Stacked images

For those of you macro stackers ....

Stack of 12 images using CZP

This was an invite, share what you have

Detail of a lobster shell.

What software do you guys use for focus stacking? Photoshop?

Photoshop is one I use, I've tried Helicon Focus, another that I use is Combine ZP. It is an older program ... but free :)

Helicon focus

8 image stack of a clymene moth merged using Photoshop. Taken handheld and I think there are a few small merge artifacts. I have tried Combine ZP in the past but was never able to get it to work very well. User error I'm sure but still frustrating.

I'm impressed your stack turned out, Andrew.

Handheld macro shots for stacking are a real challenge particularly with a DSLR - the smallest movements can lead to ghosting and misalignment errors.

I have had pretty good luck with Photoshop's auto-align layers. I did have two other attempts on this that didn't work, either too much movement out of the plane of focus or too big a step between shots. There's a little ghosting behind the wings in the out of focus areas and it looks like the leaf under the antennae could be cleaned up a bit manually

I am sluggish enough to still not having tried the stacking function. But I am pretty well set for a stable (ish) platform I think. Having a focus rail for a small object in 1to 1 is very very comforting. Such rails allow fixed magnification and measured movment of the subject for as many shots as needed. Only thing I did not include here is a wired cable release on my GX 7 camera. Screen is easy to see the focal plane as one moves in and out. I was super lucky to get the rail at a give away price many years ago and the new lab quality ones are getting to be lab prices if you know what I mean...for flowers, it seems that indoors is sine qua non for stacked images...any thoughts? I love amethysts but big dark ones are out of my price range these days....I do not have any Brasilian smugglers around,,just kidding just kidding. I will follow the PS people and learn the focus stacking. My GX 8 should do it maybe in camera, I have to check the 400 page manual...aloha nui loa and happy holiday here.

Started looking at my manual for the GX 8 and the stacking feature did not pop up. Google shows some ambiguity about in camera merging. I am not inclined to buy additional software for my MAC. I have PS C6 and I will look into that one....I have a tingly feeling I am missing something, but no worries. It will come to me with a light bulb flash, likely an eletronic one ....unless someone has a great reference...for MAC and late model Lumix camera...these cameras seem to do all kinds of tricks per the ads. I have one of the lates, the GX 8 but have not upgraded any software. Now that is a thought. Happy trails.

This is a 13 shot stack of a small part I machined. Front to back sharpness on this sort of thing is near impossible without stacking. Unfortunately, every dust particle also becomes sharp from front to back, so I do a lot of editing. Probably should clean things better! Used CombineZP.

 

Edited September 19, 2017 by conrad_hoffman

Photoshop

 

iPhone 5c, ~10 stacked images with Proseezion App, triple dynamic range, 1:1 crop for DOF illusion.