Elmo55 Loc: Illinois

Do any of you D850 shooters use "Focus Shift Stacking" for landscape, and if so what's your experience, advice, and lens recommendations. Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Elmo

Orphoto Loc: Oregon

Elmo, use the lens with the focal length you desire (just like always). Only caveat is that if you want to use the camera's automatic feature the lens has to be autofocus capable. Some lenses "breathe" more than others (image changes size slightly with focus). For focus stacking, less breathing is better.

This is a topic for a treatise rather than a fast response here. Tons of good guides and info available with a simple google search.

On the 850 try starting with a step setting of 5 and then adjust based on results.

therwol Loc: USA

If you have the camera do it automatically, it will require an autofocus lens that has a focusing motor. It doesn't work with the lenses that require the motor in the camera to focus.

Elmo55 Loc: Illinois

Alright I learned something, so thanks. I will just have to check my lens inventory to see what I have that fits the bill. Intend to do some practicing when the weather warms up.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

When I had the D850, I used the focus stacking routine all the time, usually with the 28-300 lens. You need to mount the body on a tripod, set it to the closest focus point, and let the camera do its thing.

I am trying to remember, but this image was stacked in Photoshop and was about 50 individual exposures. The camera was about 24" off the ground.

(Download)

Elmo55 Loc: Illinois

Awesome photo. Thanks for the input, now to practice until the process is routine before I plan to use it next summer.

tcthome Loc: NJ

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Outstanding!

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

I use focus shift on a D850, but for macro photography, not landscapes. For landscapes, I usually focus on 3 different spots manually (sometimes 5), close in, on the subject, then on the distant background. Take the shots into Photoshop for "Auto Blend Layers". My favorite landscape lens is a Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art, but some prefer the f/4 version as it's more compact and light. I also keep a 24mm f/1.8 and either a 35mm f/1.8 or 50mm f/1.8 in my kit depending on what I intend to shoot. It helps to know your DOF and hyperfocal distance when picking your focus points.

For macro photography focus shift takes a bit of trial and error. I start by choosing the closest and furthest points I want in focus then guess at the "number of shots" I want the camera to take and the "Focus step width". Take the sequence and review on the LCD looking at the end of the sequence for undershoot or overshoot, make adjustments and go again. The "Auto Blend Layers" function in Photoshop is kind of hit and miss. It creates a layer mask for each image with the sharpest parts of that image. It doesn't always get it right and you may have to make some adjustments on the final result to fix where it missed. My rule of thumb is to use the least Number of Shots possible, i.e, widest Focus Step Width, to give PS a better chance of getting it right.

This image is made up of 9 layers and it came out fairly well, but look closely at the little dots just to the left of the Stemen. They are supposed to be yellow dots of pollen, but PS turned them red in the blend process. I could go in, find the layer(s) that messed up and hand brush to expose the yellow in a lower layer, but got lazy at the time. May go in and fix it when I'm in the mood.

(Download)

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

And yet another concept that I had not considered before. Thanks for the photo and for sharing what you do.

Sinewsworn Loc: Port Orchard, WA

I use a telephoto and compose 3 to 12 images of the landscape. One may use the Focus Shift Stacking feature. Tele glass allows one to “zoom in” on the features of interest.

therwol Loc: USA

Here is another thing to note. The D850 will take the images, but you need third party software to put them together into one image. Photoshop will do, but there are others. Check out this article. It concerns both macro and landscape focus stacking and discusses some software options.

https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-d850/5

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

Highly recommended unless there are too many things moving around. Almost never need more than three exposures and often just two.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

An eye catching, superlative composition 🤎🤎🏆🤎🤎