Focus Stacking S1 R ll

[AlaskaAce]

Has anyone had luck with this function. Only 15 images. just can't get much depth of field. My OM-1 was excellent.

Any info from Panasonic?

Jack

 

[georgehudetz]

Has anyone had luck with this function. Only 15 images. just can't get much depth of field. My OM-1 was excellent.

Any info from Panasonic?

Jack

If you want more than 15 images in the stack, you have to use the "Focus" option under the "Bracketing" menu (which is itself right above the "Focus Stacking" menu), where you can set the image count to a much higher value. Of course, you will then have to do the stacking yourself.

For what it's worth, here's an example of the in-camera Focus Stacking. 15 images, step size of 3. 100% crop. Probably should have bumped the step size to 4.



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http://georgehudetzphotography.smugmug.com/
Capture One LUMIX FF feature request thread: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4658107#forum-post-66298057

 

[AlaskaAce]

Thanks George you answered my question, appreciate the help.

Jack

 

[Paul2600]

As pointed out the focus bracketing options gives many more steps. Zyrene or Helicon stackers work very well or it’s possible to just combine in photoshop.



in the files I have found that the step size is the hardest to figure out depending on the subject. Often the camera goes beyond infinity with the final 2 steps. Not a big deal.



I would also order a 0/- option instead of only O/+. Where I can hit the focus point on the farthest point and let the camera work its way in to the near point.



It’s a great feature and something that I use a lot in the field.



The other huge feature is that the camera on playback shows the bracketed image in a group so you can click once and expand the group to look at just the images in that bracketed sequence. Very easy to tell if you got the range correctly and you can take a few minutes before you pull the images from the camera to go through and write down all the groups. A huge advantage when you have shot 50 or so focus bracketing sequences. I don’t know of any other camera that offers this but Sony, Nikon or Olympus might.



Paul

 

[Pd printer]

I am looking for a camera to use for macro outdoors including backpacking trips so volume and sweight are important considerations. I consider focus bracketing/stacking essential nowadays. Last year I rented the Sigma FpL with the Lumix 100mm/2.8 macro and I liked the DR and colors of that camera it is basically impossible to focus etc with that screen in bright daylight. I had no chance to try the add-on EVF but that would make that camera much more bulky. Also focus bracketing is restricted to 15 images, o.k. for below 0.5x for many subjects but far too few for 1x.

I liked that Lumix lens because of its weight and dimensions. I was seeing less stacking artifacts (Zerene or Helicon) and maybe it was because that lens has minimal focus breathing.

So I wonder if the S1RII with its newest firmware would be an option in spite of being larger and heavier than I hoped for. One important question is concerning focus stacking. Is in camera focus stacking possible in raw format or only as jpeg as before? Are the images from a stack available to stack in post like from just focus bracketing?

I tried the OM 1 and the speed of focus bracketing (and stacking which was quite inferior to stacking in post) greatly increased the success rate for handheld. What is the speed of focus bracketing (and stacking) of the S1RII (exposures/sec)?

 

[AlaskaAce]

Using the Lumix 100mm f2.8 Macro lens

Stacking photos can be taken in Raw but the output is in Jpg. As you noted 15 shots are not enough for most subjects. Bracketing works fine I have shot up to 100 plus images with good results and few artifacts in Zerene and Photoshop.

Hope this helps

Jack

 

[Pd printer]

Using the Lumix 100mm f2.8 Macro lens

Stacking photos can be taken in Raw but the output is in Jpg. As you noted 15 shots are not enough for most subjects. Bracketing works fine I have shot up to 100 plus images with good results and few artifacts in Zerene and Photoshop.

Hope this helps

Jack

I am mainly interested in camera bracketing and stacking via Helicon or Zerene. For outdoors I think a high bracketing speed is increasing a lot the success rate handheld or even on tripod to minimized movement. So how fast is the S1RII in camera bracketing mode (no flash)

 

[AlaskaAce]

I just tested the camera and it takes 100 raw shots in about 20 sec give or take 2 sec. I do most of my Stacking in my studio, I think outside is another ball game.

Jack

 

[Pd printer]

Thanks for that info, I hoped that would be faster. The OM1 took only 4 to 5 sec as far as I remember. 20 sec is great for studio conditions but for outdoor only on tripod and some not moving objects, the same problem as with most FF cameras.

 

[AlaskaAce]

I only have an Olympus E-M5ll 16mp camera, sold the OMD-1. I set it up for 100 shot raw. I took 20 seconds so about the same time. Sorry I'm about out of the m4/3 business and into FF.

Good Luck

Jack

 

[georgehudetz]

Thanks for that info, I hoped that would be faster. The OM1 took only 4 to 5 sec as far as I remember. 20 sec is great for studio conditions but for outdoor only on tripod and some not moving objects, the same problem as with most FF cameras.

Somebody else with deeper tech knowledge will probably speak up, but I suspect it's down to sensor readout time.

You might look at the S1II, or a Nikon Z8, if you are thinking about FF.