Focus stacking

[Gordon Coale]

This is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Macro work usually means very narrow depth of field. You can stop the lens down to increase the depth of field somewhat but then you get into diffraction degredation of the image. The top picture is the result of combining 5 images, each image focused a little bit further down the top of the camera. It's called focus stacking and the software I used is Helicon Focus. This was a quick and dirty test. The bottom picture is the first image in the focus stack. On close examination I should have used 10 images and focused a little further out. I just used the default settings on Helicon Focus. What an amazing tool! I found out about it from a post at Luminous Landscape: The Joys of Extended Depth of Field or Goodnight Dr. Scheimflug, wherever you are. I shot this with my Panasonic G1 with an M42 adapter and a Pentax Super-Multi-Coated Macro-Takumar 50/4 at f11. Did I say this was totally amazing!

More and larger pictures at my Flickr set: focus stacking

 

[rlouzan]

I´ve been doing it for years with PhotoShop layers for commercial work (same as HDR)

 

[Morca007]

I've wanted to do something similar (multiple planes of focus, not contiguous) for awhile, I'll have to finally give it a try today, though I won't need that software.

 

[ChrisN]

I'd be interested to know whether anyone has used this technique with landscape subjects. One of the things that attracts me to large format is the ability to use camera movements to get increased depth of field in the image. Focus stacking will give that too, apparently, but I'd expect this technique to also suffer from the movement of foliage etc in the wind, just like a long exposure. Anyone?

 

[BillBingham2]

Interesting question Chris. How much difference will it accept to decide where to over lay images and all. I was thinking about close in but the same issue exists far with land scapes. I wonder about overlaying flash for close in stuff and long exposure for backgrounds at night. Would be fun to play with to see. Are they deciding focus by sharp (small firm edged) lines?

Perhaps I've just fallen off the edge of the software.

B2 (;->

 

[ChrisN]

It's got me thinking. My Pentax K20D dSLR has a feature called multiple-exposure mode, that lets me combine up to nine exposures into a single image, in-camera. It is normally used to simulate the effect of a long exposure to blur water movement, but I wonder how it would go if I move the focus point manually for each of the nine exposures? I'll have to set up the tripod and give it a try!

 

[Thardy]

I'd be interested to know whether anyone has used this technique with landscape subjects. One of the things that attracts me to large format is the ability to use camera movements to get increased depth of field in the image. Focus stacking will give that too, apparently, but I'd expect this technique to also suffer from the movement of foliage etc in the wind, just like a long exposure. Anyone?

I saw this technique used in an article in either View Camera or CameraArts magazine (or maybe it was Digital Photo Pro) some time ago. I remember that it was used for some interior shots to give the look of infinite depth of field. I'll look for the article when I have the time.

 

[peterm1]

I am keen to give it a go but have not yet done so.

As an aside, I have however certainly done the reverse - selectively blurred photo elements to focus on specific subjects. (I mean in post processing not "in camera." In this way I can be much more radical in my approach than is allowed by just using a wide aperture.)

I use fairly extensive blurring and darkening in some shots for this purpose and would like to try the reverse from time to time. I am put off a little by the need to take multiple shots, with as I recall it various allowances needing made changes in exposure when focusing near, mid and far off. I probbaly just need to be more experimental.

In relation to the opposite approach, here are a couple of shots involving fairly intense blurring and darkening for the alternate purpose.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3578/3569305173_8d6b2cd4bb_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3560525721_6afcc80115_o.jpg

 

[Al Kaplan]

Unless the lens has some pretty sophisticated internal focusing the magnification of the image would shift between those "slices" of reality. Is it realy all that difficult to just use swings and tilts? It's a given that this is a tripod situation anyway. Another classic case of some geek with a computer programming a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[fgb2]

I haven't tried it, but apparently the problem of differing magnification with changing plane of focus can be avoided by moving the camera a tiny distance between each successive shot, as by using a macro focussing rail, instead of refocussing.

Also, some lenses don't seem to change magnification with focus changes. There is a beer commercial making the rounds now in which the plane of focus moves quickly through a line of beer bottles that stretch back away from the foreground, without any change in magnification during the shot.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Just wait until the "wavefront modulator" is perfected and made economical. Sounds like a Marvin the Martian device. "I need my Wavefront Modulator". But it is amazing. Zeiss came close to having a "Deepview" microscope on the market that did this in realtime. I had one on order for work, but Zeiss could not meet spec and never released it. But that was 7 years ago. It was ~$100,000.

http://www.machinevisiononline.org/public/articles/archivedetails.cfm?id=1697

 

[boojum]

Rip Van Winkle, time to get up!

OK, this thread has been asleep for a long, long time and I would like to wake it up. I have the gear to do focus stacking, the camera, and a steady tripod and a tele macro lens. Lacking is subjects and talent. That's where someone on this board comes in. If anyone is doing this or has done it help me out. I have watched and re-watched mathphotographers YT video on this a few times now and he is pushing Helicon as the software to take those stacked images and make one luscious image from a stack of 10 to 100 or 1000. JPG images are used for the process and maybe that avoids the humongous data stream associated with hundreds of raw file. IDK

If anyone is current or recent please chime in. As my old grandfather used to say, "Experience keeps a dear school but fools will learn in no other." Help shorten my learning curve and reduce foolishness. ;o)

 

[mrtoml]

I tried this yesterday for the first time with the Fuji GFX 100S which has a focus bracketing feature. Using the automatic settings on a still life it did not work very well. Even stacking more than 30 raw images using the trial of Helicon Focus it was not quite sharp in the foreground, but was sharp towards the back. Probably down to user error.

I think there is a steep learning curve and I am wondering whether to continue with it. Maybe it is easier on other subject matter.

 

[boojum]

OK. I plan to gather a few sets of images and then practice on them in the 30 day trial window. mathphotographer uses this package and HB seems to endorse it. It no doubt has a learning curve as this is not like anything else. I understand it will process RAW and compressed files. If it will process HEIF I will use them as they are 10 bit so have greater color palette and shadow and gradation depth.

What are you shooting, how many shots per group and these rest of the details? I live in a rainy region so winter could be a great time to focus stack all sorts of crap around the house. Lighting and backgrounds will need to be learned. I'll need some fabrics for background as well as white background, I guess paper would work. All to be learned. Helicon has a FB group and their own support forum. ;o)

 

[mrtoml]

I was just experimenting with small still life on a table. I just used the camera's auto focus bracket function which guesses how many shots are needed and how to adjust focus between shots. The lens I used also seemed to exhibit some focus breathing which probably did not help. This is using the Fuji GFX system and I think it is also present on the latest Fuji APSC cameras.

You select the closest distance and the furthest distance on the LCD screen that you want to be sharp and the camera takes several shots that can be dragged into Helicon Focus. I just used the default settings in HF. I suspect it will be better for me to use manual focus and work out how to use the cameras manual focus bracket mode maybe with focus peaking. And then get into the HF software and try the different options. There seem to be 3 different modes.

This one worked:


This one did not (the front of the bowl is not sharp):

 

[boojum]

OK, I see what you are doing. Are you using RAW or compressed??

I get a choice of near limit > infinity, infinity > near limit or a symmetric from center of focus and can set it up from 2 to 1000 shots. The steps are choose-able from ultra-small to extra large. There is a lot of flexibility.

This is not your model but maybe can help:

​

This is what I will be working with:

​

I hope to do a lot of macro as I have the 120mm 3.5 macro and an extender for the lens and an accessory lens for the front of the lens and I guess I could use both if I want to photo a gnat's whisker.

Keep me posted in what you are doing and how you are doing with Helicon. I may have to shop for background material. ;o) I'll keep you up to date on my end once I get rolling.

 

[sojournerphoto]

I was offered a rail set up for stacking a few weeks ago. As lovely a thing as it was, from an engineering perspective, but have two digital cameras that will automate the taking process with small af increments without external kit.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I tried focus stacking once last summer when photographing the flowers in my front yard. This one worked out pretty well. I think I used 6 images. My goal was the get all of the pink flower sharp from front to back; I wasn't concerned with the stuff behind it. I don't have Helicon Focus; I just used the focus stacking tool built into Lightroom.

 

[mrtoml]

OK, I see what you are doing. Are you using RAW or compressed??

I'm using uncompressed raw.

 

[boojum]

View attachment 4845435

I tried focus stacking once last summer when photographing the flowers in my front yard. This one worked out pretty well. I think I used 6 images. My goal was the get all of the pink flower sharp from front to back; I wasn't concerned with the stuff behind it. I don't have Helicon Focus; I just used the focus stacking tool built into Lightroom.

Yes, LR has the function built into it. But IRC it does not handle a lot of images. And then there is the cost. Adobe has all sorts of tricks up there sleeve to siphon your wallet clean. I do not mind paying once but being nickle and dimed gets to me.