WT Focus stacking?

Rannith

I have tried my very first focus stacking run.

While the result is "interesting" I think it would be more fitting in an exhibit of alien mutations than in anything from this friendly green globe.

What the heck did I stuff up?




Rannith

Lord Vetinari

Well you have obviously got a duplication movement thing going on , What software were you using for the stack ?
Any chance of posting the single images ?
Brian v.

Rannith

Hi Brian,

I was using CombinezP for Windows 7. I can load the individual pics when I get home from work in about ten and a half hours. Assuming I can load pics that big. I think they are about 16MB each.

Rannith


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Lord Vetinari

Rannith wrote: »

Hi Brian,

I was using CombinezP for Windows 7. I can load the individual pics when I get home from work in about ten and a half hours. Assuming I can load pics that big. I think they are about 16MB each.

Rannith


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I just meant load the series at the same size as posted above - may still be able to get an idea of what is wrong.
Brian v.

Rannith

Lord Vetinari wrote: »

I just meant load the series at the same size as posted above - may still be able to get an idea of what is wrong.
Brian v.

That is the thing I stacked the images at the size they came out of the camera about 10-11 MB each. that result is exactly what came out of CombinezP at 1.7 MB or there abouts.

It is really rather embarrassing, I took a whole bunch of photos of this flower but combinez kept crashing when I tried to use all of them in one stack so I ended up using just three but now I can't remember which three it was. Here is the whole set. I have put them in as links rather than inserting the photos themselves because I am hoping to hide the amateurish effort from the experts even while asking for help. I don't know sometimes I have trouble getting my priorities straight.

http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0339_zps8025f7f4.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0338_zps6181fb6e.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0337_zps3e1b225b.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0336_zps91bdceb0.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0335_zpsf81ec160.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0334_zpsd343d835.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0333_zps888eb9d3.jpg

Regards

Rannith

Rannith

Rannith wrote: »

That is the thing I stacked the images at the size they came out of the camera about 10-11 MB each. that result is exactly what came out of CombinezP at 1.7 MB or there abouts.

It is really rather embarrassing, I took a whole bunch of photos of this flower but combinez kept crashing when I tried to use all of them in one stack so I ended up using just three but now I can't remember which three it was. Here is the whole set. I have put them in as links rather than inserting the photos themselves because I am hoping to hide the amateurish effort from the experts even while asking for help. I don't know sometimes I have trouble getting my priorities straight.

http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0339_zps8025f7f4.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0338_zps6181fb6e.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0337_zps3e1b225b.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0336_zps91bdceb0.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0335_zpsf81ec160.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0334_zpsd343d835.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz200/Rannith1/DSC_0333_zps888eb9d3.jpg

Regards

Rannith

This one is a bit better. But still not great.

Danielp

I dont know if im right or not
but i think photo stacking needs the object in the same spot meaning, you will most likely need a tripod to do stacking if not a focusing rail
i had the same result as you had even with using tripod
after many shots and practice i manage to do one that is good
so i dont know if im right or not, i bet people here are more expert then me but try keeping the camera and the object in the same place with all photos using different focusing

and if im wrong i will glad if someone can correct me

Sand

I am not an expert, but I have used Combine ZP a couple of times. Here are my thoughts:
It looks like Combine ZP couldn't align the images. Possibly, there was too much difference in the flowers position in the photos, or it tried to align something else in the images. As Danielp suggested a tripod should remove that as an issue.
The second think I noticed is the exposure appears to be inconsistent. Two of the images linked above seem to be brighter than the others. Manual exposure should eliminate this.
And third, every time I try to stack images taken outdoors, the wind moves the flowers between photos.

Rannith

Thanks Daniel,

I was afraid it might be something like that. Well the tripod I can do, I don't have a rail just yet. It is just some of the others on here have said that a tripod is not necessary and in somme cases can be a detriment to macro work. I have no idea how they can keep the subject in exactly the same position while focusing in slices. Even for a flower that isn't moving let alone some of the bug shots I have seen on here. I will try again with a try-pod and see how I go. Thanks for the advice.

Rannith

Rannith

Thanks Sand,
I was trying this in a hurry during my lunch break from work. Next time I will take a bit more time. Have you experienced Combine ZP crashing if you try to stack more than three pics? I could not get it to take more.

I will have to try that screw photo test that was in one of the tutorials threads I think by Brian V. at least it will give me a completely stationary target.

Thanks again

Rannith

Lord Vetinari

I tried the whole set in zerene stacker and it did stack but with a large "stacking border" either at the top or bottom (depending on whether I reversed the stack)caused by the subject movement.
As commented above there is too much vertical movement of the subject in the frame. Using a tripod and using the focus on the lens to move the focus point in the slices would work.
I tend to hand hold and use fixed focus /move camera method but I try to ensure the framing stays the same - ie I move the camera directly towards the subject.

Brian v.

Rannith

Thanks Brian, unfortunately my hands really aren't steady enough for that. These ones were done lying on my belly with my elbows trying to act as a bipod and just changing the slice using the focus, if I had been intentionally moving the camera I hate to thing how bad the positioning errors would have been. I think maybe a tripod, a CPU controlled motorized focusing rail and someone else to control it may be necessary.

I was looking at zyrene (or however your stacker is spelt) but I didn't like the price.

Regards

Rannith


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