Automated focus stacking

**Oakland Rob** · 01-21-2019, 05:37 PM - **1 Like**

Very cool.

Focus bracketing in-camera (I agree the correct term for the shot sequence is bracketing; the post is stacking to create a single image. That's how most folks describe it, and how Oly describes it in their cameras) would be great.

I have used it with an Oly in the field and it was a lot more useful than I thought; as with exposure in some tough shooting scenarios it can improve your chances of getting a keeper even if you aren't doing stacking later. I've used it in shooting within a narrow DOF where the object is swaying around in the wind, for example. Seemed I sometimes got better results than just doing a burst on a single focus point, although on the Pentax catch-in-focus can work for that as well.

turbof · 01-25-2019, 05:50 PM

Originally posted by thepedant

The Ricoh CLI (command line interface) sample program. The Linux version. Could only manage to compile the 32 bit version in a virtual Ubuntu environment but the resulting executable runs fine on my Opensuse workstation. I could post my code here if anyone wants to make their own copy.

I've got to go now. Back tomorrow.

Finally got around to compiling the CLI on my Centos7 box, would appreciate your code posted here.Programmed in C for over 30 years, never got into C+.Thanks.

thepedant · 01-26-2019, 02:39 AM - **2 Likes**

Sure here it is. A couple of points:

(1) I put in some long delays between each step of the procedure because I wasn't sure whether the various functions called are synchronous or not. Also don't know if the camera buffer memory would fill up if it goes too fast. Those delays will obviously need some kind of optimisation or removal.

(2) The procedure assumes the camera is pointing at a spot midway between the nearest and furthest point of the object being photographed. It first asks you for the size of the step and then the number of steps. It then performs the following sequence
i) Focus
ii) Go into Live View (because the adjust focus function only works in live view)

iii) Adjust focus to StepSize * -NoOfSteps / 2 (the furthest away point of the object)
iv) Capture and Adjust focus and loop until NoOfSteps done

v) Stop Live View and finish

It might be better to point the camera at the nearest point of the object and modify the procedure accordingly.

(3) Quite big values of the step size parameter for my lens result in very small movements of the focus stepper motor. For objects a few inches across I use a step size of 150-200 and no of steps anywhere from 10-30. YMMV.

Can you get it to compile in 64 bit? Also look forward to seeing some pictures.

MJKoski · 01-26-2019, 09:01 AM

Focus stacking should be right there in drive modes of K-1 but it is not. So far I have done it manually for years with wide angles and that is a bit slow method. Nikon did a really cool thing with this in Z7 - before shooting with built-in focus stack program the camera shows an estimation on screen how the result will look with selected parameters.

turbof · 01-28-2019, 02:26 PM - **1 Like**

Quote:

thepedant;4565571

Can you get it to compile in 64 bit? Also look forward to seeing some pictures.

Centos7 is 64-bit only, no 32-bit code. I had to build a gcc-5.5.0 compiler to compile the cli.cpp.

First attempts.
All photos taken with Pentax FA 100/2.8 Macro.
Tenax II - First photo is stacked image of 9 shots. Second photo is middle focus of the shots.
PROM - First photo is stacked image of 13 shots. Second photo is middle focus shot.

It looks like I need to take a higher number of shots with smaller adjustment steps to prevent "focus gaps",
but that's part of the learning process.

thepedant · 01-29-2019, 08:29 AM

Jolly good shots. I love that pic of the camera. I solved my compiling problem. It works on Opensuse version 15. Maybe some new feature or bug fix in the C++ compiler was what was required. I hope to do some more soon but the garden desperately needs attention and other aspects of Real Life are using up a lot of time. Tcha!

thepedant · 01-30-2019, 06:46 AM

In the meantime, here's one I did a few days ago. The second version is a plain shot at f22 for comparison.

Attached Images

View Picture EXIF

damianc · 01-30-2019, 07:22 AM

Originally posted by thepedant

It works on Opensuse version 15

Did you manage to build the GUI sample on OpenSuSE ? I'm getting wx_gtk lib errors

thepedant · 01-30-2019, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by damianc

Did you manage to build the GUI sample on OpenSuSE ? I'm getting wx_gtk lib errors

No I have not tried that yet. I will one day. My priority code-wise at the moment is to build a Windows version of the stacking program so I can demonstrate it at my camera club using a Windows laptop. Lugging around my Linux desk machine, monitor etc. would be too much hassle for that.

turbof · 01-30-2019, 10:06 AM

Originally posted by damianc

Did you manage to build the GUI sample on OpenSuSE ? I'm getting wx_gtk lib errors

I got liveview to compile on Centos7, but I had to uninstall the wxGTK (version 2) packages and compilethe WxWidgets 3.0.4 (not WxGTK3). Confusing versioning. Idon't know what release of WxGTK is suppliedwith OpenSuSE, but Centos7 repositories only supplied up to version 2.8.

01-28-2019, 02:26 PM - 1 Like	#20
turbof Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 34	Quote: thepedant;4565571 Can you get it to compile in 64 bit? Also look forward to seeing some pictures. Centos7 is 64-bit only, no 32-bit code. I had to build a gcc-5.5.0 compiler to compile the cli.cpp. First attempts. All photos taken with Pentax FA 100/2.8 Macro. Tenax II - First photo is stacked image of 9 shots. Second photo is middle focus of the shots. PROM - First photo is stacked image of 13 shots. Second photo is middle focus shot. It looks like I need to take a higher number of shots with smaller adjustment steps to prevent "focus gaps", but that's part of the learning process. Last edited by turbof; 11-15-2019 at 06:25 PM.

01-29-2019, 08:29 AM	#21
thepedant Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Nottingham Posts: 70 Original Poster	Jolly good shots. I love that pic of the camera. I solved my compiling problem. It works on Opensuse version 15. Maybe some new feature or bug fix in the C++ compiler was what was required. I hope to do some more soon but the garden desperately needs attention and other aspects of Real Life are using up a lot of time. Tcha! Last edited by thepedant; 01-30-2019 at 06:01 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Would Like Your Help with Automated Panorama Head	AggieDad	Do-It-Yourself	2	12-29-2018 01:06 PM
Software for automated imaging? (Eclipse)	Storm Chaser	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	2	07-29-2017 02:05 PM
Automated Raw Conversion From Nikon V2	Biro	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	3	12-05-2014 09:37 PM
News Automated Marketplace Thread Closure	Adam	Site Suggestions and Help	5	08-05-2008 01:00 PM
Complete/Automated Lens Review System Coming Soon!	Adam	Site Suggestions and Help	15	01-07-2007 11:07 PM

01-21-2019, 05:37 PM - 1 Like	#16
Oakland Rob Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Bay Area California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 798	Very cool. Focus bracketing in-camera (I agree the correct term for the shot sequence is bracketing; the post is stacking to create a single image. That's how most folks describe it, and how Oly describes it in their cameras) would be great. I have used it with an Oly in the field and it was a lot more useful than I thought; as with exposure in some tough shooting scenarios it can improve your chances of getting a keeper even if you aren't doing stacking later. I've used it in shooting within a narrow DOF where the object is swaying around in the wind, for example. Seemed I sometimes got better results than just doing a burst on a single focus point, although on the Pentax catch-in-focus can work for that as well.

01-25-2019, 05:50 PM	#17
turbof Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 34	Originally posted by thepedant The Ricoh CLI (command line interface) sample program. The Linux version. Could only manage to compile the 32 bit version in a virtual Ubuntu environment but the resulting executable runs fine on my Opensuse workstation. I could post my code here if anyone wants to make their own copy. I've got to go now. Back tomorrow. Finally got around to compiling the CLI on my Centos7 box, would appreciate your code posted here.Programmed in C for over 30 years, never got into C+.Thanks.

01-26-2019, 09:01 AM	#19
MJKoski Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 1,784	Focus stacking should be right there in drive modes of K-1 but it is not. So far I have done it manually for years with wide angles and that is a bit slow method. Nikon did a really cool thing with this in Z7 - before shooting with built-in focus stack program the camera shows an estimation on screen how the result will look with selected parameters.

01-30-2019, 07:22 AM	#23
damianc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Highlands of Scotland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 360	Originally posted by thepedant It works on Opensuse version 15 Did you manage to build the GUI sample on OpenSuSE ? I'm getting wx_gtk lib errors

01-30-2019, 08:03 AM	#24
thepedant Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Nottingham Posts: 70 Original Poster	Originally posted by damianc Did you manage to build the GUI sample on OpenSuSE ? I'm getting wx_gtk lib errors No I have not tried that yet. I will one day. My priority code-wise at the moment is to build a Windows version of the stacking program so I can demonstrate it at my camera club using a Windows laptop. Lugging around my Linux desk machine, monitor etc. would be too much hassle for that.

01-30-2019, 10:06 AM	#25
turbof Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 34	Originally posted by damianc Did you manage to build the GUI sample on OpenSuSE ? I'm getting wx_gtk lib errors I got liveview to compile on Centos7, but I had to uninstall the wxGTK (version 2) packages and compilethe WxWidgets 3.0.4 (not WxGTK3). Confusing versioning. Idon't know what release of WxGTK is suppliedwith OpenSuSE, but Centos7 repositories only supplied up to version 2.8.