Saturday 22 February 2014

Focus Stacked

Having looked around for a focus stacking app for the MacBook I ended up installing the trial version of Zerene Stacker which gives 30 days full use before deciding whether to buy it.

My first attempt, eight focus stacked images of a flower on my Venus Flytrap:

2014-02-21-10.18.56 ZS PMax
Canon 50D, 70-200mm lens plus Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Conversion Lens, LED ring light.

Not a startling image but I'm pleased with it as a first attempt working with jpg images.

I must admit I prefer the look of the program compared to CompineZP on Windows. You can see the final image being built up which gives a chance to see if any of the initial images might be causing problems. It was much easier to use and really flew through the align and stack process.

10 comments:

  1. This looks fine. I suspect it only looks a bit flat because of the ring light. I never got on with Combine ZP but did buy Helicon Focus. I've not used it for a year but will have another look.

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    1. Adrian. Yes, I thought afterwards I should have used one half of the light to give more contrast.

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  2. Just downloaded Zerene, I'll give it a try today. It is expensive I seem to recall that Helicon was about twenty pounds.

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    1. Adrian: Zerene seems expensive but if I read it correctly Helicon is a cheap yearly charge or a more expensive life time job Then again a full Helicon license covers all updates but Zerene only covers minor updates. Swings and roundabouts. .

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    2. John, yes they are much the same price at the end of the day. I have had four goes with Zerene and it seems idiot proof. Helicon isn't. Ta.

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    3. Adrian: Zerene can be used a bit like a point and shoot camera - plonk the stack and start the process. I think there are a few other facilities which I haven't tried yet. Also I think the Windozy version has more than the Mac version, which is a newer departure for them.

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  3. Very nice and sharp. Looking forward to more.

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    Replies
    1. Wilma: Thanks for that. A whole batch of them tomorrow!

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  4. Replies
    1. Roy. It's a bit bland and some detail is missing from the centre but it still looks fair to middling ;)

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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