JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

There are some cameras that have built in focus bracketing, not focus stacking. But the camera has to be able to move the focus of the lens. The Canon SX50 has this ability. It does one focus on the subject and it tries to do a shot on either side of this focus point. And you get three shots after it is done. I seem to recall you can adjust how much focus deviation you want to have.

If you use the wrong setting you will get exposure bracketing for which I have seen complaints.

I don't know what other cameras have this ability.

Nanaknox

Focus stacking is done more routinely when taking macro shots. This is the best way to get that incredible depth of field you often see in detailed bug or flower shots, etc. Often, a focusing rail is used as well for even more precision. Then the stack of photos is processed through a stacking software such as "Helicon" or "Zyrene Stacker". There are many articles and tutorials out there on the best way to accomplish this. I've done some work in the area and find it to be a lot of fun.
HDR is another technique and uses bracketed photos with multiple exposure levels, typically 3-5 shots. You can use Photoshop to merge them together but I prefer "Photomatix". I also use this technique frequently when I'm looking for drama in a shot or whether are both very light and very dark area in the same shot. Lots of fun techniques out there to try. And we're so lucky to have so many quality tutorials to help us learn.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Focus bracketing is a better term, and I do it quite often, whenever my focus is on the edge and manually stopping down darkens the screen too much. I'd like the camera to automatically make a series of exposures in minute focus increments, then combine them into one image. Barring an electrical communication with the lens, it would probably have to be something similar to the Yashica/Contax autofocus system, which moved the focal plane.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

Broderic,
Not exactly thee same, but could be expanded to seem the same.

Bracketing is the practice of automatically capturing several exposures, and each having a different Exposure Value(Ev). Focus Stacking is the practice of making several exposures, manually, with each exposure having a different focus point on the subject.

Bracketing exposures allows increasing the exposure range beyond blown out whites (over-exposed), to well under-exposed solid blacks.

Focus Stacking increases the focus range on a subject when using a wide open Aperture, long focal length lens, or trying Macro for close-up images.

Michael G

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

I might add that to the camera, this is bracketing. You can bracket several parameters such as EV. And just consider, in the case of a camera that can do it, focus bracketing. But it is the same thing. You end up with e pictures taken with different focus points which you then use with focus stacking SW to make one image.

My DSLR cameras do not have this ability. Only the bridge Canon SX50 that I bought around Christmas since the refurbished model was so marked down. I haven't played with this feature yet. But I know it is there.

And Canon calls it focus bracketing in the manual.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

Just a bit of a tangent here, but hopefully of at least some relevance.

My cameras do not have built in focus stacking ability, but I recently added some hardware that provided a nice solution to that. I bought a CamRanger unit. It plugs into my camera, and then creates a wifi connection to my iPad or iPhone, allowing me to use either as a remote viewfinder and camera controller. By placing my camera on live view I can see the scene on my iPad, adjust the shutter speed, f stop, ISO, focus, etc., trip the shutter, and view the image and histogram all on the pad (the primary functions I bought it for). BUT, it also has a function which allows me the control focus stacking. I can set my focus on the closest point I need in focus, tell it how many images I want to shoot, and how much focus adjustment to make in each shot. I trip the shutter and it automates the process, clicking off the shots I want for focus stacking. I do still need to use computer software to actually merge the shots later, but it is still a handy and effective solution for those who want to do focus stacking.

Kristoes

Very inspiring process! I must admit it has started me thinking in a different direction. I'm wondering how much of an issue "ghosting" might be with trees moving in the landscape (as sometimes happens in photomatixed brackets). It seems there would be parallel issues, which is logical, but doing BOTH HDR and Focus Stacking within one shot could drive a person nuts trying to reconcile any movement within the shot.
Sorry in advance if this is too far off topic,
Kristoes

:wink:

gkuep1945 Loc: Dowling Park, Florida

Focus stacking is often used in macro photography for more DOF. It involves taking many shots at different focus points thru the subject. It can be done with a focus rail where you physically move the camera toward the subject and keep all other settings constant. It can also be done with electronic controllers and some Android apps are now beginning to do it. Here's a few links to peruse:
http://dslrcontroller.com/
http://www.promotesystems.com/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1202082

Some also allow HDR/AEB in addition to the focus bracketing. After all the photos are taken then you need to use software to combine them into one photo. Those include CombineZP, Enfuse, and Zerene Focus Stacker. Some are free, some not.

Good luck!

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

D, posed like that, a camera also doesn't know how to set up the bracketting for HDR either, so we input the parameters.
Why could we not input the parameters, or for that matter, just set how much overlap of dof we want and to cover how much distance.
But, the specialty programs have enough problems with artifacting with movement, imagine how weak a program in-camera would be?
It's bound to eventually come though !
Just imaging a landscape from the new 50mp Canon with Auto-Stacking. It could be breath-taking!! ;-)
SS

Picdude Loc: Ohio

I agree. I see this as another two-shot compromise like the in-camera HDR you mentioned. My camera also does HDR but so far I have never tried it. I prefer to have more control than 2 images can give.

Picdude Loc: Ohio

So I see your point, but what kind of parameters would you set for focus? HDR is a little more cut-and-dried in that you can set the exposure deviation and the number images to take and the bracketing takes care of itself. How would you set focusing? The maximum DOF could be measured in anything from a few feet to several miles?

gkuep1945 Loc: Dowling Park, Florida

As an example of focus stacking via in-camera software, I installed Magic Lantern software in my Canon t1i. It allowed me to set the near focus point and far focus point and designate the number of shots and it made them all for me. It made all shots with the same exposure settings. It worked great.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

With DOF that large there isn't much need for focus stacking!

It's when the DOF starts getting small, usually due to high magnification but wide aperture of course can contribute, that stacking is appropriate.

As others say, the setup is to choose the start and end points for focus, and then set the number of images to shoot and stack. The trick there is to know with relative accuracy the DOF and make sure the actual increments in focus are smaller than the DOF. An increment of 1/2 the DOF, for example, is not uncommon as it allows plenty of "slop" in the focus increments.

It isn't uncommon at fairly low magnifications to shoot a relatively low number of images, e.g. 10 shots. Likewise several hundred is pretty common for higher magnifications where the DOF is very small.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Thanks for this, Jim. I'll have to check out the CamRanger. Sounds convenient enough for use in the field for botany and geology studies, and not as Rube Goldberg as using a rail. Merging on the computer is no big deal. My favorite macro lens is only 40 years old, but I'm not adverse to buying a new AF model. For my other work, guess I'll just trade in my biological microscope and bellows for an electron microscope.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

You set the focus and the camera brackets around your setting.