A quick setup guide on the olympus for photo bracketing and a walk through on Helicon would be great. You've got me buying Olympus gear now, is owning 4 camera brands too many?
@@wilteduk007 You would be stupid to buy gear just because it can take ruined shots of macro subjects... Once you learn how physics prevents these kinds of images and where the artifacts will be you will be cursing the day you wasted a lot of money on this - and yes, the artifacts are blatantly visible, just not while the images are shown for mere seconds in a video.
Wow. Your images are absolutely astounding. Well done. I’m a landscape photographer now looking at doing macro images whilst I’m out and about. This video helped a lot. Thanks and well done
Your method #2 was a real eye opener for me. Hi speed continuous shooting while moving the camera forward was a great idea! I was so excited that my Sony A7iv upgraded via firmware recently with in body focus bracketing but it only takes a pic every second at the fastest giving my subject too much time to move before I get enough in focus shots.
"I'm gonna get a lego set instead" lmao what a great end to the video haha. I have been going through your tips because I saw your photos featured by Laowa and I was blown away. Thanks for all the awesome information and tips along my way as I get going. I am trying to do handheld macro out the gate so I learn it from the start and MAN can it be tough sometimes but the payoff is amazing.
Excellent coverage of focus stacking techniques! My only comment is for method 2, statement @ 6:30. You mention that this method is slowed by the wait for the flash to recycle. Actually if your setup allows to use very short/low power flash lighting, the flash will sustain the high speed burst rate. In my case it works at 1/128 or 1/64 of full power with the Laowa/Kuangren double flash with flexible arms. This video is the best introduction to focus bracketing and focus stacking I have watched yet.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! And especially thank you for the video from 12:00. It's so nice to see a LIVING person, not just a "talking announcer" ))
Love the photos with the specs and the explanation. This is an area of photography I'd love to get better at. I bet there are others like me with a fancy macro lens but lacking the skill to use it fully. Great video!
First camera should arrive in the post any day now. Very excited to start my photography journey. Can't afford a macron lense right now but really looking forward to having a play with it.
One tip i found helpful before you shoot a stack take an extremely out of focus shot then start the stack, in editing it makes it so much easier to tell when you started a stack and if you did multiple stack of the same image.
What a fantastic video for an aspiring photo stacking photographer. I love the way you share obvious knowledge and expertise but in a way a newbie can comprehend. My goal is to get the beautiful colors and remarkable detail you achieve in your photos but of fine-grained agates so movement of the subject should not be an issue. I don't suppose you've done a video showing macro photography of rocks or minerals have you?
helpful video BUT I wanted to know more about the last method using AF bracketing with flash - could you allude to how you set the flash to sync with the bracketing please?
Thank you so much for this Stewart, your very informative video has taught me a great deal, all I need now is for some decent weather and I'll put some of it into practise 🙂
Excellent summary. Thank you. I had never considered just holding the shutter down and racking the focus! PS if you haven’t already, look at getting a Padcaster - you can have your script on your iPhone and it goes over the front of your lens so you never have to learn your lines again :-)
I’ve recently got into macro but found my Nikon D300 rather heavy with a 100mm macro lens on it, also watching you guys, it seems mirrorless is the way to go for macro photography. With that I’ve just bought an oldOlympus OMD EM1 mk1, and just found out a firmware update gave it focus stacking and bracketing :) Can’t wait for my 60mm macro lens to arrive and get shooting with such a lightweight setup.
If you are using a dedicated macro lens then don’t worry about diffraction. In practice, depth of focus is your biggest concern. Dedicated macro lenses are amazing lenses that are corrected for diffraction and you actually should be using them stopped down. I would say that f/5.6 is not enough for most people. F/8-11 is much better, even on M.43 and I’m speaking from experience here because I have the Olympus 60mm lens. I also shoot with a Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 on a Sony A7R and that camera doesn’t have focus bracketing. I regularly shoot at f/22 with no problems.
Unfortunately, this is not true. All lenses suffer from diffraction. As for the f/5.6 on the Olympus setup, that is a great f-stop to use for focus stacking. Not only is it sharp but it also keeps the flash power lower for faster recycle times.
@@StewartWoodArt I don't shoot by the test chart. I shoot by what gives the best results and when you're trying to stitch something together, the better depth of focus you have the better the result. F/5.6 might be the optimum for sharpness by if that was all we shot for it would be a pretty pointless exercise. I'm not saying you're wrong the way you did this. I just think people should not be scared of diffraction. It's rarely ever a factor in macro and I do a lot of it. There are a lot more important things to worry about.
Amazing pictures, my question is , how come using flash at that close distance doesn't make your pictures overexposed? are you relying on shutter speed?
Unfortunately I just discovered that my GX9 disables flash with focus bracketing. Can I use some continuous light for insect photography instead of flash?
This is the clearest and most informative video I've seen on focus stacking. Fantastic photos as well. I started shooting with an E-M10 mark ii in 2015 and even though it was the entry-level Olympus model, it could focus bracket (but not stack) with flash way back then. Heck, even Olympus' little small sensor, point-and-shoot TG series can focus stack in-camera. I always wondered why Olympus cameras were not more highly regarded for macro photography. Glad you discovered them. I'm now a subscriber!
As a member of several macro communities I can happily inform you that MFT cameras (Olympus in particular) have seen a lot of interest for field macro work due to their small size and low weigth compared to other cameras. Not to mention that they posses several favourable qualities that make them extra suitable for macro photography. I just upgraded to the lastest Olympus camera, technically OM Systems, but you get what I mean. Welcome to Stewarts youtube community :)
Hello Stewart. Thank you for the easy to understand tutoria. I was intrigued byt the light hood you had in the camera. Could you please give some more details about this and where you obtained it from? Thanks!
This year I switched from a tractor called Nikon d501 to a Ferrari called Olympus omd em 5 mark III, in a month I will test it in Thailand. I'm looking forward to it!
@@StewartWoodArt thanks, I like the MF12s and I have popeshield, some godox domes and the Dragon from AK so far. I like a range so might have to try my hand at DIY.
Great video Stuart, even with the excellent stabilisation of OMD cameras I find it very difficult to keep the camera stable when hand shooting. Perhaps its an age thing! Best Peter
Amazing video and pictures. Many thanks. Just a thought regarding waiting for the flash to recharge, would a powerful, continuous lighting source like a Godox LED64 work?? Just an idea
Great video Stewart, really helpful for us new to stacking and bracketing. Quick question, when you initially focus for your first frame when bracketing or stacking do you use auto focus or manual focus with peaking?
As a somewhat experienced macro shooter and focus stacker, I can higly recommend that you use manual focus or shift your camera when using bracketing. Auto-focus can sometimes miss the desired starting point for the bracketing sequence. But if you've to work fast then sometimes the auto-focus will have to make do, just slightly shift the camera backwards while half-pressing the shutter. Better to have a few photos that are focused before the subject then past the area you wished to be the starting point :)
I've tried handheld but I suck at it. I'm really gelous of how well yours come out. Maybe I'll get it at some point, but for now I'm sticking to my cheap macro slider and static subjects
Hi Stewart. Is this type of Macro Photography achievable with Canon R5. I see your using Olympus system which allows Flash sync. I don't think R5 has that capability. What can we do to counteract this issue???
The Canon R5 can do internal focus stacking but not with a flash. You will need to use natural light or LED light or you can just do manual stacking with a flash.
If you read this by any chance, what are your thoughts on allowing the camera itself to do the focus bracketing/stacking itself? I'm a total newbie with a canon r50 and currently renting the canon 100mm f2.8L lens (am in love, will be buying one asap) and so far I've been using the cameras setting where it doesn't keep/store all of the images it does for the stack/bracket(?) but instead just gives me the final product. I guess what I'm curious about is if it would be better to use a third party app to do the stacking after the fact, or if the camera is in fact doing a solid job? I'm sure that comes down to a lot of just personal opinion and the skill of the photographer themselves, but yeah! Thanks so much if you actually read all of this lol
Hi I’m fairly new to macro photography especially using a flash! I have the Godox v350 but one thing you didn’t mention in your video is how to set up the flash to sync with the camera shutter when taking multiple bracketed images do you have another video demonstrating this cheers.
Every time I think that I maybe should try focus stacking, I just watch this video and then think better of it. Thanks for saving me from a lot of trouble and frustration 🙂
Absolutely amazing!!! Thank you for sharing. I have the Olympus OM-D E-M1 MK2 and the Olympus 60mm macro lens and they are an awesome combination! I've never tried focus stacking but I want to. This is very inspiring.
I have Canon 90D which supports internal focus stacking but my lens is Laowa 60mm ef manual. In this case using internal focus stacking doesn’t work. Gets only one spot focused with multiple images. Help
Would you like a more advanced video about focus stacking? If so, give this video and comment a like!
Yes i would, in french please😅.
The olympus menu are difficult, this will help more people👍🏼
A quick setup guide on the olympus for photo bracketing and a walk through on Helicon would be great. You've got me buying Olympus gear now, is owning 4 camera brands too many?
Never too many lol
@@wilteduk007 You would be stupid to buy gear just because it can take ruined shots of macro subjects... Once you learn how physics prevents these kinds of images and where the artifacts will be you will be cursing the day you wasted a lot of money on this - and yes, the artifacts are blatantly visible, just not while the images are shown for mere seconds in a video.
Yes please
What can I say Stewart? Your photos are just fantastic. You’ve only gotten better and better and better. Keep up the good work my man.
Thank you!
Would love an in depth look at in camera focus stacking with the Olympus cameras. Thank you.
I’ll see what I can do.
Wow. Your images are absolutely astounding. Well done. I’m a landscape photographer now looking at doing macro images whilst I’m out and about. This video helped a lot. Thanks and well done
Glad it helped.
Your method #2 was a real eye opener for me. Hi speed continuous shooting while moving the camera forward was a great idea! I was so excited that my Sony A7iv upgraded via firmware recently with in body focus bracketing but it only takes a pic every second at the fastest giving my subject too much time to move before I get enough in focus shots.
Your welcome :)
Breathtaking photos!! Well done video, really appreciate you uploading this.
Thank you.
05:40 this handhold focus stacking is exactly what i was thinking of. Thank you so much. I just got my first macro lens today.
Awesome, and thanks for watching.
"I'm gonna get a lego set instead" lmao what a great end to the video haha.
I have been going through your tips because I saw your photos featured by Laowa and I was blown away. Thanks for all the awesome information and tips along my way as I get going. I am trying to do handheld macro out the gate so I learn it from the start and MAN can it be tough sometimes but the payoff is amazing.
It can be hard but very rewarding.
Excellent coverage of focus stacking techniques! My only comment is for method 2, statement @ 6:30. You mention that this method is slowed by the wait for the flash to recycle. Actually if your setup allows to use very short/low power flash lighting, the flash will sustain the high speed burst rate. In my case it works at 1/128 or 1/64 of full power with the Laowa/Kuangren double flash with flexible arms. This video is the best introduction to focus bracketing and focus stacking I have watched yet.
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! And especially thank you for the video from 12:00. It's so nice to see a LIVING person, not just a "talking announcer" ))
Incredible and beautiful images. Probably the best I’ve seen. Great video, too, with clear explanation of taking the image.
Glad you enjoyed it
Love the photos with the specs and the explanation. This is an area of photography I'd love to get better at. I bet there are others like me with a fancy macro lens but lacking the skill to use it fully. Great video!
Thanks for watching!
Excellent video!...and stunning images
Thank you! Cheers!
First camera should arrive in the post any day now. Very excited to start my photography journey. Can't afford a macron lense right now but really looking forward to having a play with it.
Mate yout pictures are amazing! Beautiful!
Thanks a lot!
One tip i found helpful before you shoot a stack take an extremely out of focus shot then start the stack, in editing it makes it so much easier to tell when you started a stack and if you did multiple stack of the same image.
I use Adobe Lightroom with its auto stack feature so there is no need to do that 😜
Most magnificent photographs . Thanks for sharing and teaching others
Many thanks!
Would love video on OM-1 regarding stacking and bracketing in camera.
Unfortunately, I don't have the OM-1 to be able to make a video about it.
Absolutely stunning work! Liked and subbed! Trying to step my macro photography up and perhaps I’ve stumbled across the right place!
Awesome, thank you!
What a fantastic video for an aspiring photo stacking photographer.
I love the way you share obvious knowledge and expertise but in a way a newbie can comprehend. My goal is to get the beautiful colors and remarkable detail you achieve in your photos but of fine-grained agates so movement of the subject should not be an issue. I don't suppose you've done a video showing macro photography of rocks or minerals have you?
Excellent educating video thanks, love the Em1mk2 photos
Glad you like them!
Excellent teaching skills.
Glad you think so!
helpful video BUT I wanted to know more about the last method using AF bracketing with flash - could you allude to how you set the flash to sync with the bracketing please?
Enjoyed as usual. always learn a lot but would love to learn and understand more about focus stacking
More to come!
Excellent video Stewart! Your images never cease to amaze me. Would love to see a more in depth video on photo stacking.
Thanks.
just saw your pic on fro knows, glad you have a learning channel
Thank you 🤩
Amazing work! Thank you for sharing and explaining.
Man thank you so much!! I am doing it right now in class with my students.
Fantastic!
Excellnt Video Stewart and thank you. Your Images are a wonder and very Inspiring.
Thanks.
Beautiful work, such precise simple video. 👍🔥
Thank you 🙌
Love the out takes, the video is good as well.
Glad you like them!
Thank you so much for this Stewart, your very informative video has taught me a great deal, all I need now is for some decent weather and I'll put some of it into practise 🙂
Thank you.
Those photos are simply amazing and makes me want to give macro photography a go even though I really didn't have an interest in it
Give it a go!
Excellent summary. Thank you. I had never considered just holding the shutter down and racking the focus! PS if you haven’t already, look at getting a Padcaster - you can have your script on your iPhone and it goes over the front of your lens so you never have to learn your lines again :-)
I have teleprompter now, i still mess up lmao
Those shots are amazing.
Thank you.
Really superb images, Stewart! And a very informative video. Thank you!
Thanks.
Fabulous video Stu. Did not know about helicon and it seems to work a treat
Thank you.
Really good explanation Stewart. Love the example macro photos shown.
Thank you.
Great video Stewart...Can I ask you where you got the diffuser?
For which camera, there are two in this video?
@@StewartWoodArt I have a Nikon D5 with a Nikon 105m lens and a Nikon Speedlight
I just discovered your channel Stewart, I'm blown away by all the informations that you give us. New sub!
Welcome aboard!
This video was great, very helpful thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks very much Stewart. This video has been really helpful. 👍😀
Thank you for watching.
luv from india.. kudos to you to brief this topic in the simplest manner possible.
I love videos that teach me something. Beautiful work. Thank you
What is the flash shield your using in this video?
For which system, I use two in this video?
Simply amazing captures!
And very well explained
Thank you.
This was a very great video for both the new focus stackers and the more experienced alike.
Well done mate :)
Thank you my friend, we should speak on discord soon.
I’ve recently got into macro but found my Nikon D300 rather heavy with a 100mm macro lens on it, also watching you guys, it seems mirrorless is the way to go for macro photography. With that I’ve just bought an oldOlympus OMD EM1 mk1, and just found out a firmware update gave it focus stacking and bracketing :) Can’t wait for my 60mm macro lens to arrive and get shooting with such a lightweight setup.
That's great to hear.
If you are using a dedicated macro lens then don’t worry about diffraction. In practice, depth of focus is your biggest concern. Dedicated macro lenses are amazing lenses that are corrected for diffraction and you actually should be using them stopped down. I would say that f/5.6 is not enough for most people. F/8-11 is much better, even on M.43 and I’m speaking from experience here because I have the Olympus 60mm lens. I also shoot with a Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 on a Sony A7R and that camera doesn’t have focus bracketing. I regularly shoot at f/22 with no problems.
Unfortunately, this is not true. All lenses suffer from diffraction. As for the f/5.6 on the Olympus setup, that is a great f-stop to use for focus stacking. Not only is it sharp but it also keeps the flash power lower for faster recycle times.
@@StewartWoodArt I don't shoot by the test chart. I shoot by what gives the best results and when you're trying to stitch something together, the better depth of focus you have the better the result.
F/5.6 might be the optimum for sharpness by if that was all we shot for it would be a pretty pointless exercise.
I'm not saying you're wrong the way you did this. I just think people should not be scared of diffraction. It's rarely ever a factor in macro and I do a lot of it. There are a lot more important things to worry about.
Wow, your work is awesome. Massive congratulations 👏 thanks
Thank you.
Thank you so much for the info. Can you please tell us about the diffuser of your flash?
Fantastic video!
Thank you very much!
Amazing pictures, my question is , how come using flash at that close distance doesn't make your pictures overexposed? are you relying on shutter speed?
I set the flash power at a low power (1/32) for fast recycle times, then set the aperture and iso for exposure.
Unfortunately I just discovered that my GX9 disables flash with focus bracketing. Can I use some continuous light for insect photography instead of flash?
You can, but they would need to be very powerful lights. Flash is probably better at this time.
Hello Stewart, nice video thank you.
Thank you.
Great video and informative, pictures are just amazing 👍👍💪
New sub from down the road in Worcester 😁
Thanks for the sub!
Thank you - this was extremely informative
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks from New Jersey!!!
Thank you.
This is the clearest and most informative video I've seen on focus stacking. Fantastic photos as well. I started shooting with an E-M10 mark ii in 2015 and even though it was the entry-level Olympus model, it could focus bracket (but not stack) with flash way back then. Heck, even Olympus' little small sensor, point-and-shoot TG series can focus stack in-camera. I always wondered why Olympus cameras were not more highly regarded for macro photography. Glad you discovered them. I'm now a subscriber!
Thank you so much and thanks for the sub.
As a member of several macro communities I can happily inform you that MFT cameras (Olympus in particular) have seen a lot of interest for field macro work due to their small size and low weigth compared to other cameras. Not to mention that they posses several favourable qualities that make them extra suitable for macro photography.
I just upgraded to the lastest Olympus camera, technically OM Systems, but you get what I mean.
Welcome to Stewarts youtube community :)
Hello Stewart. Thank you for the easy to understand tutoria. I was intrigued byt the light hood you had in the camera. Could you please give some more details about this and where you obtained it from? Thanks!
I would need to know what camera you are refering to as I used two in this video.
Hi
I have a Canon R5, the 100mm macro, and a Canon V1 flash, and my flash does not work in focus braking mode. How to make this work?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t currently work on Canon cameras.
Thank you Stewart, really excellent, clear explanations. (Also the explanation of diffraction at the end made me laugh a lot :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much. This is a new learning for me.
You are so welcome!
What do you call that lens hood thing? Can I get it for sony?
It’s a diffuser.
So cool, thanks for sharing 👍
Thanks for watching!
This year I switched from a tractor called Nikon d501 to a Ferrari called Olympus omd em 5 mark III, in a month I will test it in Thailand. I'm looking forward to it!
Is that a homemade diffuser you’ve got there for the MF12s or can I buy one? If it’s homemade how did you make it please? Thanks 👍
It is a custom made diffuser.
@@StewartWoodArt thanks, I like the MF12s and I have popeshield, some godox domes and the Dragon from AK so far. I like a range so might have to try my hand at DIY.
Great Content man! Thank you very much. I subscribed.
Thanks for the sub!
Thanks for this interesting video!🤝
Glad you liked it!
Great video Stuart, even with the excellent stabilisation of OMD cameras I find it very difficult to keep the camera stable when hand shooting. Perhaps its an age thing! Best Peter
It could be lol
Excellent content. Just LOVE your work!
Much appreciated!
Can u tells about the lens specification
Amazing video and pictures. Many thanks. Just a thought regarding waiting for the flash to recharge, would a powerful, continuous lighting source like a Godox LED64 work?? Just an idea
Great video Stewart, really helpful for us new to stacking and bracketing. Quick question, when you initially focus for your first frame when bracketing or stacking do you use auto focus or manual focus with peaking?
I use manual focus when doing a stack.
As a somewhat experienced macro shooter and focus stacker, I can higly recommend that you use manual focus or shift your camera when using bracketing. Auto-focus can sometimes miss the desired starting point for the bracketing sequence. But if you've to work fast then sometimes the auto-focus will have to make do, just slightly shift the camera backwards while half-pressing the shutter. Better to have a few photos that are focused before the subject then past the area you wished to be the starting point :)
@@ulriktnnesen5987 Thanks for the detailed reply, much appreciated. Will give the manual/focus peaking method a go and see how I get on.
I've tried handheld but I suck at it. I'm really gelous of how well yours come out. Maybe I'll get it at some point, but for now I'm sticking to my cheap macro slider and static subjects
It's just practice.
Sir , which macro lens is good for Nikon Z mount 105 or 85 mm
I do like the 105 macro lens.
Hi Stewart. Is this type of Macro Photography achievable with Canon R5. I see your using Olympus system which allows Flash sync. I don't think R5 has that capability. What can we do to counteract this issue???
The Canon R5 can do internal focus stacking but not with a flash. You will need to use natural light or LED light or you can just do manual stacking with a flash.
Thanks you so much
Most welcome
If you read this by any chance, what are your thoughts on allowing the camera itself to do the focus bracketing/stacking itself? I'm a total newbie with a canon r50 and currently renting the canon 100mm f2.8L lens (am in love, will be buying one asap) and so far I've been using the cameras setting where it doesn't keep/store all of the images it does for the stack/bracket(?) but instead just gives me the final product. I guess what I'm curious about is if it would be better to use a third party app to do the stacking after the fact, or if the camera is in fact doing a solid job? I'm sure that comes down to a lot of just personal opinion and the skill of the photographer themselves, but yeah! Thanks so much if you actually read all of this lol
The second method moving the camera. Why not rotate the focus ring as per first method?
Moving the camera and turning the focus ring would be too much to deal with and as the title suggests this video is for beginers.
@@StewartWoodArt you would not move the camera & rotate the ring. Just rotate the ring as per method one which is also for beginners isn't it?
Excellence...Thanks from Thailand.
Thank you too!
So is focus stacking the same as Sonys pixel shift? Is that just what they call it?
No, it's not, pixel shift is for high-resolution images.
Hi I’m fairly new to macro photography especially using a flash! I have the Godox v350 but one thing you didn’t mention in your video is how to set up the flash to sync with the camera shutter when taking multiple bracketed images do you have another video demonstrating this cheers.
Do you still rock forward and back if you’re using in camera bracketing?
to get the focus in the correct starting point yes.
well just got my first macro lens watched some of your videos well informative and top draw so guess i gotta lot to learn you got another sub
thanks you, this video is very usefull
Thank you.
Every time I think that I maybe should try focus stacking, I just watch this video and then think better of it. Thanks for saving me from a lot of trouble and frustration 🙂
Absolutely amazing!!! Thank you for sharing. I have the Olympus OM-D E-M1 MK2 and the Olympus 60mm macro lens and they are an awesome combination! I've never tried focus stacking but I want to. This is very inspiring.
Thank you.
does focus stacking work for video shot with macro lens or does it only work for still photography?
There is an option for stacking video, I’ve not played with it much.
I have Canon 90D which supports internal focus stacking but my lens is Laowa 60mm ef manual. In this case using internal focus stacking doesn’t work. Gets only one spot focused with multiple images. Help
The Laowa lens is not compatible with canon's focus bracketing. You have to do it manually!
@@StewartWoodArt so will it work if lens have AF?
If it’s a Canon lens I would say yes but check with them first.
Excellent video Stewart! Thank you 🙏
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you
You're welcome
Thank you sir
Thank you.
Thanks a lot for a very clear and easy understandable video. You answered loads of beginners questions ✌️
STUNNING photos
Thank you!
Hi Stewart what would you say is the best diffuser for the Olympus using the Godox flash that goes on the lens with the twin lights the MF 12 ?
Check out AK diffuser, they do one for the MF12.
I'm just learning about Marco Photography / Photography in general. This video makes me really want to get into Macro photography! :)
Go for it, you'll love it.
How do you manage flash recycle as your camera shoots faster than flash recycle?
I match trhe flash power so it can recycle and keep up with the camera, I haver a video about it.
Thank you
Great video. Would you tell me what would you consider to be a normal number of images to stake for an insect please?
Unfortunately I can’t, it changes depending on the magnification and size of the subject. I can use anything from 5 to 100 images.
Thank you so informative and helpful. And your images are just outstanding
Glad you like them!