I think you are on the right track. When I first became aware of this procedure, I was more interested in it from a landscape perspective--rather than the more common use for macro--primarily because of diffraction when stopping down lenses as well as extending DOF. Although we are all primarily interested "how it looks", slrgear.com does an excellent job, IMO, in graphing diffraction. I raise the use of stacking of landscapes for this reason: stacking in macro often requires a high number of images, stacking in landscape would require fewer images. The critical aspect is to overlap DOF in each subsequent "slice." Anyway, enough rambling-- and keep submitting examples. Unfortunately, I don't have as much time (for photography) as I wish I had.

I do not use PhotoShop, and have not used a stacking program for quite some time. I cannot render a valid opinion.


I have used a focusing rail, but have never owned one. I suggest finding a local macro-photographer already using a rail. Trial use is a good teacher.

I also suggest that you continue corresponding with ShooterOR, who has superior experience with rails.