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>>>Monday Macro/Closeup 11/3 - 11/9<<<
- Thread starter ysal
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fulvio51
Senior Member
fulvio51
Senior Member
fulvio51
Senior Member
Gordon W
Senior Member
No, David, just persistence. If you take enough shots, one of them usually turns out.
Rodger1943
Forum Pro
Thanks David. I like damselflies myself. -- Panasonic FZ200
Briansdad1
Senior Member
Focus stacking is really not as difficult as the descriptions seem. I did it successfully on my first try and it can be done for free, no need to buy software. Lots of help in the forum or PM me and I'll be glad to set you on the path. At least put it on your bucket list ;-)
Bill
Bill
Briansdad1
Senior Member
. . . on this post. You are too kind.
Bill
Bill
Fulvio,
Thank-you. You are too kind. There was a good crop of dahlias this year in Chicago area botanic gardens.
David Dollevoet
Lovely "try" David,.. really like tight crop and colors, pleasant composition - a keeper, thank you for sharing..
Kind regards,
gardenersassistant
Veteran Member
I'd vote for that. Focus stacking is well worth having a go at. I know some people use huge numbers of images for their stacks, and some even use special studio-based equipment too, but although I don't often use stacks, when I do I typically use only two to four images. For example, here is a stack using three images (JPEGs, captured with my G3 and an achromat).
Like Bill says, it isn't difficult. As you can see from the three shots used to create this one, you don't even have to have them perfectly lined up.
Another approach (which works fine in combination with stacking) would be to use a smaller aperture. Dof doubles for each two stops decrease in aperture, so if instead of f/5 you had used f/22, you would have had just over four times the amount of dof. Keeping the ISO at 500, shutter speeds would have been 1/400 and 1/320 for the same exposure, still plenty fast enough for hand holding.
You lose sharpness and detail using smaller apertures, but the question is, "How much is enough?" For example, the three shots used for the spider above were shot at f/22. For invertebrates I typically use the smallest aperture available to me. For example, here is a more recent shot, captured using f/32 with my 70D and a Raynox 150 or 250. For my purposes, this is sharp enough.
For flowers it varies more depending on how the "artistic effect" of various apertures works with the scene, but I do sometimes use very small apertures for flowers. For example, this one is f/29 with my 70D.
So, stacking and small apertures, separately and in combination - well worth experimenting with IMO.
--
Nick
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fulvio51
Senior Member
Very interesting, Nick!I'd vote for that. Focus stacking is well worth having a go at. I know some people use huge numbers of images for their stacks, and some even use special studio-based equipment too, but although I don't often use stacks, when I do I typically use only two to four images. For example, here is a stack using three images (JPEGs, captured with my G3 and an achromat).
Like Bill says, it isn't difficult. As you can see from the three shots used to create this one, you don't even have to have them perfectly lined up.
Another approach (which works fine in combination with stacking) would be to use a smaller aperture. Dof doubles for each two stops decrease in aperture, so if instead of f/5 you had used f/22, you would have had just over four times the amount of dof. Keeping the ISO at 500, shutter speeds would have been 1/400 and 1/320 for the same exposure, still plenty fast enough for hand holding.
You lose sharpness and detail using smaller apertures, but the question is, "How much is enough?" For example, the three shots used for the spider above were shot at f/22. For invertebrates I typically use the smallest aperture available to me. For example, here is a more recent shot, captured using f/32 with my 70D and a Raynox 150 or 250. For my purposes, this is sharp enough.
For flowers it varies more depending on how the "artistic effect" of various apertures works with the scene, but I do sometimes use very small apertures for flowers. For example, this one is f/29 with my 70D.
So, stacking and small apertures, separately and in combination - well worth experimenting with IMO.
--
Nick
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gardenersassistant/collections/
I did the same experience with handheld (or better: stickheld - lol) super macro pics (3rd photo) taken with built-in flash and diffuser:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3727080
Fulvio
gardenersassistant
Veteran Member
Thanks Fulvio. That's an interesting link, both the comments about stacking (Karen, you might find these interesting if you haven't seen them before), and the lens comparison (about which I've responded in the thread).
As to stickheld, that is a very respectable technique. It is used by two of my macro heroes
- Mark Berkery , who is still doing wonderful things with an FZ50. He uses a stick.
- Brian Valentine , who uses a pole.
manthasfamily
Veteran Member
Thanks so much guys, I've tried focus stacking in the past but since I'm not the most steady person, and I normally don't use a tripod for small things I never gave a thought to use stacking with my Raynox, but next summer I'm going to give it a try.
Nick, I have used small apertures, but never got the results I wanted, but stacking with smaller apertures just might do the trick. Just need to deal with the vignetting.
Nick, I have used small apertures, but never got the results I wanted, but stacking with smaller apertures just might do the trick. Just need to deal with the vignetting.
ysal
Veteran Member
Beautiful autumn images! Truly lovely colors in #1, and I love the way you isolated you tiny subject!
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