Questions tagged [focus-stacking]

the process of using software to combine several images with different focal points to increase the depth of field in the combined image

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
1 vote
3 answers
7k views

Is there any online / free / simple tool doing focus stacking without a need to installing anything?

I want to focus-stack 10 images of 20MPi each. I do not have a photoshop license and am looking for some light-weighted tool which does not need installation (don't have rights to install). Ideally, ...
0 votes
1 answer
135 views

File size for focus stacked images

Using Lightroom + Photoshop for focus stacking I have a 42MP Sony A7R3 camera, and I used compressed RAW, which results in ARW files of around 42MB. Say I have 2 of these files, and I open them as ...
1 vote
4 answers
542 views

Pixel 6: Any camera app to stack subject and background into the same JPG, so that both appear sharp?

I often take pictures with food as the subject (foreground) and a monument in the background. Problem: Using a Pixel 6 smartphone, either subject or background is blurry. Reading How do I keep both ...
3 votes
2 answers
253 views

Keep subject size constant when focus stacking with a rail

I'm just starting to experiment with focus stacking using a rail to adjust the camera to subject distance but in my very first test setup I encountered something that made me go D'oh and now I'm not ...
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

Why won't "align_image_stack" produce some useful result?

I made a few serial shots (at a rate of roughly 5 shots per second) using a new macro lens without image stabilizer or tripod. The original idea was that the small shake of hand could be used in ...
5 votes
5 answers
463 views

Term for increasing detail with multiple exposures?

Is there a term for photography that creates an image with additional detail coming from multiple "exposures" (e.g., images) of the same scene? I'm aiming for what is essentially a subset of ...
2 votes
1 answer
397 views

Why focus stacked tiff so large?

I took six focus bracketed shots, each about 20mb raw (cr3), then focus stacked in Photoshop (open in Lightroom, open in PS as layers, auto-align layers, blend). I deselected the individual raw files,...
4 votes
3 answers
509 views

Where can I find or make a script for focus stacking using Raynox DCR 250?

I am looking for a script for focus stacking with Raynox DCR 250. There is already default script there but it is linear and that is better suited to stock lenses and, with the Raynox 250 attached, I ...
5 votes
1 answer
3k views

Super-resolution photos by interactive focus stacking and image stitching?

When photographing highly detailed static scenes, for example a 4 metre by 2 metre whiteboard covered in handwritten post-its after a process design meeting, my phone camera (Nexus 5 in raw using the ...
1 vote
1 answer
258 views

Will using a macro bellow eliminate focus breathing?

I'm looking to do an automated focus stacking using a manual macro lens, and I would like to find a solution that avoid focus breathing (i.e. a change in the FOV while changing the focus). I was ...
12 votes
3 answers
2k views

Can focus stacking (or a similar technique) also be used to reduce depth of field?

Instead of using multiple images focused at different points to extend the depth of field, can I also reduce it? Does a technique exist to achieve a shallow depth of field by stacking multiple images ...
4 votes
2 answers
7k views

How to do focus stacking with Sony A7?

It seems that software like helicon remote or EOS utility which allow you to pick focus points remotely make focus stacking so much easier. I couldn't find anything like that with Sony A7. Even's ...
15 votes
6 answers
10k views

What software is available for macro focus stacking?

What software is available and widely used for macro focus stacking? In other areas photoshop, lightroom, aperture, etc are kind of industry standard options. Is there such a thing for focus ...
2 votes
3 answers
14k views

Is there a way to make my Canon DSLR bracket focus automatically, for focus stacking?

I have heard of cameras using various techniques to let you pick the focus point after the photo has been taken. For Canon, the closest thing I have heard to this is to manually shoot at different ...
2 votes
1 answer
103 views

How to stack focus so that both the background and the subject are sharp?

I would like to take a portrait with a 50mm lens, where both the subject and the background are sharp. The usual way to do this would be to either switch to a wide-angle lens or to dial-down the ...
2 votes
2 answers
79 views

Can a pre-DSLR Nikkor lens be used with ControlMyNikon for taking focus stacking shots?

Can a pre-DSLR Nikkor lens be used with tethered software for taking focus stacking shots?
28 votes
5 answers
3k views

What are the best practices for DOF stacking?

What are the best practices for DOF stacking? How do you get the frames with focus just right amount apart? How do you stack them in post processing?
2 votes
1 answer
787 views

How do I calculate how far a macro rail needs to travel between shots for focus stacking?

I recently purchased a StackShot automated focus rail. The unit of travel for the rail is measure in µm. Is there a formula where I can enter in X Y and Z to get the amount of µm the rail should ...
1 vote
4 answers
2k views

Can I use a 105mm macro lens as a tube lens in extreme macro photography?

I want to take my macro photography to the next level and would like to use the Nikon CFI Plan 10x microscope objective. I read that this objective has to be mounted on another lens also called the ...
1 vote
3 answers
148 views

Shutter temporarily disables LCD screen

I have a Canon EOS 650D. It's a decent camera, but when using the live view, the shutter release triggers a blank LCD screen. I assume it's designed that way to hide the mechanism in action. Anyway ...
5 votes
2 answers
608 views

Improve focus stacking

Is there anything I can do at either the stage of taking the initial shots or additional tweaks I could do in Photoshop to improve my focus stacking results? I am finding that the 'rear' of the stack ...
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

Focus-stacking workflow - Edit before or after stacking?

I'm interested in focus-stacking as a way to achieve sharp, close-up images of bugs with relatively cheap equipment. My equipment: Canon 550D w/ 18-55mm kit lens or nifty fifty Cheap extension tubes ...
4 votes
3 answers
983 views

Why does my focus stack result in a blotchy background?

I've recently taken up photography with using a Canon 50D and thought I'd try some macro photography of flowers. Having researched the subject and read about focus stacking to increase the depth of ...
5 votes
4 answers
5k views

What are the pros and cons of using macro rail vs lens focus?

I am interested in doing focus stacking for macro shots and from what I understand there are two techniques for doing this. One is to use a macro rail that adjusts the length to the subject (e.g ...
1 vote
1 answer
192 views

How much does a step move the focusing ring?

Does anyone know about how much a lens step rotates the lens? I’m just after an approximation for field use. In other words you are out in the field and want to shoot a stack. My goal is to be able to ...
1 vote
1 answer
510 views

How can I take a series of photos for focus stacking by remote without tethering?

I have a requirement to be able to take a series of photos using a 5D Mk3 to be used for focus stacking using a remote. I cannot use a laptop so the solution must be hardware-based or in-camera. ...
7 votes
3 answers
2k views

What are the disadvantages of focus stacking?

Taking a few landscape shots and was wondering how you would make both the front and back of the photos sharper. Came across Focus Stacking but my biggest concern right now is the quality of the photo....
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

How to get rid of halo effect when focus stacking with helicon focus?

I've a Nikon D810 and am using the nikor 105mm f2.8 macro lens. I'm also using helicon focus to focus stack images. Unfortunately the resulting picture has a halo effect on some the boundaries of ...
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is there a way to overcome focus breathing in deep macro focus stacking?

Following this question I just got a Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro lens to study macro focus stacking. As seen in my attempt to reproduce a 6" depth it seems to work in practice. However then I went ...
2 votes
2 answers
166 views

Invariants in subject size and depth of field? [duplicate]

I was curious if I could cheat my way around having to focus stack an object by using different lenses. Playing with the Depth of Field calculator I noticed something interesting: No matter what ...
4 votes
2 answers
292 views

What resolution should be used for images that are to be used in focus stacking?

I am taking a series of photos using a dSLR camera attached to a microscope that will be used in a stack to produce a single image with high depth of field. Can anyone recommend a level of resolution ...
3 votes
5 answers
1k views

How do I get more in focus when aperture is already quite small?

When doing a product shot like this, how do I get more in focus when the aperture is already so small. I don't want to get any smaller for the risk of introducing significant diffraction. Note the ...
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can Focus Stacking produce the same effect as Tilt-Shift?

A lens with a tilt adjustment is capable of producing a plane of sharpest focus that is not parallel to the image sensor. Could a lens with no tilt adjustment produce the same image, if many images ...
6 votes
1 answer
846 views

Why would a photographer do focus stacking?

Recently, I come across the term called Focus Stacking where you combine different pictures with different focus points. My question is, why do the focus stacking? Are there any benefits from the ...