by adding a histogram. Now you can see the tonal distribution and make changes more easily.
Improved import experience: We have made the import experience faster and easier.
Mojave support: Lumen now supports macOS 10.14.1.
Follow these instructions to download the latest version of Lumen:
If you already have Lumen and want to update to the latest version, see instructions here.
Install Lumen:
Install Lumen:
We want to hear from you (yes, you!) on how we can make the L16 a better camera and a better overall experience. We’ve designed the Feedback app on the L16 to be the quickest and easiest method to share your thoughts. It’s simple – you enter some feedback on a form, and the L16 automatically sends any and all relevant information to our software team for further inspection.
Here’s how you can navigate to the Feedback app 
to submit feedback:
Swipe down once from the top of the screen.
When the Android menu appears on the right, tap the Circle icon to go to the home screen.
On the home screen, tap the app called "Feedback."
First, you’ll be asked what kind of input you’d like to share with our team. Select one or multiple options and hit next. If none of the options seem quite right, you can hit “other,” and we’ll take it from there. 
Once you’ve made a selection, you’ll be asked to enter your email and to type in your feedback. Simply enter any relevant feedback you’d like to share with the team here.
Whenever you’re finished, just hit “Done.”
Your L16 needs to be connected to a Wi-Fi network to send feedback, so if you aren’t already connected, you will be prompted to do so. Tap “connect to wi-fi now” to connect your camera to the internet. If you’re away from Wi-Fi, don’t worry – just tap “save and send later” and we’ll automatically send the log the next time you’re back online.
Once you’ve connected, hit the triangle icon on the right side of the screen to be taken back to the feedback app.
To exit, just tap “done” again and you’ll be returned to the camera’s home screen. Thank you for helping improve the L16 for the future!
Below you'll find answers to questions about video, storage space, dimensions, and more.
You can find the full technical specifications for the L16 on our camera page under tech specs.
Dimensions - H x W x D
6.5 x 3.3 x .094 in. (165 x 84.5 x 24.05 mm).
The L16 has 256GB of onboard storage.
The L16 holds just shy of 1300 full size raw photos and their accompanying jpeg previews.
The L16's widest focal length is 28mm. You can see examples of images shot at 28mm in our gallery. To see an image's focal length, just click to open it full screen.
The L16's minimum focus distance is 10cm at 28mm, 40cm at 70mm, and 1m at 150mm. Since our brand of computational imaging uses lenses of different focal lengths to capture images, there are some best practices for getting macro shots with the Light L16. Check those out here!
Yes. your L16 can now record single-camera video at 1080p and 30fps. The video is based on using either the 28mm camera or the 70mm camera, allowing you to zoom all of the way from 28mm to 150mm.
Note: At this time, no image-fusion is being performed on video captured by the L16.
The L16 was designed to meet a water and dust resistance rating of IP52:
"Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical."
Caution: We do not recommend getting the L16 wet.
The L16 uses multiple lenses and sensors; there is no crop factor equivalency like on some DSLR or Mirrorless cameras. However, the 28mm to 150mm focal length range is stated in 35mm film / full-frame equivalence for both quality and field of view. Click here to learn more about crop factor on the L16.
The L16 camera outputs files in our proprietary raw format, LRI. Lumen, our desktop software, will output files in JPEG and DNG.
The L16 camera has a built-in dual-tone LED flash. The first iteration of the product does not have a flash sync port or hot shoe.
The L16's 4120mAh Lithium-ion polymer lasts up to 8 hours.
100 to 3200.
The L16 has a standard-sized 1/4"-20 tripod mount.
Using proprietary Light algorithms, the Light imaging engine combines 10+ images with up to 130 megapixels of data in order to render each photograph. Adjustments to depth of field can be made after the shot is captured.
Check out our brief explanation video.
For more information, check out our in-depth guide to the technology behind the L16.
For an in-depth look at how the camera works, watch our CTO and co-founder, Rajiv, give a speech on the camera’s technology.
The Light L16 camera is the first multi-aperture computational camera. The L16 makes it easy for anyone to take DSLR-quality images. Light’s technology combines folded optics with sophisticated computational imaging algorithms to deliver the highest quality images from the smallest possible device.
A traditional DSLR uses one lens to focus light onto one sensor in order to capture a photo. The Light L16 uses multiple apertures and sensors, in conjunction with state of the art computational imaging, to combine those images into a single, higher-quality photo with up to 52 megapixels.
Check out our brief explanation video.
For more information, check out our in-depth guide to the technology behind the L16.
For an in-depth look at how the camera works, watch our CTO and co-founder, Rajiv, give a speech on the camera’s technology.
The Light L16 has 16 camera modules at focal lengths from 28mm to 150mm. Depending on the zoom level chosen, a subset of those camera modules is used to capture images for the desired field of view.
The concept is uniquely L16 so we've put together an in-depth article about it here.
There are three sample LRI (Light Raw Image) files at the bottom of the Lumen download page.
Note: LRI files can only be downloaded from a desktop computer.
At the moment, Bluetooth transfer from the L16 only works on Android devices. However, a future software update will allow for transfer to iOS devices. For now, we have a work around for transferring photos to an iPhone, which can be found here: Transfer photos to iPhone
Keep track of our software updates here.
Transfer photos from your L16 to an Android device:
1. Enable Bluetooth on both your L16 and Android devices.
To enable Bluetooth on your L16, swipe down from the live preview screen three times and tap the gear icon 
in the top right corner. Tap the Bluetooth icon to toggle on and connect to a device.
2. Go to your L16 photo gallery and select the photo you want to transfer.
For a single photo, tap the photo to open in full screen.
For multiple photos, go to the camera gallery and tap the grid icon 
3. Once you’ve selected your photo, tap the the share icon 
4. In the window that appears, tap the Bluetooth option.
5. If you have not already processed your photo, it will now automatically process to 13 megapixels – optimized for your device and social sharing.
Note: Processing on the L16 creates a higher resolution photo by combining 5 of the 10+ images captured. Since processing high-resolution photos takes lots of power, we reserved the ability to develop full-resolution photos (52+ megapixels with 10+ images) for Lumen.
6. Once your photo has finished processing, you will be asked with which device you want to share the photo. Select your device.
7. Your Android device will get a notification asking you to accept or decline. Tap accept.
8. Your photo will automatically be transferred and saved to the default location of the selected device. Default location varies from each device, so check your device settings if you aren’t sure where the photo was saved.
9. Your L16 will notify you when the transfer is complete.
What is an offline installer?
An offline installer allows a program, such as Lumen, to be downloaded to your computer when an internet connection is available, and then later installed when an internet connection is no longer available. In other words, you do not need to be connected to the internet to complete the installation.
If you are a Windows user, there is a separate offline installer located on the Lumen download page for Windows. For Mac OS, there is not a separate installer—the same installer can be used for both online and offline installation.
Advantages of an offline installer
Disadvantages to an offline installer
How to use the offline installer
Windows: Click here.
Mac: Go to the Lumen for Mac download page. Click the blue, Mac download button.
2. Once downloaded, you can move the installation file to an external hard drive or flash drive to carry with you, or you can disconnect from the internet and begin your installation at anytime.
If you are ever in a scenario where there is no internet access and you are using a computer without Lumen previously installed, you can transfer the installation file to your computer and install Lumen.
Yes. your L16 can now record single-camera video at 1080p and 30fps. The video is based on using either the 28mm camera or the 70mm camera, allowing you to zoom all of the way from 28mm to 150mm.
Note: At this time, no image-fusion is being performed on video captured by the L16.
While a future software update will more easily allow L16 photo transfers to iOS devices, it is currently possible to transfer to an iPhone by using an Apple Lightning to USB 3 camera adapter. Keep track of our software updates here.
Pro tip: We recommended processing the photos on your L16 before importing to your iPhone. Doing so will provide a 13 megapixel image on your iPhone. Unprocessed images will result in a ~1.3 megapixel image.
USB-A to Lightning cable
Apple Lightning to USB 3 camera adapter
Light USB-A to USB-C power cable and adapter
Plug a USB-A to Lightning cable into the provided Light power adapter. This is the same charging cable used for your iOS device.
Plug the Lightning side of the USB-A to Lightning cable into the Apple Lightning to USB 3 camera adapter.
Plug the provided Light USB-A to USB-C cable into the camera adapter.
Plug the camera adapter into the Lightning port on your iPhone.
Make sure your iPhone is charging. If not, try a different outlet or flip the adapter over in the Lightning port on your iOS device.
Plug the USB-C side of the provided Light USB-A to USB-C cable into your L16 camera.
Open the photos app on your iPhone. A new option will appear in the bottom menu bar labeled “import”. Tap the icon to go to the import screen.
You will now be able to see previews or file names of your L16 photos. You can either individually select which photos to import or select all photos to import. Once you’ve selected your photos, tap the import option to begin importing to your iPhone.
The photos are now on your iPhone in the Photos app.
Note: This is a temporary workaround and has not been designed by Light. This process will only work with your iPhone and only works with an Apple brand dongle.
Good news – if you placed a reservation for the L16 in the US, your camera is ready to be shipped!
By now, we’ve reached out to everyone who reserved a Light L16. In order for us to ship your camera, we’ll need you to follow the unique link in your email to complete your order. The sooner you do this, the sooner your new Light L16 arrives.
What if I can't find the email?
No sweat—we know emails can get lost in the ether. Please email our support team at hello@light.co and we’ll send you a new link.
What if I reserved an L16 in the UK?
Check out our UK reservation information page.
Your remaining balance was reflected in your original order email. If you cannot locate that email, please contact us at hello@light.co and we will resend it.
When the time comes to ship and charge the final amount of the camera, we will reach out to everyone to make sure their card info is correct. At that time, you'll be given the opportunity to change your card securely through our site.
The L16 is currently available for purchase in the following countries:
| United States |
Greece |
Norway |
| Andorra |
Iceland |
Poland |
| Austria |
Ireland |
Portugal |
| Belgium |
Italy |
San Marino |
| Cyprus |
Liechtenstein |
Slovenia |
|
Denmark |
Luxembourg |
Spain |
| Estonia |
Malta |
Sweden |
| Finland |
Monaco |
Switzerland |
|
France |
Montenegro |
United Kingdom |
| Germany |
Netherlands |
Vatican City |
1. Click here.
2. Be sure to change the country selector in the footer to your location. (This should happen automatically, but if you're having trouble, this would be the first thing to check). If you are having trouble changing the country in the selector, watch this video: http://take.ms/ibwdG
3. You must enter a valid shipping address for the country you are ordering from.
£1850 (UK)
$1950 (US)
€2050 (EU)
We are working on opening reservations in other countries. We will provide updates on all other international markets as details and timing become available.
We strongly encourage you to sign up for our mailing list to stay up to date on all things Light.
The L16 is currently available for purchase in the following countries:
| United States |
Greece |
Norway |
| Andorra |
Iceland |
Poland |
| Austria |
Ireland |
Portugal |
| Belgium |
Italy |
San Marino |
| Cyprus |
Liechtenstein |
Slovenia |
|
Denmark |
Luxembourg |
Spain |
| Estonia |
Malta |
Sweden |
| Finland |
Monaco |
Switzerland |
|
France |
Montenegro |
United Kingdom |
| Germany |
Netherlands |
Vatican City |
1. Click here.
2. Be sure to change the country selector in the footer to your location. (This should happen automatically, but if you're having trouble, this would be the first thing to check). If you are having trouble changing the country in the selector, watch this video: http://take.ms/ibwdG
3. You must enter a valid shipping address for the country you are ordering from.
£1850 (UK)
$1950 (US)
€2050 (EU)
Great news! As of March 19th, we are open for UK orders!
How do I purchase an L16 camera in the UK?
1. Click here.
2. Be sure to change the country selector in the footer to UK. (This should happen automatically, but if you're having trouble, this would be the first thing to check).
3. You must provide a UK shipping address.
How much does a UK order cost?
£1850.
We will ship your order as soon as all of the items in your order are available. If some items in your order are not available at the time of your order, we will wait to ship the entire order together.
If you would like to ship parts of an order separately, shoot us a message at hello@light.co (or click the “contact us” button in the bottom right corner) and we’ll see what we can do.
When you place your order, a shipping estimate is displayed. We will make every effort to ship your order on or before the estimated shipment date.
After placing your order, you will receive two emails from us: an order confirmation email when your payment has been received and a shipping confirmation email when your order has been shipped.
If you don’t receive one of these emails from us, don’t fret. First, check to make sure the message didn't go to your spam or junk folder. (Gmail users will want to check their "promotions" folder.)
If you still don’t see an email from us, shoot us a message at hello@light.co (or click the “contact us” button in the bottom right corner).
The second email you receive from us will provide a tracking number and link so that you can keep tabs on the status of your package.
Note: the tracking link will not show any information until UPS has scanned your item into their system. This can take up to a day to happen, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see tracking information right away!
You can get a refund for your reservation deposit anytime before your camera ships. Just send us an email at hello@light.co.
All L16 cameras purchased through Light after July 1st, 2018 are eligible for our 30-day return guarantee.
L16 camera returns
To be eligible, all cameras must be returned in their original packaging with no damage.
Please contact our customer support team at hello@light.co. Make sure you have your original order ID or the serial number of your camera available. (To find the serial number of your L16, power on the camera and go to Settings > About L16 Camera > Status > Serial number. It is also located on the back of your camera’s packaging.)
You can read full instructions for returning your L16 camera here.
L16 accessory returns
To be eligible, all accessories must be in unopened and new condition.
Please contact our customer support team at hello@light.co to initiate a return.
Cameras ordered through Light that arrived damaged or are not working correctly can be returned or exchanged by contacting our customer support team at hello@light.co. (Or click the “contact us” button in the bottom right corner.)
Light offers a one (1) year warranty on all orders purchased through http://light.co. You can read the full terms of our warranty here.
Light Certified Refurbished products are available from our refurbished store:
FAQs
What is the warranty for a refurbished L16?
Refurbished L16s have the same warranty as regularly ordered L16s.
Light offers a one (1) year warranty on all orders purchased through http://light.co. You can read the full terms of our warranty here.
How much does a refurbished L16 cost?
Refurbished L16s cost $1650 (USD).
What is the return policy for a refurbished L16?
Refurbished L16s have the same return policy as regularly ordered L16s. You can read about our return policy here.
You may change your order at any time. For now, the best way to do that is by emailing us at hello@light.co
All L16 cameras purchased through Light after July 1st, 2018 are eligible for our 30-day return guarantee. All cameras must be returned in their original packaging with no damage.
Contact our support team at hello@light.co from the email used to place your order. If you have it handy, you can include the order number found in your order confirmation email.
After contacting us, we’ll share a UPS return shipping label to append to your package.
Pack the camera in its original packaging—white Light box inside brown cardboard box.
If you no longer have the original packaging, wrap the camera in bubble wrap and pack in a snug fit box. Please be sure to include all accessories.
Once your camera is securely packaged, tape the return shipping label on the top of the box. Make sure the label is completely covered with tape to protect it from the elements or damage during shipping.
Drop off your sealed and labeled package at the nearest UPS Location. To find the UPS location closest to you, go here: https://www.ups.com/findlocations
Once we receive the package and it passes inspection, your return will be complete. Please note, once we receive the package at our fulfillment center, it takes 48-72 hours for processing and inspection. Funds should be returned to your credit card in 5-10 business days.
*If a deposit was placed for a pre-order, this deposit may need to be returned to you in the form of a check.
Why does Light charge VAT?
In order to better serve our international customers with faster shipping times and lower costs, Light partners with a distribution center in the European Union (EU).
Any order made from the Light store in the United Kingdom (UK) or the EU will be shipped from our partner’s distribution center in Ireland. EU law requires that Light charge VAT (Value Added Tax) on orders that are shipped to the UK or EU, and VAT rates will be determined based on the shipping country. The selling price as reflected in the online store is inclusive of VAT.
Our EU partner is currently registered for VAT in 12 EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. If we are shipping to a country in the EU that is not listed above, Irish VAT will be charged.
What is Light’s VAT number?
Since VAT rates vary, depending on the shipping country, your invoice will list the applicable VAT number. The invoice containing the VAT number will be included in the shipping package.
What if I already have a VAT number?
If you already have a VAT number it likely means you are a business. This means you are exempt from paying VAT on purchases from other businesses that have a VAT number.
Unfortunately, Light can not accept and apply your VAT number on purchases. This means you will still be charged VAT on your order.
When you receive your order, there will be an invoice in the package for your purchase. That invoice will show the amount of VAT you were charged and you can use this invoice to reclaim the VAT from your local government.
You can find useful information on how to reclaim VAT for the UK here and for the EU here.
Email us at hello@light.co for any questions.
Please try these steps to get your L16 to turn on again:
Note: It's important that you use the supplied Light USB-C cable and 3.0 Quick Charge adapter. If you have lost either, shoot us a note and we'll get a new one sent to you right away.
If the above instructions do not help, please email us at hello@light.co
Follow these steps to update your camera to the latest L16 software:
1. Make sure your camera is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
2. Access the device settings menu:
in the top right corner.3. Scroll to the bottom and tap About L16 Camera > Software update > Update.
Your camera will look for any available updates. If an update is available, you will be prompted to download and install the update.
Depending on what version you are currently using, you may need to perform more than one update to get to the latest version of the software.
Note: Your camera must have more than 40% battery power to install a new update. If you do not have enough battery power, your L16 will download the update and wait to install until you have sufficient battery power.
Pro tip: Click here to see the release notes for each L16 software update.
Connect to Wi-Fi:
1. Access the device settings menu:
in the top right corner.
2. In the Control Center, tap the Wi-Fi symbol 
. In the full settings menu, tap “Wi-Fi” to open the available wireless networks menu.
3. If it isn't already on, tap the activation switch to turn Wi-Fi on.
4. Your Light L16 will search for nearby wireless networks. When you see the name of your wireless network, tap it to connect. If the network is secured and you need a password, you'll see a lock symbol next to the network name.
5. "Connected" will appear under the network name when you've successfully joined. That Wi-Fi network will now be a "saved network" and will automatically connect when in range, as long as Wi-Fi is enabled.
What if I see "authentication problem" ?
If you see "Saved" followed by "Authentication Problem," it means your wireless network password was entered incorrectly.
To re-enter your password:
1. Tap your wireless network name.
2. Tap "Forget."
3. Tap your wireless network name again and you will be prompted to re-enter your wireless password.
If you have elected to lock your camera with a pin, passcode, or pattern, you will notice a lock icon appear over the gallery when your camera is locked.
If you want, you can remove the passcode on your camera so you don't need to unlock it every time you want to see your photos.
To do so:
1. Swipe down from the top of the screen 3 times to reveal the Control center.
2. Tap the gear icon to open the camera's settings menu. You will need to enter your passcode at this step.
3. Tap Security.
4. Tap Screen lock and enter your current passcode again.
6. Tap "None" then "Yes, Remove."
Tip: If you have forgotten your pin, passcode, or pattern, you can reset your device.
If you forgot your pin, pattern, or passcode, follow these steps to regain access to your camera.
Unless you have previously transferred the photos on your device to your computer, there isn't a way to save your device's data. You'll need to erase your device, which deletes all of your photos and settings. Follow these steps to complete a factory reset and unlock your camera.
Once the camera reboots, you will be able to go through the welcome flow again and choose a new passcode. Alternatively, you can skip entering a passcode if you don't want one. We recommend not using a passcode if you aren't worried about the security of your camera.
We are excited to add video functionality to the L16! A few known issues are listed below, and please feel free to reach out to us with feedback as you use it. As always, you can submit feedback directly from the L16.
Limited Electronic Image Stabilization and tuning
Minor instability and occasional frame loss, especially when switching between 28mm and 70mm
150mm camera modules not enabled yet (digital zoom only)
Slight audio noise over 70mm
No AE lock
1080p at 30 fps only. No 4k video
25 minute maximum recording. In most scenarios, the L16 will automatically generate new file and continue recording, although this functionality does not work all of the time
AF only focuses in the center
No touch AF options
Occasional AF challenges in macro and low-contrast scenes
We have had an overwhelming number of applicants for the L16 Beta Program and are not able to accommodate additional participants at this time.
You can read about the latest software updates to the camera here.
The latest information on our camera over at our blog. We will be posting regular updates going forward as well as emailing our mailing list.
And don't forget to check out our software roadmap!
Additionally, you can follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up to date on all things Light!
Anyone can apply, but you must be able to provide a U.S. or U.K. address. At the moment, we’re only certified to ship Light L16 cameras to these countries. If you’d like to have us ship the camera to a family member or friend in one of these places, that works for us. We’ll open shipping to other countries soon.
We’ve assembled a panel of experienced Light photographers and photojournalists—including National Geographic’s Dan Westergren—to review all Depth Collective applications.
Nope. We’re accepting applications on a rolling basis.
You’ll receive a confirmation email as soon as you submit your application. We’ll notify you of your application status within one week.
We’ll ship your camera within one business day of you placing the order. You’ll receive the complimentary Peak accessories in separate package within a few weeks.
Any photojournalist who joins the Depth Collective will have the opportunity to apply for a $5000 grant to pursue a story that matters. Further details will be released at a later date.
We are not providing free or discounted cameras for testing or review at this time.
If you are a professional photographer and would like to submit a proposal for collaboration, please fill out this questionnaire.
While official Light chargers, cables, cases, and wrist straps are not currently available for purchase, our Support team will be able to assist you in replacing your accessory.
Contact our Support team at hello@light.co. Let us know what Light accessory needs to be replaced, provide us with the best mailing address, and we’ll send you a replacement accessory.
Step 1: If you are experiencing any issues with Lumen, the first step in troubleshooting is to make sure you have the latest version. We're constantly releasing bug fixes so it's imperative that you keep Lumen up to date!
Step 2: Check and make sure your computer meets the minimum software requirements for using Lumen. If your computer does not meet these requirements, Lumen may not be compatible with your computer.
Note: If you are unable to update or install Lumen, send us a message at hello@light.co (or click the “contact us” button in the bottom right corner).
To unlock your camera, follow these steps:
1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the Android circle and triangle on the right side of the screen
2. Tap the circle button. It will bring up the unlock screen.
3. Enter your passcode, pin, or pattern.
If you have forgotten your passcode, pin, or pattern, you can reset it.
In Mac OS X 10.14.1, Apple introduced changes that prevent Lumen from recognizing the L16 to import your images. This issue was resolved in Lumen v.2.3.0, so make sure to update Lumen and the issue will be resolved.
in the top left to navigate the user guide and learn about your Light L16.Download Lumen.
Update Lumen.
Click here to learn how to update Lumen.
Lumen release notes.
Click here to read the latest Lumen release notes.
Update your L16.
Click here to learn how to update your Light L16.
L16 release notes.
Turn on your Light L16. Press and hold the power button until the Light logo appears on your screen. The camera interface will appear shortly after.
Turn off your Light L16. Press and hold the power button until the Power off option appears on your screen. Tap it to power off.
Sleep the Light L16 display. Tap the power button once to put Light L16 to sleep. (The display screen will turn black.)
Note: By default, the display will sleep automatically after 2 minutes of inactivity. You can adjust this in device settings.
Wake to your last activity. Tap the power button once to wake up your Light L16 and resume your previous activity.
Double-click or swipe to camera mode. If the Light L16 wakes to the lock screen, double-click the shutter button or press and swipe up from the camera icon to open the camera mode.
Charge your Light L16. Plug the small end of the included USB-C cable into the USB-C port on the bottom of your Light L16. Next, plug the opposite end of the cable into the included power adapter, then plug the adapter into a power outlet.
When your camera begins charging, a charging symbol 
appears on the screen and the blue light around the shutter button begins to pulse.
The Light official quick-charger. In the box with your Light L16 is a Light official USB 3.0 Quick Charge adapter. Charging with the Light official adapter ensures a proper and speedy charge.
Charging statuses. There are three ways the Light L16 can charge:
Note: Power delivery methods from other vendors may not produce desired charging results. It’s recommended that you always use the provided Light official 3.0 Quick Charge adapter. If you lose the Light official adapter, contact us and we’ll help you out!
Turn on or off the battery indicator (device status). Open the Toolbar 
, then tap the gear icon 
Check remaining power. If you do not wish to turn on the battery indicator, swipe down from the top of the touchscreen to open the Control Center. In the top right corner of the Control Center, you see a battery icon and percentage remaining.
Preserving battery power.
Pro Tip: For information on Light L16’s lithium-ion battery, read Care for your Light L16's lithium-Ion battery.
Low battery notification. When battery power drops below 10%, your Light L16 will alert you with a low battery notification.
Note: Camera functionality requires a minimum power level of 10% in order to move mirrors and focus lenses properly. Below 10% power, other features such as the gallery and sharing are still available.
The Light L16 is built on AndroidTM with the Light camera running as an app. Aside from the Light Camera app and the Light Gallery app, the Light L16 has several other pre-installed apps.
Access Android controls. Swipe down from the top of the touchscreen to reveal the Android controls on the right.
Close the Light Camera app. Swipe down from the top of the touchscreen to reveal the Android controls on the right. Tap the square icon to show your open apps. Tap the X in the top right corner of the Light camera app.
Note: If you don't see the square icon, you need to unlock your device. Tap the circle icon, then swipe up from the bottom and enter your pin, passcode, or pattern. The square icon will appear on the right.
Access other available apps. From the home screen, tap the arrow icon on the right to open the full apps menu.
Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
Access device settings:
in the top right corner.Airplane mode
Bluetooth
Note: Bluetooth does not yet work with Mac or iOS devices.
Wi-Fi (wireless)
Data usage
Display
.Sound & notification
Apps
Battery
Location
Security
Backup & reset
Date & time
About L16 Camera
Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
With your Light L16, you can take pictures in one of four modes: auto, ISO, shutter, and manual. In each mode, you have the ability to adjust exposure and preview your adjustments live on screen.
Additional control options like self-timers and display grids can be found in the Toolbar.
Choose a capture mode. Tap the up arrow to open the Toolbar. Above it, you see four capture mode options: auto, ISO, shutter and manual. Swipe up or down to highlight your preferred photo capture mode.
Take a photo. Tap on the screen to focus on your desired subject. After focus is achieved, press and hold the shutter button to take a photo. The screen will flash black when a photo has been taken. After a moment, you see a new thumbnail appear in the gallery icon in the screen’s upper right corner.
Auto mode sets exposure (ISO and shutter speed) automatically. Depth of field (the amount of blur before and after your subject) for images taken with Light L16 is adjustable after your images are transferred to Lumen, the Light desktop software. There is no native aperture control on Light L16 – click here to learn more!
Adjust exposure in auto mode. Auto mode automatically adjusts exposure based on the scene in front of you. If you’d like, you can make adjustments to the calculated exposure before taking a photo. Press and hold the exposure button 
Note: The exposure slider is measured in 1/3rd stops of light. Click here to learn more about exposure values (EV).
Tip: If you want to use another capture mode, tap the up arrow to open the Toolbar. Above it, you see four capture mode options: auto, ISO, shutter, and manual. Swipe up or down to highlight your preferred mode.
Smart assistants on the Light L16 automatically assess your surroundings and camera settings to provide tips on getting the best shot.
Low-light assist. When shooting in low-light situations (above ISO 2000), the Light L16 utilizes an image stacking process to capture significantly more detail and much less noise. Instead of taking one 10-shot capture, the L16 instead shoots multiple 10-shot captures and stacks them together to reduce noise. Shooting this way creates a slight shutter delay, so keep steady to prevent unintended blur.
Tripod assist. When using a tripod, the Light L16's internal gyro senses that it is being held still. When tripod assist appears, the Light L16 will capture using a lower ISO and shutter speed to create a more detailed and less noisy photo.
Note: Smart assistants are only available in auto mode.
ISO priority mode allows you to adjust exposure through two capture controls: ISO 
Adjust ISO in ISO priority mode. Press and hold the ISO button 
View your current ISO value. Press and hold the ISO button 
With exposure information turned on, you can see your ISO value in the info bar on the left side of the screen. For more information, read Exposure Information.
Adjust exposure in ISO priority mode. Press and hold the exposure button
Note: The exposure slider is measured in 1/3rd stops of light. Click here to learn more about exposure values (EV).
Tip: If you want to use another capture mode, tap the up arrow to open the Toolbar. Above it, you see four capture mode options: auto, ISO, shutter, and manual. Swipe up or down to highlight your preferred mode.
Shutter priority mode allows you to adjust exposure through two capture controls: shutter speed 
Adjust shutter speed in shutter priority mode. Press and hold the shutter speed
View your current shutter speed value. Press and hold the shutter speed button
With exposure information turned on, you can see your shutter speed value in the Info bar on the left of the screen. For more information, see Exposure Information.
Adjust exposure in shutter priority mode. Press and hold the exposure button
Note: The exposure slider is measured in 1/3rd stops of light. Click here to learn more about exposure values (EV).
Tip: If you want to use another capture mode, tap the up arrow to open the Toolbar. Above it, you see four capture mode options: auto, ISO, shutter, and manual. Swipe up or down to highlight your preferred mode.
Manual mode allows you to adjust exposure through two capture controls: ISO
Adjust ISO in manual mode. Press and hold the ISO button View your current ISO value. Press and hold the ISO button
With exposure information turned on, you can see your ISO value in the info bar on the left of the screen. For more information, read Exposure Information.
Adjust Shutter Speed in manual mode. Press and hold the shutter speed button
View your current shutter speed value. Press and hold the shutter speed button
With exposure information turned on, you can see your shutter speed value in the Info bar on the left of the screen. For more information, see Exposure Information.
Tip: If you want to use another capture mode, tap the up arrow to open the Toolbar. Above it, you see four capture mode options: auto, ISO, shutter, and manual. Swipe up or down to highlight your preferred mode.
Note: The Light L16 does not have native aperture control. You can adjust aperture after transferring images to your computer. Click here to read more about why Light L16 doesn’t have native aperture control.
Tap to focus. In manual or auto mode, tap your desired focus subject on the touchscreen to focus the camera at that location and distance. An animated white box 
indicates the camera is focusing and a final yellow box 
indicates that focus has been achieved.
After 3 seconds, the yellow focus box fades 
at your previous focal point.
Half-shutter press to focus. Instead of tap to focus, you can also half-press the shutter button to start the focusing sequence at your current focal point (indicated by a faded, white box). An animated box indicates the camera is focusing and a final solid, yellow box indicates that focus has been achieved.
Lock focus at a specific distance. Tap and hold or half-press and hold to lock your focus at a specific distance. If you are using the shutter, you can hold your focus lock by keep your finger half-pressed. If you are using tap-to-focus, the L16 will keep your focus lock until you tap a new point.
Turn on or off af-d (Dynamic autofocus). Open the Toolbar and tap the af-d icon 
to toggle on or off. Turning af-d on enables two added focus features:
Note: The L16 uses mirrors to position lenses based on where you tap to focus. Because of this, if you are ever unsure whether you have focused properly, just tap again, or half-press the shutter button, to refocus.
There are multiple ways to zoom on Light L16.
Press, hold and slide to zoom. Place your thumb on the screen and slide up or down to zoom in or out respectively.
Flick to jump. Place a finger on the screen and swipe up quickly to jump to the next prime zoom level. Flick-to-jump will stop at the following values: 28mm, 35mm, 75mm, and 150mm.
Pinch to zoom. Place two fingers on the screen and pinch open or closed to zoom in or out respectively.
Note: By default, Light L16 will boot up to a 35mm zoom level. To learn why, check out our article on variable resolution.
To help you capture action shots and motion, the L16 has a burst mode. When on, pressing the shutter button will capture multiple frames in rapid succession, helping freeze fast-moving objects.
Turn on burst mode. Open the Toolbar and tap the burst mode icon 
to show the available burst mode options: 3 or 6.
Note: If burst mode is on, you will see a burst mode icon in the bottom left corner of the camera screen 
. Depending which burst mode option is selected, the icon will appear with either a 3 or a 6.
Tip: You can quickly change or turn off burst mode by tapping the icon in the lower left corner of the capture screen.
In tricky lighting situations, you may want to control how Light L16 perceives the color of light in a scene. Light L16 has five white balance options for use in various environments.
Choose a white balance mode. Open the Toolbar and tap the white balance icon 
White balance modes.
By default, Light L16 is set to auto white balance mode
Choose a flash mode. Open the Toolbar and tap the Flash icon 
to show the the available flash options.
: Fires the flash every time you take a photo.
: Flash will not fire.
: The Light L16 will determine if flash is necessary to provide a proper exposure. Flash Auto is only available in Auto mode.Note: If Flash is set to Auto or On, you will see a Flash icon in the bottom left corner of the camera screen.
Turn on the Grid. To display grid lines over your Light L16’s live preview, open the Toolbar and tap the Grid icon to show the available grid options.
Grid options.
In order for the L16 to determine proper exposure, it measures the available light in a scene using a built-in light meter. You can choose between two types of metering to adjust how the L16 measures the light in a scene.
Choose a metering mode. Open the Toolbar and tap the gear icon
Light L16’s Exposure Information allows you to view important information about your current capture settings, including exposure information, shutter speed, ISO, and focal length.
Turn on or off Exposure Information. Open the Toolbar and tap the gear icon 
Note: In auto exposure mode, shutter speed and ISO are automatically calculated. To set your ISO and shutter speed manually, see manual mode.
The Light L16’s device status shows information about your camera’s current battery percentage and remaining storage.
Turn on or off device status. Open the Toolbar and tap the gear icon
The Light L16 has several exposure controls that are controlled by scrolling up or down. Depending on your preference, you can reverse the direction of the exposure controls.
Reverse exposure scroll direction. Open the Toolbar and tap the gear icon
The Light L16 is equipped with a haptic vibrator to give you feedback while shooting, adjusting controls, zooming, and more.
Turn on, off, or adjust haptic vibration. Open the Toolbar and tap the gear icon
The Light L16 plays audio noises to give you feedback while shooting and using the self-timer.
Choose an audio option. Open the Toolbar and tap the gear icon
Adjust shutter volume. First, access device settings:
in the top right corner.Scroll to the Device section then tap Sound & notification > Adjust volume. Drag the Notification volume slider left or right to increase or decrease the volume.
The Light L16 has several tutorials that appear when you first start using your camera. After a tutorial has finished, it will not appear again. If there are any tutorials you would like to see again, you can use the replay tutorials feature.
Replay tutorials. Open the Toolbar and tap the gear icon
The Light L16 has the ability to generate 13mp processed versions of your images to give you a better preview of how your final photos will turn out. You can do this manually for any photo in your L16's gallery, or you can have your camera do this for you while it is charging.
Turn on or off process images while charging. Open the Toolbar and tap the gear icon
In order to preserve battery power, the Light L16 is equipped with a pocket power saving mode. When all of the L16's ambient light sensors are blocked, pocket power save will turn off the live preview. Live preview will turn on once the ambient light sensors are no longer blocked.
Pocket power save. Open the Toolbar and tap the gear icon 
Within your Light L16 gallery you can view, organize, process and edit your photos.
View your photos. Tap the gallery icon 
Note: If you have elected to lock your camera with a pin, passcode, or pattern, you will notice a lock icon appear over the gallery when your camera is locked. Tap the lock icon and enter your passcode to enter the gallery.
Zoom in or out. Double-tap or pinch a photo open or closed. Drag to see other parts of the photo.
View histogram, exposure, and capture information (metadata). Tap the information icon 
below any image to open the information view. You can swipe left or right to view other images and their corresponding metadata.
Change or minimize the histogram. Tap the histogram to cycle between one of two display options:
Browse collections. Tap the grid icon 
Favorite a photo. While viewing a photo, tap the stars 
Favorite multiple photos. Tap the grid icon
View your favorite photos. Tap the grid icon
Delete a photo. While viewing a photo, tap the trash icon 
Delete multiple photos. Tap the grid icon
Recover deleted photos. Deleted photos are placed in your deleted folder. To access the deleted folder, tap the grid icon
Permanently deleted photos. Tap the grid icon
When you take a photo with your Light L16, 10 or more images are captured at once. In order to maximize battery power, only one camera is used to generate a thumbnail in the preview screen and gallery. The process option on your L16 allows you to create a higher resolution photo (13 megapixels – optimized for your device and social sharing) with just 5 of the 10+ images. Since processing high-resolution photos takes lots of power, we reserved the ability to develop full-resolution photos (52+ megapixels with 10+ images) for Lumen, the Light desktop software.
Process a photo. Tap the gallery icon 
Your Light L16 will produce a 13-megapixel photo to replace your original unprocessed photo in the gallery. When finished processing, the icon changes to indicate the photo has been processed 
Note: Processed photos cannot be unprocessed. However, your original photo will be unchanged. What you see in the gallery is simply a medium-resolution preview of what your final image will look like. Once you transfer your images to Lumen, you can process full-size versions of your photos.
Open the photo editor. While viewing a photo, tap the edit icon 
. There are seven color and tone editing options available:
Edit a photo. Tap on one of the seven available editing options to select it. Using your finger or thumb, press and slide up or down to increase or decrease. Your changes will update your photo in realtime. You can tap to select another editing option.
Undo edits. After making an adjustment, a back arrow appears in the top right corner. Tap the back arrow to undo your changes one by one.
Redo edits. After undoing an adjustment, a forward arrow appears in the top right corner. Tap the forward arrow to redo your changes one by one.
Save edits. When you are finished editing a photo, tap the check mark in the top right corner to save your changes and go back to the gallery screen.
Revert all edits. Tap the edit icon on a photo with saved edits to open the photo editor. Tap the revert button in the top right corner to revert to the original, unedited photo.
Tip: Since the L16 captures images in a raw format, edits made on-camera will not permanently change your photo. Read more about the L16's raw image format.
Change or minimize the histogram. Tap the histogram to cycle between one of three display options:
Open the photo editor. While viewing a photo, tap the edit icon . Tap the geometric edits icon to view the four geometric editing options:
Edit a photo. Tap on one of the four available editing options to select it. Continue tapping until you reach the desired effect.
Revert all edits. After making an adjustment, a revert button appears in the top right corner to revert to the original, unedited photo.
Pro tip: Since the L16 captures images in a raw format, edits made on-camera will not permanently change your photo. Read more about the L16's raw image format.
One option for getting images off the Light L16 and onto the computer is USB OTG (On the Go). Plug in a USB-C flash drive to the camera to offload pictures directly to the drive and free up storage space on your L16.
Getting started. Plug the USB-C drive into the camera and go to the camera gallery to select images for transfer. You can transfer a single image or you can select multiple images to transfer.
Select single image for transfer. Go to the camera gallery and tap on an image. Tap the share icon 
. Tap the USB option and the camera will prompt you to start transferring images.
Select multiple images for transfer. Go to the camera gallery and tap the grid icon 
in the upper left corner. Tap the check box at the top of the screen. Either tap "select all" to select all the pictures in the gallery or tap "select date" to select only the photos for that date. Once images are selected, tap the share icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap the USB option and the camera will prompt you to start transferring images.
Eject your USB-C drive. After transfer is complete, go to the live preview screen and swipe down from the screen twice. Eject the drive properly by tapping the eject icon.
Note: Be sure to wait a few seconds for the drive to finish ejecting. If not, there is a chance that some or all of your files could be corrupted.
Lumen lets you transfer your images from your camera to your computer, after which our algorithms fuse together each set of 10+ images to form your high-resolution photos. You can fine-tune your photos by adjusting depth of field and sharpening or blurring certain areas. Once you’re finished polishing, Lumen allows you to export your L16 photos as JPGs for immediate sharing, or DNGs to finish refining in your favorite photo editor.
Lumen is where our computational processing magic happens. The desktop software uses proprietary algorithms to fuse 10+ images together and create one exquisite photo. To use Lumen, your computer will need to be up to speed with our supported operating systems and system requirements.
Windows
Mac
Intel chipset requirements
Nehalem, Westmere, Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell, Broadwell, Skylake
AMD chipset requirements
Jaguar, Puma, Bulldozer, Piledriver, Steamroller, Excavator, Zen
Note: We're trying to support as many operating systems as possible. You may choose to run Lumen on a different machine, but performance may be compromised.
Import photos. With Lumen on your computer, connect your Light L16 to your computer's USB port via the included USB-C cable. When your L16 is connected, the grey button in the top right corner will change to blue and read "import from L16." Click the button to open the import dialog.
Note: If your camera is locked, no images will appear in the import dialog. Once you unlock your camera, you will see your images appear.
Import all photos. In the import dialog, click "All" to select all photos on your L16. Click the import icon in the top right corner to choose where to import your photos. Click "import" to begin importing your photos.
Remove imported files from camera. Click this check box if you want to remove your photos from your camera as they are being imported.
Import selected photos. If you want to select specific images to import, click photos to select them individually. Click the import icon in the top right corner to choose where to import your photos. Click "import" to begin importing your photos.
Note: A blue dot next to the import icon indicates your import is happening. Additionally, you can hover over the icon to see the current progress of your import.
View imported photos. Click the back arrow to close the import dialog. Click File > Open folder... and choose the folder where your imported files were saved. With the folder highlighted, click Open.
LRI (.lri) files. When transferring your photos to your desktop, you may notice that the file names include ".lri" at the end. Because the Light L16 captures 10+ images at once—and because we save the fusing of these photos for the desktop—the Light L16 bundles all of the information about your capture into a Light Raw File (LRI).
.LRIs function similarly to how other RAW files work: any changes you make to the photo in Lumen, or on-device, doesn't affect the original raw file. This means you can edit and export multiple copies of your photo without making any changes to the original file.
LRIS (.lris) files. Whenever you edit an LRI file on your desktop, Lumen will create a new "LRIS" file with an identical name as your original LRI file. This LRIS file contains your depth-editing information. You can think of this file as a sidecar for your original file that contains all of the information about how you edited the photo. When you are done editing and decide to export a photo, Lumen will read your LRIS file and your LRI file together and process a single JPG or DNG (depending on your preference).
Move LRI files. When you move LRI files around on your computer, or if you move them to an external hard drive, be sure to keep the LRI and LRIS files together. If you separate them, you will lose any depth edits you have made to your photos.
Rename LRI files. When you rename LRI files on your computer, or if you rename them on an external hard drive, be sure to also rename the corresponding LRIS files. If you they have separate names, Lumen will not recognize the edited LRIS file associated with your LRI.
After transferring your LRI files, Lumen lets you view folders of photos in a gallery for easy browsing and sorting. Thumbnails displayed in Lumen’s gallery view are based on a quick fusion of 5 of your 10+ images per photo. You can see full-resolution versions of your photos by processing or exporting.
Open a folder of photos. There are two ways to open a folder:
Adjust the size of your gallery thumbnails. Drag the zoom slider left or right to see your photos bigger or smaller.
Sort capture time or folder and file name. Click the icon in the bottom left corner next to the zoom bar to choose how your files are sorted. You can sort by capture time time 
or folder and file name 
.
Select photos. Click on a photo to select it. While holding shift, click on multiple photos to select them.
Mark photos as favorites. With your photo or photos selected, click a star icon
Favorite multiple photos. Holding shift, click to select multiple photos then click the star icon
Delete photos. With your photo or photos selected, click the trash icon 
in the bottom right corner of the application window.
The real magic of our computational photography can be seen when processing images. Processing a photo uses Light’s proprietary algorithms to combine 10+ images (captured every time you press the shutter button) into one final, high-resolution photo.
Process a photo. From the gallery, double-click a photo to open it in full screen. Lumen will switch from gallery mode to processing mode and a processing progress bar will appear.
Preview full resolution by zooming in or out. Scroll up or down on your trackpad, or drag the zoom slider in the bottom left corner to the left or right to zoom.
Fusing 10+ images takes some time. As you zoom in on your photo, Lumen will process the area you have zoomed in on in real time. If you see the progress bar appear, Lumen is still processing the area you have zoomed in to. Processing for the entire image is saved for when you export your photos.
Choose another photo from the filmstrip. In processing mode, you can switch which photo you are processing by selecting a different photo from the filmstrip. Just click once on a new photo to open it.
Hide the filmstrip. To maximize the viewing size of your currently displayed photo, click the white arrow in the upper middle part of the filmstrip to hide it. Click again to open it.
One of the most revolutionary concepts to come from computationally fusing 10+ images together is the ability to change depth of field long after a photo has been taken. Even if you’ve been shooting and editing photos for years, you’ve most likely never been able to edit depth of field after capturing your images.
Click here to learn more about how we’re able to generate depth information for your photos.
Adjust depth effect. After opening a photo in processing mode, Lumen will process your photo. When processing is finished, the Depth Effect tool will change from grey to white, indicating you can use it. The depth effect slider is given in aperture values or f-numbers. To increase depth effect, drag the slider to the right. As you increase depth, the area around your focal point begins to blur. The closer you get to the right side of the slider, the more out-of-focus the areas in front of and behind your focal point will be, simulating the shallow depth-of-field effect of a wide-aperture lens.
Note: You may notice the f-numbers are different from photo to photo. That's because the f-numbers match to your focal length and are the equivalent aperture Lumen can generate for that given zoom.
Reset depth edits. If at any point you want to start over with your depth edits, click Edit > Reset depth edits.
Revert to original. If at any point you want to start over with an unedited photo, click Edit > Revert to original.
Depth effect on the L16 allows you to create dramatic photos with subjects that stand out from their backgrounds. However, applying depth effect can sometimes make your subject appear blurry. In these situations, the focus tool can be used to adjust the focus of your subject and make a soft focal point sharp again.
Adjust focus. Click focus to activate the focus tool. When activated, a grey shaded mask may appear over parts of your image. The shaded mask indicates which areas of your photo were not in focus when your photo was taken. Any areas that were not in focus when your photo was captured, cannot be in focus with depth effect applied.
The unshaded areas of your photo show where you originally focused when you took the photo. If your subject is shaded, that means your subject was not in focus when you took the photo
Click a point in the unshaded area to adjust to be in focus.
Note: You can disable the grey shaded mask by unchecking "show focal region" below the focus tool.
Adjusting depth effect can occasionally create inconsistent edges on larger, in-focus objects. The refine edge tool creates a more definitive and accurate difference between two varying depths along an edge. Use this tool to make jagged boundaries smooth.
Access the refine edge tool. Apply some depth effect to your photo to activate the refine edge tool. Click “refine edge."
Adjust your brush size. Scroll up or down with your mouse wheel or drag two fingers up or down on your trackpad to increase or decrease the size of your brush.
Edit an area using refine edge:
Sometimes there may be inconsistent blur in your photos—especially in areas that stretch across multiple depths, such as roads, walls, or tables. Use the blend area tool to smooth the transition between depth gradients.
Access the blend area tool. Apply some depth effect to your photo to activate the blend area tool. Click "blend area."
Adjust your brush size. Scroll up or down with your mouse wheel, or drag two fingers up or down on your trackpad to increase or decrease the size of your brush.
Edit an area with blend area:
Fusing together the Light L16’s 10+ images creates a depth map that aligns all of the objects in your photo. Occasionally, these depth maps contain inconsistencies, especially when there are similar colors or patterns that overlap. In these cases, Lumen’s algorithms have difficulty determining what should be in focus and what should be blurred. In addition to the refine edge and blend area, match depth can be used to fix some of these inconsistencies.
Match depth
This tool lets you apply the same level of depth to separate areas of your photo. You can use this tool for all sorts of creative edits.
Access the match depth tool. Apply some depth effect to your photo to activate the match depth tool. Click "match depth" to display the match depth toolbar near the top of your image.
Change your selection method. Click the icon to the left of plus-minus in the pop-up toolbar and choose a selection tool:
Adjust your brush or point size. Scroll up or down with your mouse wheel or drag two fingers up or down on your trackpad to increase or decrease the size of your brush. Or click the brush size and drag the slider left or right.
Adjust the feather of your lasso or free lasso tool. After making a selection with the lasso or free lasso tool, you can adjust the feather of your select. Click the feather size and drag the slider right or left to feather more or less of your selection.
Make a selection. Select or paint the area you would like to change. For brush and quick select, after painting, a pink mask appears over your selected area.
Edit a selection. To remove parts of your selection, click the “–” icon in the pop-up toolbar and paint the area you want to take away. To add more to your selection, click the “+” icon in the pop-up toolbar and paint to add to your selection.
Pick a source depth. Once you're finished refining your selected area, click on the eyedropper tool and choose a point in the image where you would like to match the depth. Click "apply" to match your selected area to your source depth.
Undo and redo depth edits. If you make a mistake or want to revert a change, you can click Edit > Undo depth edit or Redo depth edit.
Reset all depth edits. If you want to start over with depth editing your photo, click Edit > Reset depth edits. This will reset all edits except for depth effect. To reset depth effect, choose Edit > Revert to original.
Exporting photos from Lumen writes a new file type and simultaneously processes the entirety of your photos with Light’s proprietary, computational algorithms. When exporting, you have the freedom to choose your preferred file type and image size.
Export a single photo. Select the photo you want to export and click the Export icon 
in the bottom right corner of the application window.
Change your filename. If you are exporting just one photo, you can change the photo’s filename in the export dialog that appears.
Export multiple photos. From the gallery, hold shift and click to select the photos you want to export. Click the export icon in the bottom right corner of the application window.
Choose where to save your photos. In the export dialog, click the field next to ‘save to” to select the folder where you would like to export your photo.
Choose your desired file format. You can choose between 3 options:
Choose your jpg file size and quality. For jpg files you can choose how large of an image you would like and at what quality you would like it:
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Open files... |
Command + O |
Ctrl + O |
| Open folder... |
Shift + Command + O |
Shift + Ctrl + O |
| Save current file (update thumbnail with changes) |
Command + S |
Ctrl + S |
| Select all |
Command + A |
Ctrl + A |
| Select/Deselect current image (gallery view) |
Space |
Space |
| Open current image for editing (gallery view) |
Enter |
Enter |
| Select a range of images |
Shift + arrows |
Shift + arrows |
| Filmstrip navigation |
Left or right arrow |
Left or right arrow |
| First photo in filmstrip |
Command + left arrow |
Ctrl + left arrow |
| Last photo in filmstrip |
Command + right arrow |
Ctrl + right arrow |
| Export |
Command + X |
Ctrl + X |
| Delete currently selected image(s) |
Delete |
Delete |
| Close images | Command + N |
Ctrl + N |
| Preferences | Command + , |
Ctrl + , |
| About | Shift + F1 | Shift + F1 |
| Support | Command + F1 |
Ctrl + F1 |
| Check for updates | Shift + Command + F5 | Shift + Ctrl + F5 |
| Undo depth edit | Command + Z |
Ctrl + Z |
| Redo depth edit | Command + Y / Shift + Command + Z | Ctrl + Y / Shift + Ctrl + Z |
| Reset depth edits | Command + R |
Ctrl + R |
| Reset color and exposure edits | Shift + R | Shift + R |
| Revert to original | Shift + Command + R | Shift + Ctrl + R |
| Zoom out | Command + - |
Ctrl + - |
| Zoom in | Command + + |
Ctrl + |
| Fit photo to window | Command + 0 |
Ctrl + 0 |
| Center photo | Command + \ |
Ctrl + \ |
| Toggle the filmstrip | Alt + F | Alt + F |
| Toggle the focus tool | F | F |
| Toggle focus mask | H | H |
| Toggle refine edge | E | E |
| Toggle blend area | B | B |
| Toggle match depth | M | M |
Light L16 over-the-air (OTA) updates.
The Light L16 camera has the amazing ability to update software over the air. OTA updates allow the Light L16 to acquire new features, better processing, and increased performance and speed. When new software updates are released by Light, and when your Light L16 is connected to Wi-Fi, a notification appears at the top of your screen to let you know that a software update is available.
Update Light L16. Just tap the update notification at the top of your screen and your Light L16 will download the latest software. After downloading, you will be asked to install it. To be safe, we recommend transferring your photos from the camera before installing a new software package.
Note: Depending on what version you are currently using, you may need to perform more than one update to get to the latest version of the software.
Check for software updates manually. If you miss an update notification or you have turned off “automatically check for updates,” you can check for a new update manually:
in the top right corner.Note: To find available updates, your Light L16 must be connected to a wireless network (see Wi-Fi in device settings).
Turn on or off “automatically check for updates.”
in the top right corner.Note: Your Light L16 will only check for updates when you are connected to a wireless network (see Wi-Fi in device settings).
Update Lumen. When a new update is available, Lumen will notify you with a pop-up. Simply click update to install and relaunch with the latest version.
Check for an update. To manually check and see if you are on the latest version of Lumen, in the menu bar click Lumen (Mac) or Help (Windows) > Check for Updates...
If something isn't working correctly, there are two ways you can try to restart your Light L16.
Restart the Light L16 Camera app. Swipe down from the top of the touchscreen to reveal the AndroidTM icons on the right.
Tap the square icon to show your open apps. Tap the X in the top right corner of the Light L16 Camera app to close it.
Note: If you don't see the square icon, you need to unlock your device. Tap the circle icon, then swipe up from the bottom and enter your pin, passcode, or pattern. The square icon will appear on the right.
Restart your Light L16. The easiest way to restart your Light L16 is by power cycling it. Press and hold the Power button until the Power off option appears on your screen. Tap it to power off.
If you are still experiencing issues with your camera, please contact us and we will help you troubleshoot.
Reset Light L16 settings. From the home screen, tap the arrow icon on the right to open the apps menu. Tap the Settings app to open the device settings menu. Go to Personal and tap Backup & reset > Factory data reset.
Tap the reset camera button to erase all data from your L16 camera’s internal storage. This includes all system data and settings, photos, and other user data.
Storing your Light L16. Included with your Light L16 is a soft case for storing the camera. The outside of the case is made of durable eco-yarn to protect the camera when it’s in your pocket or bag. The inside of the case is made of microfiber cloth to help clean your Light L16.
How to clean your Light L16:
How NOT to care for your Light L16:
Like many other electronic products, the Light L16 is powered by a lithium-ion battery. We’ve heard all kinds of advice on how to retain battery life, so we wanted to clear up some of the confusion. Here are a few good habits that will optimize your battery’s lifespan:
*Keeping your battery in the range of 40%-80% is ideal, but not necessary. Your battery won’t be destroyed if it goes above or below this range.
We want your Light L16 to get better over time. You can help by automatically sending diagnostic reports to Light. These reports are incredibly helpful for us to know what is working and what to improve. (And it's all anonymized.)
Turn on diagnostic report.
in the top right corner.Light has partnered with several world-class partners in order to create the L16. Some of those partners include: Qualcomm, Global Unichip, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
TouchSense © Technology licensed from Immersion Corporation. TouchSense and other Immersion software contained herein are protected under one or more of the U.S. Patents found at the following address: www.immersion.com/trademarks-and-patent-markings/ and other patents pending.
This product uses Assertive Display technology by Apical Limited.
to show the available self-timer options: 3, 5, 10, or 20 seconds.