Is there a way to add focus stacking?

[rzmtl]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking into buying a new camera after being out of the game for a while and i'm leaning towards the nikon d7200/7500. I noticed there are no focus stacking, a feature that i love on my olympus TG5 for macro shots.. Unfortunatly, the d7200/7500 don't have this feature, but i'm wondering if there are any other alternatives like for canon and the DSLR controller etc

 

[Kazmarov]

Look up focus shift in the Z6 & D850 to see if it matches your requirements.

 

[rzmtl]

yes those cameras have what im seeking, but the d7500-7200 don't.. what im wondering is if there is a way to add it to these cameras like canon has 3rd party possibilities like DSLR controller (software) which can add this feature to canon bodies that do not have it originally

 

[David Lal]

I'm looking into buying a new camera after being out of the game for a while and i'm leaning towards the nikon d7200/7500. I noticed there are no focus stacking, a feature that i love on my olympus TG5 for macro shots.. Unfortunatly, the d7200/7500 don't have this feature, but i'm wondering if there are any other alternatives like for canon and the DSLR controller etc

I have been focus stacking for years - ever since acquiring my D70 in 2004.

You have to be competent at using and manipulating layers in whatever is your chosen graphics application (maybe Photoshop or Paintshop?) I'm fond of extreme macro, say 3 or 4 times lifesize. Depth of field is then measured in fractions of a millimetre.

In essence, one photographs the subject 3 to 5 times at different 'depths' into the subject. Pull the images back into your editor; arrange as layers then erase the parts of those layers that are out of focus.

Examples

Eyes of a common wasp

Domestic house fly

Both creatures were alive and unharmed by their début as photo models!

 

[Kazmarov]

I assume you were referring to Magic Lantern or such like with respect to Canon. No such software that I am aware of. So in my opinion for the cameras you referenced, you would need to do it "manually" and then use PC/ Mac software.

EDIT: Just read David's post --- wot he sez!

 

[rzmtl]

I'm looking into buying a new camera after being out of the game for a while and i'm leaning towards the nikon d7200/7500. I noticed there are no focus stacking, a feature that i love on my olympus TG5 for macro shots.. Unfortunatly, the d7200/7500 don't have this feature, but i'm wondering if there are any other alternatives like for canon and the DSLR controller etc

I have been focus stacking for years - ever since acquiring my D70 in 2004.

You have to be competent at using and manipulating layers in whatever is your chosen graphics application (maybe Photoshop or Paintshop?) I'm fond of extreme macro, say 3 or 4 times lifesize. Depth of field is then measured in fractions of a millimetre.

In essence, one photographs the subject 3 to 5 times at different 'depths' into the subject. Pull the images back into your editor; arrange as layers then erase the parts of those layers that are out of focus.

Examples

Eyes of a common wasp

Domestic house fly

Both creatures were alive and unharmed by their début as photo models!

i will for sure do it manually, but i'm just wondering if there is anything for nikon, like there is for canon.

 

[Heritage Cameras]

DPReview recently published a feature about focus stacking:

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/0...acro-photos-using-a-slider-and-focus-stacking

HeliconSoft sells software and hardware products to automate the process:

https://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconsoft-products/helicon-remote/
https://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconsoft-products/helicon-fb-tube/

Arsenal is a third-party accessory that claims to add focus stacking and many other new features to selected cameras. Here's what DPR had to say about the original version:

https://www.dpreview.com/news/39029...ent-assistant-for-dslr-and-mirrorless-cameras

...and version 2 is now crowdfunding on Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2092430307/arsenal-2/description

You might want to double-check compatibility and read the reviews/comments to see if these do what you want. I'm sure there are other products available too.

Hope this helps.

 

[David5833]

Try qDSLR Dashboard for your mobile phone or tablet.

 

[Vicpierce]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking into buying a new camera after being out of the game for a while and i'm leaning towards the nikon d7200/7500. I noticed there are no focus stacking, a feature that i love on my olympus TG5 for macro shots.. Unfortunatly, the d7200/7500 don't have this feature, but i'm wondering if there are any other alternatives like for canon and the DSLR controller etc

idslrdashboard is available for iOS, android, windows and MacOS.

see: https://dslrdashboard.info

Victor

 

[rzmtl]

thank you for your replies!!!

 

[George 68]

Eyes of a common wasp

Domestic house fly

Both creatures were alive and unharmed by their début as photo models!

These are incredible, David. How did you get them to stay sufficiently still? I assume each shot is made of 40(?) exposures?

And who knew that wasps faces were made from lemon skin!

--
“Stand in front of something more interesting.”

 

[David Lal]

These are incredible, David. How did you get them to stay sufficiently still? I assume each shot is made of 40(?) exposures?

And who knew that wasps faces were made from lemon skin!

Ah, Jocksa, thank you. All done with the humble D70 ten or 15 years ago. No, nothing like 40 frames each - more in the order of 5 or 6 frames perhaps.

It was winter time and I found the wasp (a queen) overwintering in the damp cellar of our house at the time. So it was cold and the wasp was alive but torpid. The way I do 'super macro' is to reverse a short (24mm Tokina) lens onto the nose of a Sigma 105mm macro lens. The reproduction ratio is then the ratio of the respective focal lengths thus 105/24 ± 4 and a bit times lifesize.

However, working distance is minimal and the whole caboodle is very sensitive to vibration (even on a good Manfrotto tripod). Depth of field is minimal at these magnifications, submillimetric).

So I made up an aluminium plate for the tripod which carried both the camera and a movable 'platform'. I don't know what the correct English word is for that but in essence, by turning a knob I could advance the platform by 0.2mm at a time. The subject e.g. the wasp) was put on this platform and so I could make several images.

Now, your question, keeping the creatures still for long enough to do this. I put them in the 'fridge for 20 minutes! Note, not freezer which would have killed them. This gave me about 3 to 5 minutes for the photography before they warmed up too much and would start moving.

Thanks for your interest.

 

[George 68]

I did wonder. I’ve tried singing soothing songs to them but that doesn’t seem to work