How to focus stack your images

[Johno]

Found this cool little tutorial on focus stacking images for great sharp model photos.
https://doogsmodels.com/2018/10/18/how- ... ur-images/

[bfrd]

Great tip! I have been toying with the idea of coming up with some photography pointers. I have a great camera (and I know how to use it), but still I take pictures with my phone!

I never thought of using HDR methods for focus, but it makes sense. Normally I would just crank down the aperture, but that isn't always easy.

P.S. For those of you not familiar with HDR photography, here are a couple of mine.

This was a hospital, pretty sure my mom was born there.


This is a haybail from a field near my home.

[MakingModels]

I had a play with Image stacking a few years ago..

My Watch, made up from 34 images all stacked

[MakingModels]

HDR and tone mapping can generate some great results from a single picture..

For example

Here is the base picture of Batman



From this I generated 2 more pictures, one was at -25% exposure and one at +25% exposure.

Generated a HDR image and then in light-room played around a little with tone mapping and managed to get a final result like this.



Editing software is quite powerful now

[schweinhund227]

https://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconsoft ... con-focus/

used that for a few years... works well ! you can pay for a set time... or buy in full

[BrianI]

Some great tips.

I've been considering purchasing a macro slider rail for my nature macro set up (A canon 750D, with Sigma 105 f/2.8 Lens). Since it could also be used for focus stacking photos of models, perhaps it will be used more often. So perhaps I'll add it to my Santa list. I had tried a cheap £15 3 way macro slider off ebay, but it was too wobbly for accurate use. I'm currently considering a Velbon Super Mag Slider for around £90...

[barrythornton]

I'm currently considering a Velbon Super Mag Slider for around £90...

Put your money back in your pocket sir.
Digicam Control
Cant recommend this highly enough, and its free.
even without the focus stacking capabilities, you are using a full size monitor / or laptop screen as your `live view`.
The difference in what I `thought` was in focus and the ability to nudge it by micro fractions into sharp are ridiculous.
To stack, you just need to focus, via mouse click increments, or manually, on nearest point. Do the same for furthest point, and tell it how many shots to take in between.

[schweinhund227]

Some great tips.

I've been considering purchasing a macro slider rail for my nature macro set up (A Canon 750D, with Sigma 105 f/2.8 Lens). Since it could also be used for focus stacking photos of models, perhaps it will be used more often. So perhaps I'll add it to my Santa list. I had tried a cheap £15 3-way macro slider off eBay, but it was too wobbly for accurate use. I'm currently considering a Velbon Super Mag Slider for around £90...

Hello Brian:

Remember with the Canon 750D or (T6i) being an APS-C sensor with a crop factor ratio of 1.6; your Sigma 105mm (Marco lens I presume) will turn into a 168mm lens equivalent to a 35mm full frame sensor. Maybe slightly overkill for scale model photography; unless you want to peep up close and personal.... on details and such. nice lens none the less... I used my kit lens 18mm to 55mm with great success for scale models while processing those images with Helicon Focus.

"Magic Lantern" for Canon cameras also has a built-in photo stacking subroutine. once you get used to it... it takes some pretty nice images at set intervals using your Autofocus on your lens but you need to feed those results in a processing software.

I prefer using Helicon Focus... you drop the pictures in the program taken with your rail and the program does its magic.
lots of ways to get what you are after mate!

Good luck with your photography adventures

[BrianI]

I'm currently considering a Velbon Super Mag Slider for around £90...

Put your money back in your pocket sir.
Digicam Control
Cant recommend this highly enough, and its free.
even without the focus stacking capabilities, you are using a full size monitor / or laptop screen as your `live view`.
The difference in what I `thought` was in focus and the ability to nudge it by micro fractions into sharp are ridiculous.
To stack, you just need to focus, via mouse click increments, or manually, on nearest point. Do the same for furthest point, and tell it how many shots to take in between.

That looks a handy bit of software, thanks Barry! Alas, I'm a linux user, so that software wouldn't work on my system.

However this, may work. qdslrdashboard, as would Zerene Stacker for $$$. Also seems to an android app to run on my tablet / phone.

Anyway, I found a bit more information on why a focus rail may not be a good thing for focus stacking, interesting article here:

http://zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker/do ... versusrail

At least that's £90 I've saved, to go towards a new airbrush!

[bfrd]

I picked up a new lens and Helicon Focus/Remote software. I was tempted to pickup the hardware tube, but I wanted to try the software first. If I like it I may get the tube later.

The lens I got was the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro. I have several other pieces of L glass and are impressed with the quality, I figure it would be hard to go wrong with this one. I never buy a lens without a UV filter (mainly for protection), but I also got a circular polarizer. May play with that as well. Unfortunately, my laptop and camera are not getting along. I have a 5D Mk iii and it is either not recognized, or causes my laptop to reboot with a bios clear! I haven't had time to sort it out.

[bfrd]

Tried out the software using my desktop at work and no problems there. I did a quick test without reading any of the instructions or guides so I just clicked around until I got something to happen. With the default settings everywhere I got a pretty decent result. With some tweaking and proper setup, it should be awesome.



27 image stack

[schweinhund227]

Some android or IOS apps exist to control your Canon DSLR via BT or USB... look on google for the best one for you? and if your 5D MkIII is supported. That way you can still control the beast ! if the PC or Laptop tether doesn't get resolved. Nice acquisition on the 100mm jealous indeed! Good luck !

[BrianI]

I seem to have been able to get qDslrDashboard installed on my linux machine, will try and give it a proper test sometime