First hand-held focus bracketed botanical shots

GardenersHelper

GardenersHelper

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Nick
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A couple of days ago an Olympus 60mm macro lens turned up to go with my new G80 micro four thirds camera. I have done some initial focus bracketing experiments.

The Post Focus technique I described in this thread works by capturing a 4K video as the focus moves around a scene and then extracting 8 megapixel video frames to stack. This is a Panasonic-specific technology. In contrast, focus bracketing is supported by various camera makers and involves capturing a series of normal images as the camera focuses progressively further away. You get to choose how far the focus moves on each step, and how many steps the camera executes.

Here are twelve of my focus bracketing test scenes. For the four in this post I have included 100% crops. Apart from the first of these, where the scene was about 6 inches wide, the long side of the scenes are in the range of 2 to 4 inches.

The bracketed images were captured as JPEGs. You can capture raw, and I normally shoot raw, but although the G80 raw buffer can manage a burst of 50 or so raw shots I wanted, because I was going to work hand-held, to be able to do deeper stacks without running into the full buffer slowdown problem.

I used the LCD rather than the viewfinder. For some of these captures I was kneeling with my elbows supported by my thighs while for others my arms and hands were unsupported. The images were stacked in Helicon Focus, where I also did some retouching to get rid of the worst of the halos. If you look carefully, especially at the full size images, which are in this album at Flickr, I'm sure you will be able to find lots of infelicities. Hopefully as I get better at retouching the number of such issues will decline, although I suspect that it is a rare stacked images that doesn't show any issues at all no matter how closely you examine it.

There are 1300 pixel high versions of these images in the album at Flickr, and unusually for me I have also put full size versions in the album.

#1 - 19 images, Step +3, ISO 640, f/4, 1/500 sec


1051 22a FB 19f +3 P1040559 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

100% crop


1051 22c FB 19f +3 P1040559 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 100pc crop by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


#2 - 22 images, Step +3, ISO 640, f/4, 1/200 sec


1051 24a FB 22f +3 P1030892 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

100% crop. I was delighted to see the two springtails.


1051 24c FB 22f +3 P1030892 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 100pc crop by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#3 - 40 images, Step +3, ISO 640, f/4, 1/160 sec


1051 29a FB 40f +3 P1030572 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

100% crop


1051 29c FB 40f +3 P1030572 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 100pc crop by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


#4 - 40 images, Step +3, ISO 640, f/4, 1/100 sec


1051 31a FB 40f +3 P1040633 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

100% crop. My personal favourite from this round of test shots.


1051 31c FB 40f +3 P1040633 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 100pc crop by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


More in the next post ...
 
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#5 - 40 images, Step +3, ISO 800, f/4, 1/200 sec


1051 28a FB 40f +3 P1030372 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#6 - 40 images, Step +3, ISO 400, f/4, 1/250 sec


1051 20a 40f +3 P1030492 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) SP7 LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#7 - 40 images, Step +3, ISO 640, f/4, 1/320 sec


1051 30a FB 40f +3 P1030852 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#8 - 17 images, Step +3, ISO 1250, f/4, 1/80 sec


1051 21a FB 17f +3 P1050307 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#9 - 22 images, Step +3, ISO 640, f/4, 1/320 sec


1051 23a FB 22f +3 P1030652 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#10 - 29 images, Step +3, ISO 640, f/4, 1/200 sec


1051 25a FB 29f +3 P1050400 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#11 - 34 images, Step +3, ISO 640, f/4, 1/125 sec


1051 26a FB 34f +3P105192 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#12 - 50 images, Step +3, ISO 800, f/4, 1/160 sec


1051 33a PB 50f +3 P1050257 (A,Radius3,Smoothing4) LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
 
Very interesting, I will have to try this with my Canon 550D or 7D MK II and my Canon 60 mm lens, I am not sure if it will work with the Canon 65 MPS lens.
 
Blimey Nick, looks like you have taken more photos with that new camera in a week than I have with my D750 in 3 months lol
Love the 3rd and 2nd to last shots, great colour and depth.
 
davholla said:
Very interesting, I will have to try this with my Canon 550D or 7D MK II and my Canon 60 mm lens, I am not sure if it will work with the Canon 65 MPS lens.
Click to expand...

Thanks David. Does the 550D or 7D MK II do focus bracketing? Or would you be using Magic Lantern for this? Either way it wouldn't work with the MPE-65 as that does not do autofocus.
 
Graham said:
Blimey Nick, looks like you have taken more photos with that new camera in a week than I have with my D750 in 3 months lol
Love the 3rd and 2nd to last shots, great colour and depth.
Click to expand...

Thanks David. Taking 50, 100 or whatever shots with one press of the shutter button does tend to make the shutter count go up quite fast!

I think the G80 and 60mm macro may well become my go to camera for botanical subjects. Maybe not for invertebrates - the working distance is rather short. Also, the 60mm macro goes up to 1:1 of course (which is a scene width of 18mm or so on micro four thirds), but getting beyond that is awkward (for my preferences anyway) and leaves you with very short working distances indeed.

For invertebrates I can see me continuing to use achromats on zoom lenses, either with the FZ200 or the G80. With the FZ200 I can't do focus bracketing, but can do 4K Post Focus. The the G80 I could use Post Focus or (better I think) focus bracketing, as for these images, as well of course as single shots as now. I don't yet know how practical stacking will be with invertebrates, which typically involve higher magnification and flightier subjects than botanical stuff. So I may be sticking with single shots for invertebrates anyway.
 
GardenersHelper said:
Thanks David. Does the 550D or 7D MK II do focus bracketing? Or would you be using Magic Lantern for this? Either way it wouldn't work with the MPE-65 as that does not do autofocus.
Click to expand...
I am not 100% sure to be honest, I do have magic lantern on my 550D so I could do it that way.
I took this photo with magic lantern but I haven't do much so far
ChristmasCactusstackof4photos by davholla2002, on Flickr
 
GardenersHelper said:
Thanks David. Taking 50, 100 or whatever shots with one press of the shutter button does tend to make the shutter count go up quite fast!

I think the G80 and 60mm macro may well become my go to camera for botanical subjects. Maybe not for invertebrates - the working distance is rather short. Also, the 60mm macro goes up to 1:1 of course (which is a scene width of 18mm or so on micro four thirds), but getting beyond that is awkward (for my preferences anyway) and leaves you with very short working distances indeed.

For invertebrates I can see me continuing to use achromats on zoom lenses, either with the FZ200 or the G80. With the FZ200 I can't do focus bracketing, but can do 4K Post Focus. The the G80 I could use Post Focus or (better I think) focus bracketing, as for these images, as well of course as single shots as now. I don't yet know how practical stacking will be with invertebrates, which typically involve higher magnification and flightier subjects than botanical stuff. So I may be sticking with single shots for invertebrates anyway.
Click to expand...
Lol it's Graham not David
 
ChrisA said:
Excellent results Nick from the 60mm automatic stacking. Like the springtails showing up. My brother has this lens on his OMD. Very nice it is too as you have shown.
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris. It does seem to be rather good. I'm planning on using it for botanical stuff. Don't know yet about invertebrates - I can see usability issues with it on that front.
 
ChrisA said:
Depends how still the thing is probably. Will have to see if my brother has stacked any insects with it yet. Know he has done fungi
Click to expand...

Yes, movement may well be an issue for stacking. I was thinking of something else as well, for both stacks and single shots, specific to the 60mm macro, stemming from its focal length. Here are some scene widths and working distances.

60mm macro, 17.5mm scene width (which is 1:1 for micro four thirds) at a working distance of around 80mm.
45-175 + Raynox 250, scene width of 13mm from around 115mm.
60mm macro + Raynox 250, scene width of 13mm from around 40mm.
60mm macro + 26mm extension tubes, scene width of 11 mm from around 55mm.
45-175 + Raynox 150 and 250 stacked, Scene width of 8.5mm from around 65mm.
60mm macro + 26mm extension tubes + Raynox 250, scene width of 7mm from around 30mm.
45-175 + Raynox MSN-202, scene width of 4.5mm from around 30mm.
45-175 + Raynox MSN-505, scene width of 3mm from around 18mm.

The 60mm macro working distances are significantly smaller than those for achromats on the 45-175. As we saw with his really good springtails, @alfbranch uses a Sigma 105 Macro with extension tubes and Raynox 250 on a micro four thirds camera. This presumably has better working distances. (I don't have an adaptor so I can't test my Sigma 105 on the G80.)

The working distances don't matter for botanical work, which is what I have in mind for the 60mm macro, and I rarely need to go further than 1:1. For Invertebrates though I'm most often in the 2:1 to 1:2 range and I wouldn't want to be opening up the camera to take extension tubes on and off or working with the rather short achromat working distances, so the 45-175 looks a better bet for invertebrates from the usability point of view, especially as the 45-175 gives me quick (no hunting) autofocus (which even works with the MSN-505 actually, right down to 3mm scene width). And there is no loss of light as magnifications increases.

I'm doing some sharpness testing on the G80 + 45-175 and achromats at the moment, comparing it to my FZ330 + achromats rig, and with my 70D with Sigma 105.
 
charlychuckchuck said:
Keeping me interested Nick:) The crop of 4 is the best(y):clap::clap::clap::clap:
Click to expand...

Thanks Charles. #4 was such an uninspiring looking little plant. I normally wouldn't have given it a second look but I was rushing around taking test shots and shooting anything that looked even vaguely "testable". I was astonished when I looked at it 100%. This combination of kit and technique does look quite promising.
 
simply amazing, a joy for my eyes and my taste. Wonderful but natural detail, bokeh quality, colours.....spectacular.
Let me tell, and I apologize for my not requested 2 cents: prepare them in 4k resolution, then see in a 4k good monitor/tv (better if OLED, but also LED)......greater joy, believe me.
All the best,
sandro
 
sarrasani said:
simply amazing, a joy for my eyes and my taste. Wonderful but natural detail, bokeh quality, colours.....spectacular.
Let me tell, and I apologize for my not requested 2 cents: prepare them in 4k resolution, then see in a 4k good monitor/tv (better if OLED, but also LED)......greater joy, believe me.
All the best,
sandro
Click to expand...

Thanks Sandro. (And no need to apologise - suggestions are very welcome.) I have to admit I haven't really thought about 4K, but it is something for me to look forward to. :)

Actually, displaying in 4K may be a good while away for me. I think many of my images are near the limit of the size they can sensibly be displayed at - I process them for viewing at 1300 pixels high. It may be different now for a few of my images captured with this very sharp macro lens that I have recently acquired, but most of my images lack that amount of detail, and because of the equipment I use - by choice - I think it is likely to stay that way for some time. (I probably won't be using the macro lens for a lot of my close-up/macros, especially insects etc, but instead using consumer grade zoom lenses with close-up lenses. I prefer to work that way.)
 
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