Focus Stacking Techniques (Especially Macro)

[milster]

What do you guys typically use for focus stacking? Actually taking the pictures?

I want to try a bit but I haven't got a clue where to start. I see some people do it hand held but I can imagine that's going to be really hard (but all the macro I've tried has been hand held so far). Would a macro rail be the way to go? I've mainly shot bugs (live) so far so I can imagine that will be very fiddly.

Cheers,

Gary

 

[LCPete]

I mostly hand hold macro shots and normally manage 2or 3 frames to stack together

The best way is to manually focus shoot a frame then very slightly move your body and shoot at the same time to get a few shots with varying focus

I shoot with a wide apature al lot of the time so stack to get a little more depth of field

With live bugs in the field it will be difficult to use a tripod and focussing rail as the bugs often won't stay still for long