Helicon Focus Software for macrophotography

bc_the_path · 08-10-2007, 03:20 AM

Just wanted to tell you that I have found a software which might help macrophotographers. It is called Helicon Focus. The link is below:
Helicon Soft: Helicon Focus

I have tried it a few minutes ago by taking three pictures of my watch which was sitting on the table. The aperture was at F/8. I have focused the closer part of the wrist collar first, then the watch itself and finally to the far part of the collar. The software treated them like the autostitch software for panoramas and within a minute or two produced a sharper sum of the three! The background does seem cluttered and it is, at least in part, my fault.

This is a trial version of the shareware software and I am not thinking of buying it because I shoot macros only occasionally. They also sell a photo editing program which seems to aim at "non computer geek" users.

One final note: I have no relations with the company.

Last edited by bc_the_path; 08-15-2007 at 03:21 AM.

and · 08-10-2007, 03:49 AM

Ive heard of this one before, and seen some impressive bug macros taken with it.

A question, apart from the increased sharpness of the watch, did the OOF background get changed at all when you combined the 3 images? ie: did u get some more noise there

bc_the_path · 08-10-2007, 03:58 AM

Yes.
Apart from that caused by a slight camera shake (no tripod was present), the background became very noisy.
However, I thought (though, did not try) that it could be removed by either a selective blurring or de-noising operation.

and · 08-10-2007, 04:23 AM

i guess u can just take the background from one of the 3 and blend that in

bc_the_path · 08-10-2007, 04:37 AM

Sounded like a good idea and I tried it.
But, no; the noise decreased only slightly and the border of the background removal operation turned into a white line...
Post processing still sounds better.

08-10-2007, 03:20 AM	#1
bc_the_path Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ankara, Turkey Photos: Gallery Posts: 401	Helicon Focus Software for macrophotography Just wanted to tell you that I have found a software which might help macrophotographers. It is called Helicon Focus. The link is below: Helicon Soft: Helicon Focus I have tried it a few minutes ago by taking three pictures of my watch which was sitting on the table. The aperture was at F/8. I have focused the closer part of the wrist collar first, then the watch itself and finally to the far part of the collar. The software treated them like the autostitch software for panoramas and within a minute or two produced a sharper sum of the three! The background does seem cluttered and it is, at least in part, my fault. This is a trial version of the shareware software and I am not thinking of buying it because I shoot macros only occasionally. They also sell a photo editing program which seems to aim at "non computer geek" users. One final note: I have no relations with the company. Last edited by bc_the_path; 08-15-2007 at 03:21 AM.

08-10-2007, 03:58 AM	#3
bc_the_path Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ankara, Turkey Photos: Gallery Posts: 401 Original Poster	Yes, the noise gets higher. Yes. Apart from that caused by a slight camera shake (no tripod was present), the background became very noisy. However, I thought (though, did not try) that it could be removed by either a selective blurring or de-noising operation.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Focus Magic Software?	iht	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	22	12-21-2009 02:32 PM
DoF shootout: Helicon vs. PhotoAcute	falconeye	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	0	03-17-2009 04:46 PM
any photo editing software show the K10D's focus points?	kenyee	Pentax DSLR Discussion	3	01-06-2008 07:03 AM
Helicon 4.5 raw converter?	regken	Pentax DSLR Discussion	0	01-28-2007 11:58 AM
Macrophotography Ring Light	KFrog	Pentax DSLR Discussion	5	12-03-2006 09:15 AM

08-10-2007, 03:49 AM	#2
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	Ive heard of this one before, and seen some impressive bug macros taken with it. A question, apart from the increased sharpness of the watch, did the OOF background get changed at all when you combined the 3 images? ie: did u get some more noise there

08-10-2007, 04:23 AM	#4
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	i guess u can just take the background from one of the 3 and blend that in

08-10-2007, 04:37 AM	#5
bc_the_path Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ankara, Turkey Photos: Gallery Posts: 401 Original Poster	Sounded like a good idea and I tried it. But, no; the noise decreased only slightly and the border of the background removal operation turned into a white line... Post processing still sounds better.