Focus Stacking

You can get a Stackshot from here that will automate the movements for you for 525 US dollars plus some frightening import duties and handling charges.

Alternately you could use Helicon Focus from here which would handle the focusing part of the process, then use their HeliconSoft software to align the images and complete the stack.

Makes the whole process simple, but it is a bit hard on the pocket.
 
The Stackshot would take care of that, and I have seen a demo of the Helicon Focus software working on a Nikon tethered to a laptop - Mark the forward point of focus, then the rear point of focus, and the software will decide how many images are required, then automate the focus element and make the exposures.
 
Oops, sorry :) Replies overlapped while I was checking if Enfuse had a Windows version :D
 
Thanks, David. It was a quick software test, only used around 5 exposures and a front-end to Enfuse called MacroFusion, not available for Windows, though I think the Windows EnfuseGUI is similar.

I feel the pain of the OP, I wouldn't even attempt stacking unless it was a static subject :)
Maybe a goal to aim for in the summer................!
 
Carter64 said:
I feel the pain of the OP, I wouldn't even attempt stacking unless it was a static subject :)
Click to expand...

Static but cold ! Here's a reasonably unadulterated result. Some minor, rescuable haloing but lots of lovely lovely detail. These structures are about 2cm high. Eventually this will be 3m high cloth print for an exhibition and there is some softness where the stacks didn't quite meet up. Nothing that can't be put right.


Drape_01_a.jpg

​
 
Cold it may have been, Chris, but the result was definitely worth it.

.....now where did I put my focusing rail.
 
I combine the frames by hand in PhotoShop is fiddly but normally just do a 2 or 3 frame stack just to get a little more DOF normally don't go closer than 1:1 :)
 
holty said:
what is focus stacking ???????
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When taking macro shots, the depth of field tends to be very shallow even when stopped down to ridiculously small apertures such as f/32 and even smaller so often only a very small part of the image is in focus.
Focus stacking is a technique used to get an entire image in focus by taking several shots focused on slightly different 'slices' which are then realigned and combined into one (hopefully) totally in focus image.
There are a few ways of doing it, either having the camera static and turning the focus ring slightly for each shot or my moving the camera for each shot.
I have a focus rail so can take a shot, advance the rail slightly, take another etc.
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
The camera is 'Hand held' rather than tripod mounted, or mounted on a focus rail.
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Are you saying that you hand held the camera,focused, took one photo then re focused on another point and took another photo.Then you went on to do that 3 more times and stacked the photos on top of each other using computer software? To produce the photo shown?
 
kestral said:
Are you saying that you hand held the camera,focused, took one photo then re focused on another point and took another photo.Then you went on to do that 3 more times and stacked the photos on top of each other using computer software? To produce the photo shown?
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I didn't its not my photo ;)

You don't re-focus you actually move the camera so that the focus plane moves to the next point on the image you want in focus and take another shot, with a macro lens changing the focus on the lens actually alters the magnification, this would make stacking the shots impossible.
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
I didn't its not my photo ;)

You don't re-focus you actually move the camera so that the focus plane moves to the next point on the image you want in focus and take another shot, with a macro lens changing the focus on the lens actually alters the magnification, this would make stacking the shots impossible.
Click to expand...

That's just not true mate - most of the vids on YouTube (as above) simply show the focus change rather than moving the camera. I do get what you're saying as being preferable, but without a focus rail it'd be very tricky in most cases so tripod and refocus is the obvious way to go :)

Which is exactly what I've been playing with this aft - and yes, it works

Dave
 
I took this one yesterday, it's made up of 34 shots taken with a cheapo single-axis focus rail I bought on here.
The tripod and focus ring were fixed and the rail was advanced in 2mm increments.
Stacked using Zerene Stacker.

AMD Athlon stacked by Wozzaaah, on Flickr
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
with a macro lens changing the focus on the lens actually alters the magnification, this would make stacking the shots impossible.
Click to expand...
Most, if not all stacking software accounts for the change in magnification and resizes each image to suit.
 
DG Phototraining said:
That's just not true mate - most of the vids on YouTube (as above) simply show the focus change rather than moving the camera. I do get what you're saying as being preferable, but without a focus rail it'd be very tricky in most cases so tripod and refocus is the obvious way to go :)

Which is exactly what I've been playing with this aft - and yes, it works

Dave
Click to expand...

But HAND HELD!:thinking:
 
kestral said:
But HAND HELD!:thinking:
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Takes a lot of practice but is certainly possible, I do quite a bit of macro and never use a tripod. Best way I found is to stick the camera into 7fps mode, start at the front of the subject and move to camera very slightly to the end. Remember the stacking software will correct any small variations when it combines the images although it's impossible to do it with anything moving.

Lucky for me the Bee just sat there looking at me for a couple of minutes.
 
DG Phototraining said:
That's just not true mate - most of the vids on YouTube (as above) simply show the focus change rather than moving the camera. I do get what you're saying as being preferable, but without a focus rail it'd be very tricky in most cases so tripod and refocus is the obvious way to go :)

Which is exactly what I've been playing with this aft - and yes, it works

Dave
Click to expand...

It may be the obvious way to go but its wrong :-), to stack correctly you move the camera NOT adjust the focus.

Messing around with a tripod / focusing rails and trying to refocus is a pain in the ass unless your subject is inanimate .

some people are very good at it hand held have a look at this guys flickr -
Hand Stack
 
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