Focus stacking with GX7

[Dodge Man]

The peaking is certainly a big help.

52 frames stacked








Single shot (f8) focused on front of flower



--

http://m5.i.pbase.com/g4/34/842234/2/139014715.mBtS75w6.jpg

 

[Bob Meyer]

Very nice. What software are you using to do the stacking?

 

[drtmw]

Very cool shot! Thanks for sharing.

How do you decide on the number of shots to stack, trial and error? What software?

tom

 

[igorek7]

Wonderful work! It would be interesting to know the details about your stacking technique.

 

[Dodge Man]

Bob Meyer wrote:

Very nice. What software are you using to do the stacking?

Thanks Bob, Photoshop CS6.

 

[Dodge Man]

igorek7 wrote:

Wonderful work! It would be interesting to know the details about your stacking technique.

OK I use PS CS2.

I shot at f8, using a 4 way focus rail. I focus on the closest object I want sharp, the advance the adjustment knob forward abt 3mm, for each frame. I just keep shooting till the farthest object is sharp.

In PS I select all frames then

Tools, photoshop, load photos into photoshop layers.

Then, Select all layers.

Then, Edit, auto-align layers.

Then, Edit, auto-blend layers

Last, flatten layers & crop. Done.

There're a few more stacks on my Flickr stream if anyone is interested.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/klatuu13/

 

[igorek7]

Dodge Man wrote:

igorek7 wrote:

Wonderful work! It would be interesting to know the details about your stacking technique.

OK I use PS CS2.

I shot at f8, using a 4 way focus rail. I focus on the closest object I want sharp, the advance the adjustment knob forward abt 3mm, for each frame. I just keep shooting till the farthest object is sharp.

In PS I select all frames then

Tools, photoshop, load photos into photoshop layers.

Then, Select all layers.

Then, Edit, auto-align layers.

Then, Edit, auto-blend layers

Last, flatten layers & crop. Done.

There're a few more stacks on my Flickr stream if anyone is interested.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/klatuu13/

 

[Dodge Man]

igorek7 wrote:

Dodge Man wrote:

igorek7 wrote:

Wonderful work! It would be interesting to know the details about your stacking technique.

OK I use PS CS2.

I shot at f8, using a 4 way focus rail. I focus on the closest object I want sharp, the advance the adjustment knob forward abt 3mm, for each frame. I just keep shooting till the farthest object is sharp.

In PS I select all frames then

Tools, photoshop, load photos into photoshop layers.

Then, Select all layers.

Then, Edit, auto-align layers.

Then, Edit, auto-blend layers

Last, flatten layers & crop. Done.

There're a few more stacks on my Flickr stream if anyone is interested.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/klatuu13/

 

[ASR45]

Excellent work

 

[igorek7]

Dodge Man wrote:

igorek7 wrote:

Dodge Man wrote:

igorek7 wrote:

Wonderful work! It would be interesting to know the details about your stacking technique.

OK I use PS CS2.

I shot at f8, using a 4 way focus rail. I focus on the closest object I want sharp, the advance the adjustment knob forward abt 3mm, for each frame. I just keep shooting till the farthest object is sharp.

In PS I select all frames then

Tools, photoshop, load photos into photoshop layers.

Then, Select all layers.

Then, Edit, auto-align layers.

Then, Edit, auto-blend layers

Last, flatten layers & crop. Done.

There're a few more stacks on my Flickr stream if anyone is interested.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/klatuu13/

--
http://m5.i.pbase.com/g4/34/842234/2/139014715.mBtS75w6.jpg

Thank you for the detailed answer!

I am wondering how the auto-blend in PS masks out the out-of-focus objects before stacking layers to achieve a composite image with an extended depth of field? The algorithm should be more sophisticated than just masking out content differences in each layer.

I don't have a clue how it works. I think it could be scorcery.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."— Arthur C. Clarke

Magic is a science In case of focus stacking, in-focus regions of each image may be detected automatically, by means of localizing areas with highest microcontrast, for example via edge detection or Fourier analysis. Considering, that focus-peaking in digital cameras is already using such algorithm, I am guessing that we may see soon the auto-focus-stacking as one of the camera's optional auto-modes, together with Auto-HDR and Auto-Panorama-Stich.

 

[Dodge Man]

igorek7 wrote:

Dodge Man wrote:

igorek7 wrote:

Dodge Man wrote:

igorek7 wrote:

Wonderful work! It would be interesting to know the details about your stacking technique.

OK I use PS CS2.

I shot at f8, using a 4 way focus rail. I focus on the closest object I want sharp, the advance the adjustment knob forward abt 3mm, for each frame. I just keep shooting till the farthest object is sharp.

In PS I select all frames then

Tools, photoshop, load photos into photoshop layers.

Then, Select all layers.

Then, Edit, auto-align layers.

Then, Edit, auto-blend layers

Last, flatten layers & crop. Done.

There're a few more stacks on my Flickr stream if anyone is interested.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/klatuu13/

 

[Dodge Man]

Dodge Man wrote:

igorek7 wrote:

Wonderful work! It would be interesting to know the details about your stacking technique.

OK I use PS CS2.

I shot at f8, using a 4 way focus rail. I focus on the closest object I want sharp, the advance the adjustment knob forward abt 3mm, for each frame. I just keep shooting till the farthest object is sharp.

In PS I select all frames then

Tools, photoshop, load photos into photoshop layers.

Then, Select all layers.

Then, Edit, auto-align layers.

Then, Edit, auto-blend layers

Last, flatten layers & crop. Done.

There're a few more stacks on my Flickr stream if anyone is interested.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/klatuu13/

 

[igorek7]

Dodge Man wrote:

Dodge Man wrote:

igorek7 wrote:

Wonderful work! It would be interesting to know the details about your stacking technique.

OK I use PS CS2.

I shot at f8, using a 4 way focus rail. I focus on the closest object I want sharp, the advance the adjustment knob forward abt 3mm, for each frame. I just keep shooting till the farthest object is sharp.

In PS I select all frames then

Tools, photoshop, load photos into photoshop layers.

Then, Select all layers.

Then, Edit, auto-align layers.

Then, Edit, auto-blend layers

Last, flatten layers & crop. Done.

There're a few more stacks on my Flickr stream if anyone is interested.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/klatuu13/

 

[Dodge Man]

igorek7 wrote:

Dodge Man wrote:

Dodge Man wrote:

igorek7 wrote:

Wonderful work! It would be interesting to know the details about your stacking technique.

OK I use PS CS2.

I shot at f8, using a 4 way focus rail. I focus on the closest object I want sharp, the advance the adjustment knob forward abt 3mm, for each frame. I just keep shooting till the farthest object is sharp.

In PS I select all frames then

Tools, photoshop, load photos into photoshop layers.

Then, Select all layers.

Then, Edit, auto-align layers.

Then, Edit, auto-blend layers

Last, flatten layers & crop. Done.

There're a few more stacks on my Flickr stream if anyone is interested.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/klatuu13/