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How do you manage focus bracketed files

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Mark Thornton

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After a session taking focus bracketed images (macro) I have a large number of files that aren't readily distinguished. I suspect there is some metadata within the images that ties them together (at least the camera knows which belong together).

So what do people do to ease this task?

Mark
 
Mark Thornton said:
After a session taking focus bracketed images (macro) I have a large number of files that aren't readily distinguished. I suspect there is some metadata within the images that ties them together (at least the camera knows which belong together).

So what do people do to ease this task?

Mark
Click to expand...
Every time you start a sequence, you take a shot of your hand and then another at the end.

Works whether they are manual or automated.

Andrew
 
Don't you have to change the settings to do that (or get 51 focus bracketed shots of your hand ;-) ).
 
Mark Thornton said:
After a session taking focus bracketed images (macro) I have a large number of files that aren't readily distinguished. I suspect there is some metadata within the images that ties them together (at least the camera knows which belong together).

So what do people do to ease this task?

Mark
Click to expand...
The alternative is a bound book & disciplined note taking.

If you can't check metadata, or change settings, or take notes...?
 
I may well investigate what metadata is recorded by the GX9 to see if I can automate separating the images into bracket sets. I just curious to see what others do before I go reinventing the wheel.

For manual bracketing I can a marker image being a simple solution. It is bit less convenient with auto bracketing (as offered by my GX9).

Mark
 
You do.
 
I found this in the exif data:

Burst Mode : Focus Bracketing

Sequence Number : 1

(Using exiftool). Subsequent images increment the sequence number.
 
Mark Thornton said:
I found this in the exif data:

Burst Mode : Focus Bracketing

Sequence Number : 1

(Using exiftool). Subsequent images increment the sequence number.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing.

A
 
For example:

> exiftool -s -BurstMode -SequenceNumber -csv *.JPG

SourceFile,BurstMode,SequenceNumber
P1003035.JPG,Focus Bracketing,1
P1003036.JPG,Focus Bracketing,2
P1003037.JPG,Focus Bracketing,3
P1003038.JPG,Focus Bracketing,4
P1003039.JPG,Focus Bracketing,5
P1003040.JPG,Focus Bracketing,6
P1003041.JPG,Focus Bracketing,7
P1003042.JPG,Focus Bracketing,8
P1003043.JPG,Focus Bracketing,9
P1003044.JPG,Focus Bracketing,10
P1003045.JPG,Focus Bracketing,11
11 image files read
 
Easy. If I'm out shooting spiders or flies, I take a standard sequence of 60 frames. When back home it is simple to move each 60 frame batch to a separate folder. I don't even need to look at the content of each image.

I then look at the images in each folder and delete all those focused either in front of or behind the subject.

Then I stack in Zerene.

I use 60 frames because I know it is more than enough to cover the depth of the subject.

Mike
 
Mark Thornton said:
I found this in the exif data:

Burst Mode : Focus Bracketing

Sequence Number : 1

(Using exiftool). Subsequent images increment the sequence number.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately Lightroom isn't smart enough to use this metadata (last time I checked anyway). However, there is a feature that lets you automatically group bursts into stacks based on capture time. You need a couple seconds between bracket groups for it to work.
 
TomFid said:
ahaslett said:
You do.
Click to expand...
Not sure what body you're using, but on Oly EM5ii and EM1ii you can assign focus bracketing to L-Fn or some other button for quick access.

Still, accidents happen...
Click to expand...
I do focus bracketing by hand but assigning it to a button or Custom Mode was my thought too. You never know when you might want to switch quickly.

Andrew
 
I have focus bracketing assigned to a button. It's easy to turn it off for a single marking frame (hand, lens cap, whatever} between sequences and then turn it back on again.
 
I think I will assign it to one of the custom modes (the gx9 offers 3), a feature I haven't much used to date.

Mark
 
I now have a bash script to move each stack to its own directory (named for the first file in the stack).

Mark
 
I assign bracketing to the LV button on the EM1 III which makes it a deliberate act to switch on and off.
 
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