Focus Stacking

[pressld2]

Nice shot WestLothian, love the angle!

I've now graduated to a live subject (although still not in a live setting). This Brown-tail was on my front door when I got home from work and I managed to transfer him to a sheet of paper where he sat still long enough for me to take four or five stacks. These are my favourite two:

A stack of six...



...and a stack of five...



...after which he flew off to the curtains. I caught him again and let him go in the garden.

Dave P.

[WestLothian]

Beautiful!

[glsammy]

I haven't been able to try this for some time, today I had another go with a common blue damselfly. I was quite pleased with the results, as I was hand holding the camera for all three shots.

[matt_xyz]

That's excellent Graham. I've yet to try this handheld. It's tricky enough with a tripod

Matt

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

That's excellent Graham. I've yet to try this handheld. It's tricky enough with a tripod

Matt

The trick is to choose an easy subject! One where you can always be sure your focused on exactly the same spot. Hence the reason I chose this common blue, the blue divisions are ideal! I didn't even have to manually adjust the points, this was on auto.

[WhiskyBottle]

I downloaded this software after reading this thread. It didn't work, getting lots of double images. Then is seemed to kick in and all started working, still get some failures, but when it works it's far faster than doing it manually.

This shot was never intended for focus stacking, it was just a couple of grab shots of the bee while I was setting up to photograph the very rare Limestone Woundwort.
One shot was focused on the bee on the near flower, the other on the bee on the left flower. The shots were not very well aligned but stacking gave the DOF in the flower, and yes there is only one bee



Martin

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by Lord V

I've got one already- not nearly as stable or quick to use as my bean pole
Seriously I have tried both and just find the bean pole far easier/faster and more stable. The one thing I'm looking for now is a telescopic beanpole
Brian V.

Just happened on this thread, how about a telescopic landing net handle?

[Lancashire Lad]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Just happened on this thread, how about a telescopic landing net handle?

Or a (green plastic covered) metal telescopic clothes line "prop".

Regards
Mike.

[Lord V]

I actually found a suitable travelling pole last year- 4 sections of a collapsing tent pole

Brian V.

[Wodders]

Hi there,
I have just joined the site and I am really interested (and fascinated) with photostacking.
My problem is, how do you get CombineZM and will it work with XP.
I have tried to download it and all I get is a driver program and the only actual CombineZM that I have found seems to be for Vista.
Any information would be very much appreciated.
Is there another 'freeware' program that would do the same?
Thanks
Wodders