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For the photography aficionados in the audience, $399 is chump change compared to the kinds of glass in your collection, making Lytro a no-brainer and worthy companion of space in your camera bag. For the rest of us, though, patience is a virtue.

The Lytro is like the kid voted most likely to succeed in the high school yearbook. It's already successful, but still has tons of untapped potential. Not quite MENSA status yet, but well on its way.

Right now the Lytro is essentially a one-trick pony, but let’s not forget that it’s quite the trick. Think of it this way: this camera captures multiple depths of field with one shutter click, a feat only possible previously with either a whole room filled with lenses or taking multiple versions...

After two weeks with the Lytro camera, I still can’t decide if it’s a highly refined proof-of-concept or an uneven look at the future of photography. It’s simultaneously addictive and frustrating. It’s also, as advertised, a truly unique photographic experience.

If it were higher resolution or allowed greater separation or could produce single lens 3D video it might generate a lot more excitement. As it is, it feels like a product arriving before the underlying technology is really ready.

The people at Lytro are extremely smart, the technology is truly fascinating, and the potential is off the charts. But as a debut, the Lytro camera is just too limited in its current form to recommend to anyone but an enthusiast with money to burn. A year from now it might be different.

The potential of light-field photography is great — that whole “don’t have to focus” thing is maybe even more impressive than focusing after the fact — but there’s a difference between a great technology and a great product.

The Lytro Light Field Camera rethinks photography with its unique hardware and fascinating image output. But if you're not a gadget-loving, Mac-owning early adopter, steer clear until Lytro makes improvements.

The Lytro lives up to its promise of capturing images that you can focus after they've been shot, but its image quality and ergonomics are poor, making the camera little more than an overpriced toy.

The Lytro is an innovative camera that can capture all the light in a scene and let you play around with the depth of field after you take the photo. It's a camera that should appeal to photography and camera enthusiasts.

For now, buying and using a Lytro is helping to beta-test the future of photography. If that proposition sounds alluring — rather than intimidating or annoying — you’re the kind of person who might love this camera, limitations and all.

I had a great time playing around with the head-turning camera and then refocusing pictures. But it looks like I will be sticking to taking two shots of everything until light field and Lytro cameras are ready for prime time.

We’re waiting to see what comes next, and most of you probably should, too.

We want to love the Lytro. It looks and feels fantastically futuristic, and the light field technology inside will change the way we think about photography forever. But not just yet.

At the moment, if it weren’t for price, the Lytro would hands-down be a worthwhile purchase for everyone even remotely interested in digital photography. But the $400 or $500 price tag, depending on storage size, is a lot to ask for.

The light field technology of the Lytro is the exciting part, so now the company just needs to find the right home for it. Until then, it’s still safe to stick with that Canon or Nikon.

For now, Lytro isn't a very practical alternative for consumers who rely on camera phones and point and shoots. Seasoned photographers might throw it in their camera bags with other gear. Despite its limits, Lytro's technology is exciting and well worth focusing on.