![]() ![]() I do more learning than not.įly at 5x (focus stack) Actual Pixels by Roger The best thing is to do a lot of practice. I hope that there is something in here that might be of assistance. They are worth it if you do a lot of stacking. None of mine have been extremely complicated. Helicon is fast, and will convert RAW to TIF on the fly as it processes the stack. Paid The two main programs are Zerene & Helicon. Disclaimer: I've not used free software for over 5 years, so I might be out of touch. Control might be better if you really understand the software. I use magnified live view, at least to get started and check occasionally.įree Capable of good results. Fewer images in the stack mean less to go wrong. Sometimes it is better to be a bit further away from the subject for better DOF at a given f-stop and crop in. Noise is cumulative in some stacking programs.ĭistance to Subject. Can make or break an stack if there is too much movement/vibration. Mirror up & electronic shutter can be a great help. I use a remote 95% of the time to reduce vibration. A power source to keep the flash going is helpful sometimes. Diffused Flash is best to avoid vibration & harsh lighting, especially for reflective surfaces. Better would be a stack shot automated rail for such shots. ![]() Allan Walls has a youtube video with a simple modification that might let one use the NiSi at 10x. I bought a 10x Nikon objective, and found that the rack & pinion could not take fine enough steps to make a good stack. Take the time to dig out the right lens for the job. You will never get a stack sharper than the sweet spot on your sharpest lens. Vibration of gear and movement of subject are my primary causes of ruined stacks. I still try on occasion, as I miss 100% of the shots I don't take. Gear needed for extreme macro stacking is different than a large subject like a camera or flower. Disadvantage is that you will never have more of the subject in acceptable focus than your narrowest f-stop. I miss more focus slices with this method than #1. A lens with a long throw works best for this. You can 1) Move the camera forward by hand, or use a manual or automated rail. Good lighting makes all the difference in how well a stacking program is able to work for you. He stated that he never lets a client see the images at 100%.Ĭomposition & Lighting. There is a guy who stacks wrist watch movements. If you print large, or do commercial work, it is good to be detail oriented. Most people will never see the details that drive you nuts at 100%. What is purpose of the photograph? If it is only to post on the web, perfection is not necessary, unless you are wired that way! Then it is probably best to put your expectations low, and give yourself time to figure out the best way for you to meet your goals. That may rule out the problem of software that is just not up to the job. I'd also suggest that you use the trial versions of Helicon & Zerene with your images as well. ![]() Much of this will be a recap from the fine suggestions above.Īs noted above, enough in focus slices for the stack is critical. hopefully he will join the discussionThanks for the vote of confidence, pearsaab, but not really a master. Having lots of overlap between shots means the alignment can do a much better job and you get a nice smooth is a master at stacking. Remember tiny focus movements and get as much depth of field as you can get away with. ![]() This is a 137 image focus stack I did and while it does show some artefacts those are due to the very complex geometry of the object being photographed: The general process I use and learned from is this one. For software I use Hugin for doing the image alignment (GUI) and the enfuse tool for actually combining the images. I will start with the focus closest to the lens and work out and then when I get slightly past the object work back in. By a lot of shots I mean well over a hundred and with small focus adjustments I mean that with the D FA 100/2.8 WR Macro I will usually be taking 3 shots for each 1 rib of movement on the focusing ring. I will typically have the lens stopped down to at least f/8 if not f/11 to also increase the depth of field. My method is generally to take lots of shots with very minor changes in focus. ![]()
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