K|Lens One

Press-Kit

Light field lens for new creative potential in photo and film
1. The company: K|Lens GmbH
K|Lens GmbH is a spin-off of the Max Planck In-
stitute for Computer Science founded in Saar-
brücken in 2016. We develop a light field imaging
method invented and patented by our team and
employ 30 people with core competences in
computer vision, 3D and artificial intelligence.
www.k-lens-one.com
2. The vision:
immersive experience
of image content
We humans see in 3D, unfortunately our recor-
ding devices today only capture the world in 2D.
With innovative technology, we aim to break the-
se boundaries by making the benefits of compu-
tational photography comprehensively available
on professional cameras to enable maximum im-
mersion in the experience of image content.
With this Vision, we won on the Start-up Award at
photokina 2018.
3. The product: K|Lens One
Our first product, the K|Lens One is a lens, which
turns any camera into a light field or 3D camera.
Lightfield or 3D information allows new output for-
mats on 3D displays (stereo, holo or lightfield dis-
plays) or in web bindings (e.g. perspective changes
or focus drives). Likewise, they enable new forms
of image processing on classic 2D media with
the help of depth information, such as the flexib-
le handling of sharpness/blur or color grading in
depth-real form, as well as the separation of image
planes and objects.
The process works in both photo and video modes
and is aimed at creative and innovation enthusi-
asts in the prosumer segment who want to create
new looks and take their artwork to a new level.
The first version of the K|Lens has a focal length of
80mm and is compatible with all full-frame came-
ras.
4. Functionality 5. Technical specifications

The light field function is created by integrating a

mirror tunnel similar to a kaleidoscope inside the
lens (hence the name K|Lens), whereby 9 slight-
ly different perspectives of a scene are simulta-
neously recorded on the sensor. The use of the
K|Lens thus generates data that could alternati-
vely also be generated with 9 cameras that are
simultaneously directed at a scene. The setup is
of course correspondingly simpler and more user-
friendly.

With the help of our software, these 9 perspecti-

ves are merged into a 3D image. This can be out-
put as a point cloud or as an RGB image, which is
extended by a depth channel (RGBD). This chan-
nel can then be used as a layer or mask, which is
either applied directly or can still be edited befo-
rehand itself.

Intro video here (produced with predecessor

prototype):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpar1-oHg8o
6. Development status 7. Product shots

The lens development is done in cooperation with

the company Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH, which will
also do the manufacturing.

The in-house developed software allows all com-

mon output formats (e.g. TIFF, JPEG for photo and
EXR for video). The data can then be further pro-
cessed in all common programs (Photoshop, Pre-
miere, Nuke etc).

With the 3rd generation prototype available today,

functionalities can be comprehensively demon-
strated.

The market launch will take place on November

29, 2021 via a pre-order campaign on the Kickstar-
ter platform (delivery summer 2022).

The hardware has been developed and will move

to manufacturing once ordered. As part of the or-
der process, our customers can specify their came-
ra type, above which we will ship the lens with an
appropriate mount.

The software is continuously improved in order to

Additional
to integrate further functionalities. Add-Ons
With market success, further focal lengths and
hardware and software enhancements will follow.
8. The founding team 9. Contact

Our founding team consists of Matthias Schmitz Laura Schneider

(CEO), Dr. Klaus Illgner (CTO) and Prof. Dr. Ivo Ihrke Marketing Manager
(mentor).
K|Lens GmbH
Ivo is considered one of the pioneers in the field of Am Römerkastell 4
light field photography and has done research in D-66121 Saarbrücken
this area for more than 15 years for the Max Planck T: +49 176 23 28 26 03
Society, INRIA and ZEISS. He invented our technolo- E: laura.schneider@k-lens.de
gy and now teaches at the University in Siegen. W: www.k-lens-one.com

The development is led by Klaus, who, after study- Saarbrücken Local Court (HRB 103473)
ing electrical engineering and earning a doctorate
in computer science, has worked for more than 20
years in the development of technologies in the me-
dia sector at Texas Instruments, Siemens and the
Institute for Broadcast Technology, among others.

Matthias rounds off the team as a fully qualified la-

wyer and business economist with almost 15 years
of professional experience in consulting and start-
ups and is responsible for the management of the
company.

Status: November 2021