[EDIT] I've just done a more complete focus stacking tutorial with a better example here
www.digitalgrin.com/showthread.php?t=61316
Thought I'd knock up an example of this as there are always a few questions about it.
Focus stacking is simply used to increase the DOF in a picture which can be a major problem in taking macro shots. It is done by taking a series of picures of the subject from the same point of view but at different focus depths covering the area you want in focus. This is achieved either by moving the camera or by using the focus ring. It is best done on a tripod but can be done handholding as long as the FOV is reasonably consistent.
I use the freeware Programme combinez5 to do this available from here
<a www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZ5/combinez5.htm
Version above handles upti 8mps images version below handles 10mps images
www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZM/Manual/Install.htm
First a series of three pics to be stacked- notice how the focus point is slightly different in each shot- I tend to start with the nearest point and move in.
It is important you do not do any cropping before focus stacking as the programme will only accept pics of equal size.
Now the hard bit :)
Run combinez5 and open up the file load dialogue and choose the pics to be stacked
Once loaded Simply tell it to stack them
It then works away re-aligning, colour and contrast matching and resizing, picks the in Focus bits apparently on a pixel by pixel basis and hopefully will produce a clean focus stacked image.
Finally producing the stacked image
It's just then a matter of saving the file using the Save Frame/Picture As dialogue.
Sometimes if the pictures were not that well aligned you will get odd effects around the borders which obviously need cropping.
Brian V.
www.digitalgrin.com/showthread.php?t=61316
Thought I'd knock up an example of this as there are always a few questions about it.
Focus stacking is simply used to increase the DOF in a picture which can be a major problem in taking macro shots. It is done by taking a series of picures of the subject from the same point of view but at different focus depths covering the area you want in focus. This is achieved either by moving the camera or by using the focus ring. It is best done on a tripod but can be done handholding as long as the FOV is reasonably consistent.
I use the freeware Programme combinez5 to do this available from here
<a www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZ5/combinez5.htm
Version above handles upti 8mps images version below handles 10mps images
www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZM/Manual/Install.htm
First a series of three pics to be stacked- notice how the focus point is slightly different in each shot- I tend to start with the nearest point and move in.
It is important you do not do any cropping before focus stacking as the programme will only accept pics of equal size.
Now the hard bit :)
Run combinez5 and open up the file load dialogue and choose the pics to be stacked
Once loaded Simply tell it to stack them
It then works away re-aligning, colour and contrast matching and resizing, picks the in Focus bits apparently on a pixel by pixel basis and hopefully will produce a clean focus stacked image.
Finally producing the stacked image
It's just then a matter of saving the file using the Save Frame/Picture As dialogue.
Sometimes if the pictures were not that well aligned you will get odd effects around the borders which obviously need cropping.
Brian V.
Thanks Lord V!! Great tutorial.
I tried the combinez5 software but I got way better results using CS4 and the following steps:
1) File>>scripts>>Load files into stack, making sure you check "attempt to align layers" box
2)Once loaded, Edit>> auto blend layers
It did a great job, quick & easy.
My original unstacked file from yesterday:
and my Focus Stacked (6 frames) image from today:
Cheers and thanks heaps,
Mark
I tried the combinez5 software but I got way better results using CS4 and the following steps:
1) File>>scripts>>Load files into stack, making sure you check "attempt to align layers" box
2)Once loaded, Edit>> auto blend layers
It did a great job, quick & easy.
My original unstacked file from yesterday:
and my Focus Stacked (6 frames) image from today:
Cheers and thanks heaps,
Mark
So a question for all on stacking and fringing.
When taking the images and focussing across the DoF of the object I find that the images taken grows/shrinks as you change the focus and you get a number of images each with the sharpness at a different depth (desirable) but they are of differing sizes. Subsequently when stacking this creates a fringe effect where a feint ghost of the largest image surrounds the stacked image.
You can see it here easily because of the white petals on the darker background
just hover to see the notes and then if you go to the larger image it's very obvious.
I've tried combinezm and zerene stacker and both seem to do this to a differing degree and wondered if anyone had encountered this and knew of a work around that didn't involve going in and manually correcting the fringe?
When taking the images and focussing across the DoF of the object I find that the images taken grows/shrinks as you change the focus and you get a number of images each with the sharpness at a different depth (desirable) but they are of differing sizes. Subsequently when stacking this creates a fringe effect where a feint ghost of the largest image surrounds the stacked image.
You can see it here easily because of the white petals on the darker background
I've tried combinezm and zerene stacker and both seem to do this to a differing degree and wondered if anyone had encountered this and knew of a work around that didn't involve going in and manually correcting the fringe?
This is how my 'first' macro stacking results look like in Combine ZM and Photoshop Cs5!
I feel that Combine ZM has done sharpening to the image.
I liked PS better (though I had a few other software open and ran out of my 2GB RAM with 5 CR2 files!), however, there was one very weird thing in PS:
I cropped the stacked and aligned layers only to find visible cracks and lines in the image! I thought it's a preview rendering problem but zooming in and out didn't solve the problem. It was like layers had been cropped a few millimeters off (at the edges)!
Any way, I hope this helps,
and thanks for the article Lord V
I feel that Combine ZM has done sharpening to the image.
I liked PS better (though I had a few other software open and ran out of my 2GB RAM with 5 CR2 files!), however, there was one very weird thing in PS:
I cropped the stacked and aligned layers only to find visible cracks and lines in the image! I thought it's a preview rendering problem but zooming in and out didn't solve the problem. It was like layers had been cropped a few millimeters off (at the edges)!
Any way, I hope this helps,
and thanks for the article Lord V
