Another great video Jeff and very useful. I've been wanting to look into the helicon software for the focus stacking. I've been told by several other photographers that it's definitely better than the PS stacking. Of course, everyone has an opinion, but from what you showed on your video is simply another source and very user friendly. Thanks for the insight on the software. Something totally unrelated to your video, but do you use PC or Mac for your processing? Have a good one my friend.
Thank you! I appreciate it! I really liked the helicon software - super easy to use and it did a great job focus stacking, and the retouching tools if you feel the need to modify were very easy to understand. I use a Mac for my processing. Either are good, I'm just super used to a Mac these days. And with the new M1/M2 chips - it seems Apple might finally be innovating again!
thanks for the review specifcally for landscape photos. I'm using a canon 5dsr and looking for a teathered cell phone mainly due to my camera does not have a flip out LCD. I have physical limitations getting around, high, low etc. I would look at Canon "camera connect" cell phone app but requires an in camera wifi - mine does not. I also use canon DPP software (free) and always shot in RAW with jpeg to share. as DPP does not support DNG i would not be converting to same. I don't see a big advantage to photo stacking in this program vs DPP or others ? what i was more interested in was use as teathered monitor/controller - how did that aspect work out ?
I haven't used the remote tethering option of the software. Almost all of my focus stacking is landscape photography oriented. You've probably already seen their video on the feature, but if not, here's a link that might help get a better look at it? ruclips.net/video/3LDSGWPNe3o/видео.html Hope that helps!
I recommend the Pro version even for landscape photography. I like that Pro can stack RAW files, then export to DNG which I can then use In Lightroom. Hope that helps!
For more complicated scenes I think it can get you to a good starting point, but will likely need a little correction in the retouching tab for great results. The retouching tab is pretty cool in how it lets you fix the areas that need some correcting. I think one of the keys with stacking the complicated scenes is being certain you have an image of each "slice" that is definitely in focus. With wind/breeze and things like plants or small trees it is so easy to actually not have something in focus, just do to the environment. Which of course complicates things. Hope that helps - and thanks for watching!
I don't know the answer to that 100% confidently. I believe so, but I hate to misspeak, This link on their process might help? www.heliconsoft.com/raw-in-dng-out/
Assuming you are talking about the focus step width, for landscape photography it isn't hard to get good results. As the manual recommends, stay under 5. How close the first focus point is to the lens is the biggest variable, but I have not had any cases where a focus step width of 2 or 3 hasn't done the trick. (If doing macro photography, I believe 1 is the recommended). That setting has always worked for me when utilizing the focus shift option. As with any camera setting, or determining which aperture your lens is the sharpest at, I always recommend testing in the backyard with a variety of commonly used lenses to find the setting that work for you. Then when you are out on a photography outing, you are confident you are using the optimal setup for your camera.
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Wow. The editing feature with the side-by-side view absolutely sold me.
It's a pretty nice feature for making any corrections! Thanks for watching!
Thank you that was helpful
Glad it helped! It's a pretty cool tool for focus stacking!
thxs for this great video.
Glad you liked it!
Very nice!! Thank you!!
Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching!
Another great video Jeff and very useful. I've been wanting to look into the helicon software for the focus stacking. I've been told by several other photographers that it's definitely better than the PS stacking. Of course, everyone has an opinion, but from what you showed on your video is simply another source and very user friendly. Thanks for the insight on the software. Something totally unrelated to your video, but do you use PC or Mac for your processing? Have a good one my friend.
Thank you! I appreciate it!
I really liked the helicon software - super easy to use and it did a great job focus stacking, and the retouching tools if you feel the need to modify were very easy to understand.
I use a Mac for my processing. Either are good, I'm just super used to a Mac these days. And with the new M1/M2 chips - it seems Apple might finally be innovating again!
thanks for the review specifcally for landscape photos. I'm using a canon 5dsr and looking for a teathered cell phone mainly due to my camera does not have a flip out LCD. I have physical limitations getting around, high, low etc.
I would look at Canon "camera connect" cell phone app but requires an in camera wifi - mine does not.
I also use canon DPP software (free) and always shot in RAW with jpeg to share. as DPP does not support DNG i would not be converting to same.
I don't see a big advantage to photo stacking in this program vs DPP or others ?
what i was more interested in was use as teathered monitor/controller - how did that aspect work out ?
I haven't used the remote tethering option of the software. Almost all of my focus stacking is landscape photography oriented.
You've probably already seen their video on the feature, but if not, here's a link that might help get a better look at it?
ruclips.net/video/3LDSGWPNe3o/видео.html
Hope that helps!
Thanks for this video.
Do you recommend us to buy Pro Version if we mainly do Landscape photography?
I recommend the Pro version even for landscape photography. I like that Pro can stack RAW files, then export to DNG which I can then use In Lightroom.
Hope that helps!
How does it handle a more difficult focus stack with for example plants or a small tree with branches in the near foreground?
For more complicated scenes I think it can get you to a good starting point, but will likely need a little correction in the retouching tab for great results. The retouching tab is pretty cool in how it lets you fix the areas that need some correcting.
I think one of the keys with stacking the complicated scenes is being certain you have an image of each "slice" that is definitely in focus. With wind/breeze and things like plants or small trees it is so easy to actually not have something in focus, just do to the environment. Which of course complicates things.
Hope that helps - and thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. Are dng files as high a Res as 16 bit Tiff's?
I don't know the answer to that 100% confidently. I believe so, but I hate to misspeak, This link on their process might help?
www.heliconsoft.com/raw-in-dng-out/
The problem with Nikon's Z automated focus stacking is it is totally random, there is no meaning to the settings!
Assuming you are talking about the focus step width, for landscape photography it isn't hard to get good results. As the manual recommends, stay under 5.
How close the first focus point is to the lens is the biggest variable, but I have not had any cases where a focus step width of 2 or 3 hasn't done the trick. (If doing macro photography, I believe 1 is the recommended). That setting has always worked for me when utilizing the focus shift option.
As with any camera setting, or determining which aperture your lens is the sharpest at, I always recommend testing in the backyard with a variety of commonly used lenses to find the setting that work for you. Then when you are out on a photography outing, you are confident you are using the optimal setup for your camera.
Have you ever tried Focus Stacking function in Luminar?
What do you think when compare to Helicon Focus?
I have not tried the focus stacking option in Luminar. I've typically only used the stacking options in Photoshop and Helicon Focus.