Focus Shift Shooting With D850

[Robin W]

So Andy got me a D850 for Christmas and I finally had a little time to play with the focus shift shooting. Sometimes it works sort of and sometimes it doesn't. I have it set to AF-S, F5.6, 30 shots, 1 Step interval, because I am trying to do a table top for the weekly photo contest, 2 second interval to allow the lights to recharge, smoothing is selected. I turned off silent because the lights would not flash. However, with those settings it only takes one photo. I have tried moving the interval. I have tried going through the menu and clicking ok all over again on each item to no avail. I am not sure what I am missing. Do any of you have any idea what I might try? Thanks

I got it to take about 8 photos. I did not do anything different but to double check my settings and gave it some time since the last try. I set the focus point just before the nearest point. The first photo was out of focus which I expected. The next photo was in focus. The remaining photos were way out of focus like it just missed moving the focus point. I ran the 5 photos through Lightroom and then Helicon Focus and got a photo that was to large to save. This can't be this hard.

 

[Clovishound]

Are you using "Start" in the menu, or hitting the shutter button?

You must start it from the menu, not the shutter button.

 

[Robin W]

Are you using "Start" in the menu, or hitting the shutter button?

You must start it from the menu, not the shutter button.

Yes, I am using the start in the menu because it won't work from the shutter button. This is the photo that I would like to stack..

 

[Clovishound]

If all else fails, you can do it manually.

 

[Robin W]

If all else fails, you can do it manually.

I think I finally got it.

 

[BF Hammer]

For last week's challenge I also attempted to do a focus stack series on my Z5. I did get the photos, but then discovered that there is no focus stack plugin for GIMP. No wonder I never tried it before! I did have the good sense to also do a backup plan by focusing between my watch and class ring, then taking a progressive series of photos with increasing f-stops. Kind of wish now I had processed the f/25 shot instead of f/22.

 

[Blue439]

Robin, this may sound dumb, but of course it was an autofocus lens you were using? And it was indeed set to Auto on the lens itself? Otherwise, I have no other suggestion. I have done focus stacking many times with my D850 and never encountered the problem you describe. Typically, it sounds like the camera starts the sequence but stops just after the first shot because it is prevented from going any further —and that would typically be because the switch o,n the lens is set to M instead of A...

 

[Robin W]

Robin, this may sound dumb, but of course it was an autofocus lens you were using? And it was indeed set to Auto on the lens itself? Otherwise, I have no other suggestion. I have done focus stacking many times with my D850 and never encountered the problem you describe. Typically, it sounds like the camera starts the sequence but stops just after the first shot because it is prevented from going any further —and that would typically be because the switch o,n the lens is set to M instead of A...

No, not dumb, most of the time it is something simple that we overlook. I had checked that one though. And I had it set to A. I did find one thing set wrong I was still in AF-C instead of AF-S. I had gone out to try to get some photos of some short eared owls and had left it on AF-C. I decided I like my D500 better for that application. However, I don't think that was the problem because I retook the photos with the same result. I waited a little while and tried again and it worked. I have no idea what the problem was. Thank you

For last week's challenge I also attempted to do a focus stack series on my Z5. I did get the photos, but then discovered that there is no focus stack plugin for GIMP. No wonder I never tried it before! I did have the good sense to also do a backup plan by focusing between my watch and class ring, then taking a progressive series of photos with increasing f-stops. Kind of wish now I had processed the f/25 shot instead of f/22.

While trying to figure out my problem I read about setting the F-Stop. They said for close up still subjects it was better to use wider F-stops, like below F8, to keep from having, I think it was overlapping problems.

 

[Robin W]

If all else fails, you can do it manually.

haha, you are funny! lol

 

[Clovishound]

Seriously, focus stacks can be done manually. I even do them handheld. It helps to stop down to f11 or F16 to minimize the number of shots needed. Focus on the nearest point you want in focus and take a shot. Then refocus a little further in and take another and so on. I normally take about 6 to 8 shots for my macro images.

I find that easier than messing with the automated system in the camera.

Here's one I shot last summer. I used more than normal, about a dozen. I stacked that many because I wanted everything in focus from the tip of the front leg to the far end of the leaf. Most macro shots don't require that much of the field in focus. I used F16 with diffused flash handheld and stacked it in Photoshop.

 

[Robin W]

Seriously, focus stacks can be done manually. I even do them handheld. It helps to stop down to f11 or F16 to minimize the number of shots needed. Focus on the nearest point you want in focus and take a shot. Then refocus a little further in and take another and so on. I normally take about 6 to 8 shots for my macro images.

I find that easier than messing with the automated system in the camera.

Here's one I shot last summer. I used more than normal, about a dozen. I stacked that many because I wanted everything in focus from the tip of the front leg to the far end of the leaf. Most macro shots don't require that much of the field in focus. I used F16 with diffused flash handheld and stacked it in Photoshop.

View attachment 415667

You are much steadier than I am. I have done that with bugs, not with that much success. But I do want to learn how to use the feature since that was the main reason for buying the camera. I think I figured out the problem. I was using the wrong lens. I was using a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm 1:4G and I couldn't open the aperture enough to make the width steps small enough. Once I changed the lens to a AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1:18G I was able to get good results. However, now my Helicon Focus software will not load the photos. One problem after another. It asked me to update my GPU drivers, which took me about 2 hours to figure out, but I got them updated. Now when I send photos from LR to HF it opens HF 3 times and tells me to update my GPU driver again. I have no idea how to fix that problem. I have submitted a request to HF for assistance. I will probably try using PS for the stacking and see how it goes. Hopefully PS still works.

 

[Robin W]

You can see by this photo the lens made a huge difference. I was able to get 29 photos where before it was only taking 12 and most of those were focusing behind the subject. This photo has some problems that I fixed. I retook the photo and was able to get 30 photos but since HF is not working properly I will have to wait to see how I did. And now this site will not let me post without it being a link. I probably should give it a rest for a while. I tried it in PS but the results were awful.

 

[Blue439]

While trying to figure out my problem I read about setting the F-Stop. They said for close up still subjects it was better to use wider F-stops, like below F8, to keep from having, I think it was overlapping problems.

When you do focus stacks, you don’t need to stop down the lens to get a deep depth of field, because focus stacking will give you that anyway. So, what I do is set the lens to its sweet spot aperture, at which it produces the best results regardless of depth of field, and start stacking. It will take me more exposures to get where I want, but the camera does it by itself while I enjoy a mojito by the pool (just kidding), and then it’s the computer that works processing the stack. I don’t have to care whether the stack is 10 photos or 90, it will just take a while longer, but hey! I’m retired anyway...

The only exception may be when I do have to set the focus manually on a focusing rail, either because I use a non-autofocus lens, or because I am using the bellows. Then, I may be tempted to stop down the lens to shorten the sequence. And I would certainly never attempt to do it handheld like Clovis said above! My hands don’t shake but I’d be very scared about the misalignment of the photos...

 

[Clovishound]

Actually, Photoshop does a pretty good job of aligning the photos. You may end up with funky looking corners, but that is easily cured with a minor cropping. The biggest things I have to watch for is not overlapping the focus enough, and insects moving legs or antennae between shots.

It's not uncommon for me to do an unplanned photo stack while editing. I normally take multiple shots of a subject, and being handheld, I usually have some that don't nail the focus. If I want more depth of field I will sometimes look and see if I have one or more shots with a different focus point and stack them to extend DOF a bit. Even the extra DOF added by one other shot can add to the final image.

 

[Clovishound]

Here's a stack I did today. It was shot with my 200-500 at 500mm at F5.6 using 7 images manually focusing at different points along the log. Camera was on a tripod. Just guessed at how far along I should move focus based on what I saw in focus in the viewfinder. Processed in PS for the stack, then to LR for final editing.

 

[Marilynne]

Here's a stack I did today. It was shot with my 200-500 at 500mm at F5.6 using 7 images manually focusing at different points along the log. Camera was on a tripod. Just guessed at how far along I should move focus based on what I saw in focus in the viewfinder. Processed in PS for the stack, then to LR for final editing.


View attachment 416370

Am I seeing immature gator tails mixed in with the turtles?

 

[Clovishound]

Am I seeing immature gator tails mixed in with the turtles?

Yes you are, and I looked, prior to posting this stack and it's on the single images, so it's not an artifact of the stacking software. I'm guessing there is a small gator on the other side of the log with his tail hanging over it, and the turtle on top of his tail. I suppose it might be the end of the gator's tail that is on the far end of the log, but that just doesn't look right to me. I don't have a shot from a different angle.