Hi Paul,
your stuff is super amazing! I think you posted about a wing a while ago, right?
It can’t get any better than that!
So why do you want to use stacking?
Do you now also change the focus plane a lot but at the same time change position slightly?
If yes, then I would say that your way is probably better than to reduce it to 50 stacked shots.
Thanks, my results are decent, by my images aren’t as sharp as I’d like them. Shooting with f22, there’s a lot of diffraction, and ideally I’d shoot no higher than f11, so stacking is the only way I can do that.
Yes, I rotate the subject along the Y axis, and rotate the camera to maximize and fill the frame, I also zoom in and shoot sections.
Latest beetle is proving more challenging, to the point, I wondered if RC had changed something between updates, it’s very noisy and lacking detail, with the same process as my other scans, so I need to figure out what’s different.
Maybe there has been some new setting or a reset?
Noisy in the mesh or texture?
If it’s the texture, it might be a display issue…
The mesh. I’ll run an old photoset, and compare the results to the last time I ran the same set.
Hey Paul,
I’ve been trying to do a dragon fly my self to test.I had over 1200 photos to stack, about 15-20 to stack in each position. I started using helicon focus for stacking. I did notice the stacking software included noise from each frame in the stack. My guess was that it thought it was fine details and compiled it in the results. I’ll have to try the matte varnish as my results didn’t turn out so good because of the reflectiveness of the majority of the subject.
What I really want to focus on would be the compound eyes. I see this being a major challenge, but would be amazing to pull off. Have you any pointers besides the matte finishing? I don’t use stabilization and am using a tripod, and a light box.
Some samples of the focus stacked dragon fly. I deleted the pictures to be used for photogrammetry, but kept some I took outside. They make a good example of the same dragon fly. In the actual pictures I put him on the top of a triangular ruler.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/edSb6yPWZmDniPEc7
Hi Steven,
Does the A7rIII do focus bracketing? the rII doesn’t and the Sony app is useless. Are you creating your stacks manually?
I’m using a turntable from orangemonkie called the Foldio360, so it’s semi automated and has been fantastic, though I probably can’t use it the same way, if I try stacking.
Your detail is great, but the dof is still too shallow, and yes, too much shine and reflection. Also try adding a circular polarising filter to your lens.
Unfortunately Paul, it does not focus bracket. It was all done by hand. Yeah the depth of field in those pics was a bit shallower, but the ones used for reality capture where sharp from wing to wing and head to tail. I deleted them after many failures and control points later. Took too much hard drive space and I have other experiments to run 
I do have a CP filter and will have to try that.
and you’re shooting in a light tent? neutral background? I’m using the Foldio3 tent with extra halo LED strips. I’ve not had to use control points at all. Sounds like stacking is a lot of hassle.
I’ve been considering buying an Olympus OM-D-ME1 mkII just for macro as it offers in body staking, and bracketing. However, it’s only 20mp (probably still enough)
It is a lot of work. A turn table like that would help a lot. I’ve only had the camera and a true macro lens for less than a month. Before I had a crop sensor and 2 kit lenses and a nifity fifty. I’m still enjoying the new-ness of my toys, and letting my budget recover. I don’t mind a 5hr shoot if the results turn out. I’m a little discourage still, but seeing your results I’m thinking I’ll try again with baby power and just render gray scale like that beetle yours. I would like to get to color but it will have to wait I think, till I can get some of that matte varnish.
I’m running some tests today to compare the results between polarised lens, polarised lights, and matte varnish. It’s a smaller beetle than what I’ve done before, so more of a challenge in itself.
That aside, I have this coming in a few months, to get around Sony’s lack of stacking implementation.
That looks cool!!
I’ve uploaded my first test with Focus Stacking to sketchfab. I had to get the file under 50mb to uplaod, so it’s quite decimated.
https://sketchfab.com/mode…/409b28fed6c74880b4bfe5d8d54d17cf
Also attached is one of the stacked photos. Not original size, I scaled it down to upload.
So what’s your take? Pros and cons for stacking vs not?
The results are far better. It’s more work, but can be automated, though not cheap. I bought a rail from www.wemacro and was still able to use the orangemonkie foldio 360 in turntable mode to incrementally rotate at a specified degree.
I think the results make it worthwhile, and moreso, for objects less than 30mm, it’s probably essential to get the best results.