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Nokia Refocus app now available for Lumia handsets

The Refocus app that simulates the effect of a Lytro camera is now available for a range of Nokia phones.

Lexy Savvides Principal Video Producer
Lexy is an on-air presenter and award-winning producer who covers consumer tech, including the latest smartphones, wearables and emerging trends like assistive robotics. She's won two Gold Telly Awards for her video series Beta Test. Prior to her career at CNET, she was a magazine editor, radio announcer and DJ. Lexy is based in San Francisco.
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Some Nokia handsets will now have the ability to refocus photos after they have been taken.

The Refocus app was initially announced during Nokia World, alongside new handsets, including the Lumia 1520. Unlike light-field cameras, such as the Lytro, this app is entirely software based and requires no change in hardware.

It works by first performing what Nokia calls a "focus sweep" of the scene, which in turn creates a depth map. Then, the app merges together anywhere between two to eight images at a 5-megapixel resolution. This image lets you tap anywhere across it to change the point of focus.

Have a play with the sample image below to see the effect in action:

As well as playing around with depth-of-field and focus effects, users can also choose to have all elements of the photo in focus. Another part of the app is called colour pop and keeps just one colour in the scene while the rest of the image is turned to black and white.

Refocus is available to download for Lumia users with the Amber update, on handsets including the 920, 925, 928 and 1020. It will also be available for the 1520 when the phone is released.