Originally posted by barondla Good to know Zerene is a top program. Looks like picture clean up will be required with any of these stacking programs, and the learning curve is steep.
Tedious retouching is not always necessary. When starting out (that's how I classify myself) you can make the learning curve less steep by the subjects you choose. For starters, you can avoid situations like this that require more work to get good results:
http://zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker/docs/tutorials/stackselectedfortransparentforeground?s[]=transparent&s[]=foreground
Pick subjects that are relatively flat that don't have lots of overlapping structures to begin with. Then build from there with more complicated attempts.
Here are my examples, all relatively easy subjects to stack (I was at work yesterday, and couldn't get the links).
This was in the neighborhood of 12-14 or so:
I think this was 5:
This was between 5-10:
This was around 12:
Finally, here's my procedure for focus stacking with my DA35 macro, so I don't have to reinvent the wheel every time or mess up some detail and have to go back and re-shoot the stack.
1. Set up the camera on a tripod with remote shutter release and two second delay.
2. Set the camera at ISO 200, f/8, and aperture priority exposure. Set white balance with a white or gray card.
3. Compose the shot at the closest focus distance (ie with the nearest detail in focus). Due to focus breathing the scene will zoom out as your focus further away.
4. Take a test shot with the furthest detail in focus that you want in focus. Check that the background is sufficiently blurred. If not, open the aperture and take test shots until satisfied with the background blur. The best range is f/5.6-8, with the best overall sharpness at f/8.
5. Return the focus to the closest detail you want to be in focus.
6. Meter for exposure then switch to manual exposure to lock settings.
Take a series of shots starting with the closest detail and progressing outward. To do this you’ll be turning the focus ring on your 35 mm macro in a clockwise direction as you’re facing the rear of the camera.
Finally, I stack with 16-bit tiffs for best quality, but I'm not stacking that many files. If you're into the 100's do yourself a favor and stack jpegs.
That's about all I know. Good luck and happy shooting!