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Focus Stacking
May 24, 2020 10:59:52   #
nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ
 
I've been shooting macro/close-up photos with a couple Tamron macro lenses for several years. The subjects are mostly small plastic scale model aircraft & armor models as well as flowers & bugs. Lately, I've developed an interest in focus stacking equipment/software. I downloaded the "Introduction to Focus Stacking" by Rik Littlefield.

Can any of ya'll suggest other tutorials and/or specific hardware/software to do this? I'm looking to keep it reasonably inexpensive.

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May 24, 2020 11:15:31   #
bleirer
 
https://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconsoft-products/helicon-focus/

A lot of people recommend helicon. I've used Photoshop but it bogs down for me above 20 or so images. Canon users have the free software that comes with the camera.

You also need a way to control the camera. Some cameras have an automatic setting in the menu. Some, like Canon, have manual focus control built into the remote phone app. Others use a bellows, rear apparently the best overall.

What camera?

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May 24, 2020 11:50:28   #
EnglishBrenda Loc: Kent, England
 
nicksr1125 wrote:
I......

.......Can any of ya'll suggest other tutorials and/or specific hardware/software to do this? I'm looking to keep it reasonably inexpensive.


CombineZP is free focus stacking software and does a reasonable job but not as good as Zerene.

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May 24, 2020 14:24:53   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
Helicon also has "Helicon Remote" that is a laptop app to control a tethered camera.
https://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconsoft-products/helicon-remote/

and the FB Tube, which goes between the camera and lenses and controls the focus and shutter. (only for Canon and Nikon dslr bodies)
https://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconsoft-products/helicon-fb-tube/

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May 24, 2020 14:42:44   #
nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ
 
bleirer wrote:
https://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconsoft-products/helicon-focus/

What camera?
Sony A7RIII & potentially Alpha 850.

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May 24, 2020 23:35:59   #
Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI
 
I am not clear if you are asking about focus stacking as a process where pictures are taken at different focal points, OR focus stacking as the process where you take the pictures and use software to merge them together --> single focused picture. That term is used interchangeably for both of these, unfortunately.
Lets' call the first "focus bracketing" for now. You can do bracketing with your subjects without special equipment or software as long as they sit still. Camera. Tripod (a sturdy one). Remote shutter. Take a picture at the closest point that you want to start at, and turn the focus ring by a tiny amount. Repeat. That is the simplest way. You can also move the whole camera by a tiny amount on a rail. But getting that right requires a good rail, as moving introduces vibrations. There is software that you can use to focus bracket the camera thru a remote device like a cell phone or iPad. Here is one that will work with your camera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mETmcfwV4vQ They call it focus stacking, of course. Using software to drive this process is faster and more consistent.

As for focus stacking software (as in merging pictures together), the most popular dedicated stacking software are Helicon Focus and Zerene Stacker. I understand both are similarly good.
I don't know about those other dedicated stacking programs.
Photoshop also does stacking, but its more limited in handling artifacts that might emerge. And believe me, you can get lots of artifacts.

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May 25, 2020 14:45:06   #
Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA
 
nicksr1125 wrote:
I've been shooting macro/close-up photos with a couple Tamron macro lenses for several years. The subjects are mostly small plastic scale model aircraft & armor models as well as flowers & bugs. Lately, I've developed an interest in focus stacking equipment/software. I downloaded the "Introduction to Focus Stacking" by Rik Littlefield.

Can any of ya'll suggest other tutorials and/or specific hardware/software to do this? I'm looking to keep it reasonably inexpensive.
I've been shooting macro/close-up photos with a co... (show quote)


A great topic -one of the major topics of "good" macro works seem to require - I did a few tests in the past and had some good results - my only real problem seems to be the limitation of layers I can work with in PS and the tiny movement needed to take a large number of layers -I have an inexpensive rail that seams to be not geared low enough - hopefully a rail I have on order will be better. As I am using 2 canon cameras - XT & T3i it looks like I need to look for the Stacking software that comes with them.

Any tips will be appreciated.
Harvey in the Sierras

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May 25, 2020 16:23:22   #
bleirer
 
Harvey wrote:
A great topic -one of the major topics of "good" macro works seem to require - I did a few tests in the past and had some good results - my only real problem seems to be the limitation of layers I can work with in PS and the tiny movement needed to take a large number of layers -I have an inexpensive rail that seams to be not geared low enough - hopefully a rail I have on order will be better. As I am using 2 canon cameras - XT & T3i it looks like I need to look for the Stacking software that comes with them.

Any tips will be appreciated.
Harvey in the Sierras
A great topic -one of the major topics of "go... (show quote)


It's in Canon's DPP4, software, under the tools menu/depth compositing.

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