Focus bracketing?

[TonyW]

Exposure bracketing is common on cameras these days, even in camera HDR processing. Is there any reason that cameras could not provide focus bracketing for those wanting to do focus stacking?

[Stagecoach]

Exposure bracketing is common on cameras these days, even in camera HDR processing. Is there any reason that cameras could not provide focus bracketing for those wanting to do focus stacking?

Tony,

Absolutely not. Assuming the lens had feedback from it's focusing electro/mechanical position and allowing the user to set a near and far limit and then the number of steps between.

Grahame

[FrankMi]

Exposure bracketing is common on cameras these days, even in camera HDR processing. Is there any reason that cameras could not provide focus bracketing for those wanting to do focus stacking?

I often use the Canon SX40 HS, mostly because it has an 840mm FFE zoom but it also has Focus Bracketing built in. From the user guide:

"The camera automatically takes three continuous shots in the following order: one at the position set in manual focus, and one each with focus positions set further and nearer. The focus adjustment can be set in three levels."

However, I only use this on occasion as you are limited to three focus settings. It can be handy on occasion but if I am doing a planned focus stacking shot I have far more control with the Nikon D3100 as manual focusing is far more precise and I can take as many images for the stack as needed. I don't have any images I can put my hands on where I used the Canon for focus stacking. For the D3100, however, there are three focus stacking examples in this thread starting at the link position. Project 52 by Frank Miller

[jcuknz]

One of the things I have yet to get around to is the idea which came to me awhile back of using 'burst' and moving focus across the mid point manually .... could be done quite quickly perhaps and accomodate moving, wind blown, subjects .....

[FrankMi]

One of the things I have yet to get around to is the idea which came to me awhile back of using 'burst' and moving focus across the mid point manually .... could be done quite quickly perhaps and accomodate moving, wind blown, subjects .....

I experimented with that process a while back Jcuknz, and found the results to be spotty and unpredictable. It was difficult the get an even spread of the focus point across the subject. It also usually meant that I had to hand hold the camera and in the end, the center of the focus point would shift requiring significant alignment of the resulting images.

You may have better results so it is definitely worth giving it a try.

[TonyW]

One of the things I have yet to get around to is the idea which came to me awhile back of using 'burst' and moving focus across the mid point manually .... could be done quite quickly perhaps and accomodate moving, wind blown, subjects .....

Focus stacking is usually used for macro shots where the change in focus needed is very small. If I tried to change the focus manually I would not have enough control of the rate and magnitude of the change.

[Stagecoach]

I have followed the work of this Nikonians member for a while and when you see his results at hand held stacking there's no question regarding whether it can be done, the answer is yes. But of course you need the skills

Scroll to the top to see the images and further down Teitzy explains how.

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcbo...id=52512#52520

Grahame

[lukaswerth]

Really very interesting work, but that's macro, and focus stacking in principally very interesting for other subjects, too. Where I have run into difficulties several times are moving leaves and such like: the programs I have used so far, all built on the Enfuse algorithm, couldn't handle these too well. Are there ways to work around this. perhaps?

Lukas

[Andrew76]

Tony, do you shoot Canon?

Magic Lantern will focus bracket for you automatically, and it works amazingly well. You just tell it where to start / end focus, and how many shots to make in between, then press the shutter release. Done.

[chauncey]

Tony, if you can't take Andrew's advice...look at this focusing rail http://www.cognisys-inc.com/home_cogn.php