1st Attempt @ Focus Stacking

TheFantasticG · Jun 4, 2012

#1

Big Robber Fly by The Fantastic G, on Flickr
#2

Red Damsel Fly by The Fantastic G, on Flickr
#3

Small Robber Fly by The Fantastic G, on Flickr
#4

Small Robber Fly by The Fantastic G, on Flickr
#5

Dragonfly by The Fantastic G, on Flickr

Lessons learned:
1) Remote release is 100% a must
2) I don't need a billion different frames
3) I need to shoot around F8
4) Zerene Stacker is what program I'm going to use
5) Not a chance in Hell I'll be able to do this outside if there is ANY wind WHAT SO EVER.

Thanks for looking.

cgipson1 · Jun 4, 2012

Very nice!

#5 has bitten me on the A$$ many times! lol!

What technique are you using, if you don't mind? Focusing method, or rail method? Automated, or by hand?

Ever tried Helicon Focus? If so, what did you think?

TheFantasticG · Jun 4, 2012

It's an indoor macro kind of day by The Fantastic G, on Flickr

I only used the Canon MP-E for the stacking. I didn't use the D7000 on the rail. I'm using a Velbon rail. Only problem with it is there is no measurement markings on the damn thing. So I used the knob itself as a measuring guide since it's like a six pointed star. Take a picture, turn to the next point. Take a picture, turn to the next point. Take a picture, turn to the next point. Take a picture, turn to the next point. Take a picture, turn to the next point. So on and so forth. All manual.

I tried using Helicon Focus and I like it. I think it renders better than Zerene on the final output image. It's also $110 more than Zerene. I also found Zerene easier for me to use on the GUI side. I'm fairly certain that I'll be using Zerene. I'll try Helicon focus a few more times to be sure.

cgipson1 · Jun 4, 2012

TheFantasticG said:
It's an indoor macro kind of day by The Fantastic G, on Flickr

I only used the Canon MP-E for the stacking. I didn't use the D7000 on the rail. I'm using a Velbon rail. Only problem with it is there is no measurement markings on the damn thing. So I used the knob itself as a measuring guide since it's like a six pointed star. Take a picture, turn to the next point. Take a picture, turn to the next point. Take a picture, turn to the next point. Take a picture, turn to the next point. Take a picture, turn to the next point. So on and so forth. All manual.

I tried using Helicon Focus and I like it. I think it renders better than Zerene on the final output image. It's also $110 more than Zerene. I also found Zerene easier for me to use on the GUI side. I'm fairly certain that I'll be using Zerene. I'll try Helicon focus a few more times to be sure.

Sweet! I have considered picking up one of these:

StackShot - Focus Stacking Macro Rail

But haven't talked myself into it yet! lol!

Overread · Jun 4, 2012

I really like the 3rd - fantastic shot of those big robber eyes!

Lighting is a little on the harsh side if I might say so; it looks like you are using the Nikon twinflash setup - I'm not sure how they mount to the ring itself, but if they fit via a hotshoe connection you could use some Kaiser bounce shoes to rise the flashheads up - I find that helps in allowing one to then fit diffusion attachments to them without the attachments getting in the way of the shot (using heads plain onto the ring they tend to all end up getting a bit too close to the subjects.

Other than that the software side is - an area of expense for the stacking photographer. I don't think there is one market leader and sometimes one software option will fail on a stack where another won't. I think if stacking is big for you you'll want to get all the current versions out there to have the diversity of options (unlike many other software packages stacking already puts a fairly large time and shot investment before you even get to the stacking software and the potential differences can be massive - so its an area where owning more than one software option is beneficial - though if you're using them commerically this will cost fair bit sadly).

TheFantasticG · Jun 4, 2012

I looked at that one, but didn't want to spend that much. Seems like it'd be jam up awesome though.

TheFantasticG · Jun 4, 2012

Overread said:
I really like the 3rd - fantastic shot of those big robber eyes!

Lighting is a little on the harsh side if I might say so; it looks like you are using the Nikon twinflash setup - I'm not sure how they mount to the ring itself, but if they fit via a hotshoe connection you could use some Kaiser bounce shoes to rise the flashheads up - I find that helps in allowing one to then fit diffusion attachments to them without the attachments getting in the way of the shot (using heads plain onto the ring they tend to all end up getting a bit too close to the subjects.

Other than that the software side is - an area of expense for the stacking photographer. I don't think there is one market leader and sometimes one software option will fail on a stack where another won't. I think if stacking is big for you you'll want to get all the current versions out there to have the diversity of options (unlike many other software packages stacking already puts a fairly large time and shot investment before you even get to the stacking software and the potential differences can be massive - so its an area where owning more than one software option is beneficial - though if you're using them commerically this will cost fair bit sadly).

I actually used my Canon setup for the stacked shots. The Nikon I had setup just to shoot as normal, no stacking. I manually dialed in the flash power on the Canon. Still learning that side of things as with my Nikon side I can lean on CLS pretty hard. The Canon MR-14EX is their ring light that mounts on the front of the lens as pictured above in my 2nd post. Works pretty well much of the time but if I dail in just a hair too much power it looks pretty bad.

As much as I'd like to have both, I just don't see much point in having both Helicon and Zerene. Out of twelve focus stacks, Zerene handled more of them better, but Helicon handles more formats such as RAW and it has a LR plug in. I'll decide within the next two weeks which one to purchase, but at this moment in time I'm liking Zerene better.

Overread · Jun 4, 2012

You can add CombineZP to the list - its freeware so every stacking photographer should have it. Though the interface is a little more bland I find.

On the lighting front - as far as I know - if you're shooting manual powers you should be able to put your nikon setup on your canon camera. You won't get any of the ettl features, but it should be able to fire the flashheads with their manual settings (That said I'm fairly sure this is true of speedlite flash units, I'm less sure about the controller unit which the nikon twinflash setup uses.

photo_joe · Jun 5, 2012

Awesome shots.

TheFantasticG · Jun 5, 2012

Thanks, Joe.

Overread said:
You can add CombineZP to the list - its freeware so every stacking photographer should have it. Though the interface is a little more bland I find.

On the lighting front - as far as I know - if you're shooting manual powers you should be able to put your nikon setup on your canon camera. You won't get any of the ettl features, but it should be able to fire the flashheads with their manual settings (That said I'm fairly sure this is true of speedlite flash units, I'm less sure about the controller unit which the nikon twinflash setup uses.

CombineZP seems alright. I like Zerene much better than it.

The thing is with the SB-R200s the exposure has to be set through the camera or through the SU800. Will the 60D command the R200s? There is no controls on the flashes.

Overread · Jun 6, 2012

Hmm I would expect the camera to only be able to trigger the flash units - just like working with older or 3rd party flash units since they all share the same mount type. However the software in the Canon camera won't interface with the Nikon flash units (you might get flash exposure compensation, but I'd doubt it). The flash units would essentially run on only their own internal metering or manual power settings.

For the SU800 it might be able to trigger it as well - but if it can't trigger that unit then it seems using the mini flash units won't work if they don't have any controls on themselves.

TheFantasticG · Jun 6, 2012

Well, from what I read on the manual the SB-R200s don't meter at all. There's no way to manually set the power settings on them.

http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/noprint/SBR200_en_noprint.pdf

You can set groups and channels, but that is it. Now, if I was using a SB-600 or higher level flash, I could set exposure manually on them. The SU800 communicates with the camera so I dno't see that working with the 60D either. So, as nice as it would be, it doesn't seem as they would work on a Canon body. Honestly, I don't need to since I have the Canon ring flash anyway. eTTL blasts a shat ton of light out of the ring. If I manually dial it in it produces nice light.

Overread · Jun 6, 2012

Ahh thanks for the info - I must admit I've never used the Nikon rig, but I did assume it was similar in setup to the Canon in having manual control output so I'm surprised at the choice. Then again I think the Nikon setup has more control options in the camera for the multiflash setups so I'm sure it balances out.