| Joined: | Wed Oct 14th, 2020 |
| Location: | Australia |
| Posts: | 76 |
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I am very interested in stacking with flower and insect images, I am planning an improvised stackshot type mount but haven't time to describe it right now, need to get to bed, busy day tomorrow.
Robert, I do a lot of focus stacking.
I started off using a CamRanger in conjunction with Nikon bodies. I photographed most of my fungi using this method. It served me well for many years (I still use it occasionally). Once I started photographing native orchids I found it was too slow and cumbersome for the task. As I was also a Fuji user I started using one of the bodies with focus bracketing built in, which made life much simpler. However, I still wasn't 100% happy as a user and after a while I tried out an Olympus body. I use the Olympus almost exclusively for native orchid photography.
Nikon have since introduced focus (shifting) bracketing into several of their bodies. Fuji have had it for sometime, and now they have released the X-T4 with fully articulating screen which does help for subjects in awkward locations.
Olympus does both focus bracketing, and focus stacking. What I like about the Olympus implementation for focus stacking is it brings the focus point closer to the camera after taking the initial image. I use the max 15 image focus stack. It take the first image at the focus point, moves focus closer to the camera, take 3 images as it moves focus towards the initial focus point, then another 11 images past the focus point. This covers the majority of my orchid requirements. The reason I find the Olympus method better is with small subjects, poor eyesight, and most of the time photographing subjects on an angle, I'm not always sure which part of the subject is closest to the lens.
Both Fuji and Olympus allow for a programmed button to activate the focus bracketing, Nikon you need to use the menu system. Both Fuji and Olympus allow you to watch the focus shift as it progresses on the LCD screen, much easier to watch for subject movement IMO. Nikon blanks the screen and you need to keep an eye on the subject for movement, which is not so easy when the subject is tiny. Both Fuji and Olympus set focus back to the initial focus point when the sequence is completed. Nikon (and CamRanger) leave the focus where the sequence has finished, which is handy if you need to take a few more images to get all of the subject in focus.
I'm not sure what other camera manufacturers offer regarding built-in focus bracketing.
I also have a StackShot rail, which I use at home, not in the field. The CamRanger also works with the StackShot I have, so it means I can control the whole operation remotely via a tablet or computer using WiFi.
Good luck with your project, I look forward to seeing some of your results when you get it operational.