Affinity is "light years" ahead of any PSE version; it also costs less (at least currently), at $49.99. There is a great training manual also for $49.99.
Affinity will do whatever you need and probably a lot more. Their license allows you to put it on as many machines as you want. This deal is hard to beat.
There are also about 200 free youtube type videos on how to use different features of the program; I worked on a few BW's following the videos and was astounded at what you could do. I have never done any digital BW before. Now some of the magazine editors I send to think I am a genius; whereas, I am just a cook following the recipe. It also does photo stacking for increased depth of field which I was really interested in. The photo stacking feature is so simple I couldn't believe it. A couple of clicks and it was done. You don't even really have to know what you are doing! The editors like this also. I don't tell them I am not a genius but simply someone who can follow directions. Just my opinions. For me it is outstanding. It will take me 50 years to become proficient with the current features. Who knows what improvements they will cook-up?
1. Most, if not all, focus stacking (FS) programs are stand alone programs and there is no advantage to trying to use them as plugins. The working procedure is essentially the same for all of them, shoot the images, load them into the program, push the 'go' button and wait for the software to do it's magic. That's it! The procedure is far simpler than trying to correct a color cast in PP, for example, because all decisions are made automatically by the software.
2. A determining factor in deciding which program to purchase is the the type of subject you are going to photograph. A one millimeter 'hairy' bug photographed with a 100 mm micro lens at 1:1 is a different problem than that posed by a rose photographed at 1:5 with a 50 mm prime lens. You have to define what your problem is before you can identify the solution.
3. If I was just getting into focus stacking and wanted to 'try it out' before making any major financial commitments, I would
buy the Affinity program (serif.Affinity.com). It performs a 'great many' PP functions (far more and far better than any PSE version) including focus stacking (which PSE does not include at all). The current cost is only $50.00. You can buy more expensive programs to use as your intro to FS, but you do not need too. Once you define what your subject material is going to be, you might want to then buy Helicon or Zyrene; both these programs do a fantastic job on 1,000 shot stacks of 1 mm 'hairy' bugs but you might not 'need' their incredible capability for a rose as your first project.
4. The answer to your problem is not definable in 10 words or less. You need to start slow and find solutions to the problems as you are able to identify them; unless, of course, money and time are of no consequence in which case just buy everything and go-for-broke.
Yes. 'Focus merging' are the words that AFFINITY uses. I don't have a problem with the use of either phrase
One thing I forgot to mention. If in doubt about any of this, call the company. They are all very helpful and usually very knowledgeable. You do not have to know. 'all about everything' to do this. All you really have to do is keep the phone numbers at hand, have a sharp pencil and pad of paper and act on the advice you get.
You can buy refurbished computers from Walmart and Bestbuy. The prices range from $100 to $300. The combinations of memory and spec's are almost endless; you do not need terrabytes on memory. If you want to add more RAM (the secret is RAM not hard-drive) memory, you can go to
http://www.crucial.com. They make a huge variety of memory cards. I paid $75 to upgrade one of the computers from 4GB RAM to 8GB RAM. I use both computers to work with the AFFINITY photo processing program. These desktop Dell boxes will run with almost any monitor, audio/video card and anything else you have; basically it boils down to don't ever throw anything away these days, it all works. I am currently experimenting with the 'focus merging' feature of AFFINITY. The system works perfectly with a stack of 40 highest resolution JPEGS that my D7200 can produce; but it takes 8GB RAM, not 4. The lens is an OLD 28mm Nikon non-autufocus lens with a manual focus arc of about 200 degrees; from KEH for about $150 (I don't remember exactly). I am absolutely flabbergasted at how inexpensive the entire system was and how easy the 'focus merging' feature is to operate with near perfect results. The lens is important. Nothing matters except sharpness, large diameter glass and f16 or f22 stopped to about f11. All else is manual. Focusing is easy, 'you start out of focus at the near point, you end out of focus at the far point'. The computer and program handles everything after that. The entire setup (including AFFINITY program) cost about $250 using an old spare monitor I had (also not counting camera and lens). I can shoot a focus stack of 40 on an SD card, insert the card into the computer, run the program and have the first rough result (JPEG) in about 15 minutes total elapsed time. Not bad IMHO.
Affinity is updating their program almost constantly. The updates are free downloads. At some point downstream, I would assume they will increase the price also. Until then however, you get a stand-alone program, free updates, no monthly charges, capability that far exceeds Elements (I have 5, 8 and 12 and passed on getting 2018), great support, you can install it on more than one machine without a problem (I currently have it on two 8GB RAM laptops and it is as fast as it needs to be) and potential for capabilities equal to PS, at least in photo area.
I am particularly impressed with the 'Photo Stacking" capability in the current incarnation. I anticipate good things with this program and would never go back to PSE.
The histogram tells you immediately whether your light meter reading was accurate for the picture you are shooting or not. Then it tells you how to correct that meter reading for a more appropriately exposed picture in the next shot. Why would you want to deal with a 'blown out' picture in PP if you could shoot a perfectly 'exposed to the right' picture in the camera on the next shot? You use both alternately and adjust as necessary.
Affinity is better, IMHO. It is only $50.00 today and tomorrow and for awhile into the future (serif.affinity.com). IMHO, it beats Elements hands down.
serif.affinity.com or, google/affinity photo software or, affinityphoto.com or, one of these will bring it up. It sells for $50.00.
Also, go to amazon and type in the same stuff. Amazon also sells for $50.00 with the fulfillment being done by Serif. Basically, you can find this program all over. There is also a workbook that you can buy for the program. It leads you by the hand through an HDR project. Well worth the 50 bucks. You can also find a couple of hundred videos on youtube re' Affinity. You can watch these until you grow old and never repeat. This is a great program. Look it up. Study it.
1. The gloves are great.
2. However, exactly how did you achieve the intensely black background?
Stranger events have happened. Pat attention, be alert. Isaac may be on the prowl looking for a neophyte.
Buy the Affinity Photo Workshop book. It costs $50.00, but then again, "there ain't no free lunch in anything". It works. It speeds up the learning process. PSE-15 is pretty archaic compared to the capabilities of Affinity. I almost upgraded from PSE - 12 to 2018. Boy am I glad I did not. I am interested in B&W and photo stacking in particular. Affinity is fabulous in B&W and medium in stacking. If their stacking really works for my applications (the question is how many frames will it handle; Helicon say's they can handle a thousand) it will pay for itself in helping me to make a choice of Zerene or Helicon somewhere down stream, if that becomes necessary. The menus, sliders and functions are endless, however, this is purely an indication of the potential in the program. The book systematically leads you through the maze. After a few hours of concentration, you get the hang of it all, and things speed up. Enough of my marketing.