Focus Stacking

jockwav

jockwav

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James (Retired)
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First time trying this technique,but obviously doing something wrong,trying the helicon prog.
But what i am getting is like a mixture of photos all out of line in the end shot,so how are you supposed to take different shots getting all parts of the object in focus without moving the camera to all the spots on the object to get it all sharp.
Hope i have explained it.:)
 
Firstly you mount the camera on a tripod, and don't move it - the tripod. Then you get the plane of the shutter roughly in line with the main plane of your object. Then you take a series of shots "bacon slicing" the object, moving the focus point slightly every time. You can do this by manually changing the focus point, or using a set of rails to move the whole camera back and fro. Never move the tripod.

Combine ZP - the free programme - has a reputation for creating mirror images round the edges of the stacked shot which will need to be cropped out.

Here's one I prepared earlier. I focussed on the individual matchheads, front, middle and rear of the match box, a total of 15 shots. I used the Zerene Stacker programme. There is a free trial period. It's not too dissimilar to your Helicon programme, and I did try it at one time.


Strike a light by Frank Yates2010, on Flickr


It's not really difficult: you just need patience (which SWMBO says I'm short of!)

As you mention jewellery, here's another shot...


Helicon macro stack by Frank Yates2010, on Flickr

Just focus on different parts, gradually working your way through the image. All you change is what you are focussing on, nothing else.
 
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Right so changing in screen focus point,got that,i don,t have rails but i am using my tripod.
What i was trying it with was glass animal (swarovski) using the nifty fifty & the raynox 250,getting the front sharp is np its getting the back of the tail section sharp.:puke:
 
Well maybe on smaller items like small swarovski glass figures it just is not possible.
Changing the focus point without moving the camera puts the focus point off the object altogether.:shrug::puke:
 
jockwav said:
Well maybe on smaller items like small swarovski glass figures it just is not possible.
Changing the focus point without moving the camera puts the focus point off the object altogether.:shrug::puke:
Click to expand...

I read in a thread on here of a program that allows you to do this with a tethered camera attached to you computer.

In essence the program adjusts the focus by very small amounts and then takes a series of shots which it then stitches together.

As far as I can remember the only thing was that you had to use a fairly wide aperture for it to work correctly.

One of the shots shown with this technique involved coins and they looked very good indeed.


.
 
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Need to play around more with this i think.:puke:(y)
 
Silly question here, whats it all about, to me it just looks like everything is in focus using a small aperture
 
Gary Coyle said:
Silly question here, whats it all about, to me it just looks like everything is in focus using a small aperture
Click to expand...

That IS what it's about. For when you're really close up, say, doing bug photos, you can use apertures of up to 16 or 18, and yet get a DOF of 1mm or less depending on lens / extension tubes.

So, stacking allows you to have the DOF you want, despite your tiny DOF when doing macro shots.
 
jockwav said:
Well maybe on smaller items like small swarovski glass figures it just is not possible.
Changing the focus point without moving the camera puts the focus point off the object altogether.:shrug::puke:
Click to expand...

When using a macro lens you have to move the camera - As changing the focus on the lens effectively alters the magnification and you end up with with a load of images of the subject at different sizes.
 
If you move the camera during photo stacking it won,t work for you,i have tried it.:shrug:
 
AshMashMash said:
That IS what it's about. For when you're really close up, say, doing bug photos, you can use apertures of up to 16 or 18, and yet get a DOF of 1mm or less depending on lens / extension tubes.

So, stacking allows you to have the DOF you want, despite your tiny DOF when doing macro shots.
Click to expand...

I get it now, thanks.
 
The way I did it wit my nifty fifty and tubes
Camera>tripod set the lens to manual focus. Focus on the front of the object > take the shot > move focus ring slightly > take the shot.....and so on

Not sure which nifty youve got mk1 or 2. but the mk2 (mine) has a crappy focus ring. but if you wrap a zip tie around it and leave the tail of the zip tie sticking out then its easier to turn without moving the camera.

this is a 4 image stack using helicon.


BlueBell-1024 by mick.1965, on Flickr

and this is a 14 image stack

False Widow by mick.1965, on Flickr

all using the above method
 
Nice shot,yep i got the mk11 nifty,crap focus ring,will try that,cheers.:)(y)
 
Gary Coyle said:
Silly question here, whats it all about, to me it just looks like everything is in focus using a small aperture
Click to expand...

As an example of what's been said in post 9 - even at f32, Nikon's 105mm macro lens still only has a DOF of 3/16 of an inch when used at minimum focus distance of 1 foot.

3/16" (4.76mm) is around the same length as the head on one of the Swan Vestas matches above.
 
mickledore said:
... I used the Zerene Stacker programme. There is a free trial period. It's not too dissimilar to your Helicon programme, and I did try it at one time.....
Click to expand...

Helicon is quite a bit cheaper - is there much difference between it and Zerene?
 
jockwav said:
Well maybe on smaller items like small swarovski glass figures it just is not possible.
Changing the focus point without moving the camera puts the focus point off the object altogether.:shrug::puke:
Click to expand...

Don't use autofocus to try this. You need to focus manually, Its going to be easier if you have live view and can (digitally) zoom in on the live view.
 
Yep i was using manual focus,but you don,t have live view on the 5D.:)
 
Just tried this method in my thread , its exactly waht i wanted .. it worked really well but i need to refine it, i just focused and shot from front to back and and let PS do the rest worked better than I expected
 
I have just downloaded the Helicon package and am trying it on the free 30 day trial.

Dead simple,

camera goes on tripod,
connect camera to computer via usb,
open programme (helicon remote)
point camera at object,
set settings via programme, manual exposure and focus,
using the focus buttons in the programme, identify the closet point and the furthest point (no need to touch camera)
click start photographing, programme will determine the amount of shots and take them,
use helicon focus to merge (really easy)

I have only tried the one, this was 21 shots merged.

6493060039_67d2743f53_b.jpg
[/url] 11-12-11_141820_M=B_R=8_S=4 by Ben_Lee, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
Looks really good,just did this with my nifty fifty.

IMG_0437.jpg
 
I just used my nifty fifty nothing else:)
 
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