Macro photography: software for extreme depth of field?

One of the big issues with macro photography is the narrow
depth of field. Is there any software that will take a stack of images,
each at a slightly different focal point and extract the sharpest
areas and assemble one image with greater depth of field?
I've been taking some macro shots where I get several focal
points with different parts of the subject in focus, then merging
the images in photoshop. It is tedious and seems ideal
for software.

Roger

Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark) wrote:
One of the big issues with macro photography is the narrow
depth of field. Is there any software that will take a stack of images,
each at a slightly different focal point and extract the sharpest
areas and assemble one image with greater depth of field?
I've been taking some macro shots where I get several focal
points with different parts of the subject in focus, then merging
the images in photoshop. It is tedious and seems ideal
for software.

Yes! I just read about this a couple of days ago. Downloaded it, haven't
tried it out yet.

http://www.heliconfocus.com/

Cynicor wrote:
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark) wrote:
One of the big issues with macro photography is the narrow
depth of field. Is there any software that will take a stack of images,
each at a slightly different focal point and extract the sharpest
areas and assemble one image with greater depth of field?
I've been taking some macro shots where I get several focal
points with different parts of the subject in focus, then merging
the images in photoshop. It is tedious and seems ideal
for software.

Yes! I just read about this a couple of days ago. Downloaded it, haven't
tried it out yet.

http://www.heliconfocus.com/

Taking a whole series of photos, all focused at a different plane in
space, and the photocompositing them with automated software...that is
what this program does, and it is NOT the same as one photo taken and
processed to have deep DOF, which is what the OP wants to do.

I have seen claim about software to do what the OP wants to do, but I
have no idea if it is any more than yet another claim...the
photographic version of Snake Oil

wilt wrote:
Cynicor wrote:
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark) wrote:
One of the big issues with macro photography is the narrow
depth of field. Is there any software that will take a stack of images,
each at a slightly different focal point and extract the sharpest
areas and assemble one image with greater depth of field?
I've been taking some macro shots where I get several focal
points with different parts of the subject in focus, then merging
the images in photoshop. It is tedious and seems ideal
for software.
Yes! I just read about this a couple of days ago. Downloaded it, haven't
tried it out yet.

http://www.heliconfocus.com/

Taking a whole series of photos, all focused at a different plane in
space, and the photocompositing them with automated software...that is
what this program does, and it is NOT the same as one photo taken and
processed to have deep DOF, which is what the OP wants to do.

?? What does "a stack of images" mean to you?

In article .com, wilt
writes

Cynicor wrote:
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark) wrote:
One of the big issues with macro photography is the narrow
depth of field. Is there any software that will take a stack of images,
each at a slightly different focal point and extract the sharpest
areas and assemble one image with greater depth of field?
I've been taking some macro shots where I get several focal
points with different parts of the subject in focus, then merging
the images in photoshop. It is tedious and seems ideal
for software.

Yes! I just read about this a couple of days ago. Downloaded it, haven't
tried it out yet.

http://www.heliconfocus.com/

Taking a whole series of photos, all focused at a different plane in
space, and the photocompositing them with automated software...that is
what this program does, and it is NOT the same as one photo taken and
processed to have deep DOF, which is what the OP wants to do.

I have seen claim about software to do what the OP wants to do, but I
have no idea if it is any more than yet another claim...the
photographic version of Snake Oil

A friend of mine, a very accomplished photomicrographer, started using
helicon focus a few months ago. He has achieved some astonishing
results, and reckons it is one of the most significant "happenings" in
PM in his career. It does require a fairly fast computer, and it does
have a tendency to produce artefacts on some types of image; IIRC,
objects with hard edges have sometimes produced multiple facets.

I was certainly well impressed enough that I plan to get hold of a copy
as soon as I update my computer.

I cannot report specifically about its performance in photomacrography,
as opposed to photomicrography, but I cannot see any reason in principle
why it should not work there as well. If you search around the web I'm
sure you will find some discussion by experienced users which may
enlighten you more than my second-hand knowledge can.

David
--
David Littlewood

Cynicor wrote:

Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark) wrote:

One of the big issues with macro photography is the narrow
depth of field. Is there any software that will take a stack of images,
each at a slightly different focal point and extract the sharpest
areas and assemble one image with greater depth of field?
I've been taking some macro shots where I get several focal
points with different parts of the subject in focus, then merging
the images in photoshop. It is tedious and seems ideal
for software.


Yes! I just read about this a couple of days ago. Downloaded it, haven't
tried it out yet.

http://www.heliconfocus.com/

Wow! This looks like exactly what I need. It even works with
16-bit files. Thanks! I'll try it.

Roger

On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 11:11:54 -0400, Cynicor
wrote:

Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark) wrote:
One of the big issues with macro photography is the narrow
depth of field. Is there any software that will take a stack of images,
each at a slightly different focal point and extract the sharpest
areas and assemble one image with greater depth of field?
I've been taking some macro shots where I get several focal
points with different parts of the subject in focus, then merging
the images in photoshop. It is tedious and seems ideal
for software.

Yes! I just read about this a couple of days ago. Downloaded it, haven't
tried it out yet.

http://www.heliconfocus.com/

I just d/loaded this, and I'm looking forward to trying it out.
Sounds like a very interesting piece of software. Thanks!
--
Bill Funk
replace "g" with "a"

"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)"
wrote in message ...
SNIP
http://www.heliconfocus.com/

Wow! This looks like exactly what I need. It even works with
16-bit files. Thanks! I'll try it.

There is also an alternative (free) program called CombineZ;
http://www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZ5/combinez5.htm , but
Helicon (Pro which allows masks for ultimate control) often gets the
best reviews.

--
Bart

"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote in
message ...
One of the big issues with macro photography is the narrow
depth of field. Is there any software that will take a stack of images,
each at a slightly different focal point and extract the sharpest
areas and assemble one image with greater depth of field?
I've been taking some macro shots where I get several focal
points with different parts of the subject in focus, then merging
the images in photoshop. It is tedious and seems ideal
for software.

Roger


Have you given Registax a try, it is used in astronomical photography to
"stack" lots of images. It may not be what you want of course.

http://registax.astronomy.net/

http://www.photo-freeware.net/registax.php

Pete D wrote:

"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote in
message ...

One of the big issues with macro photography is the narrow
depth of field. Is there any software that will take a stack of images,
each at a slightly different focal point and extract the sharpest
areas and assemble one image with greater depth of field?
I've been taking some macro shots where I get several focal
points with different parts of the subject in focus, then merging
the images in photoshop. It is tedious and seems ideal
for software.

Roger

Have you given Registax a try, it is used in astronomical photography to
"stack" lots of images. It may not be what you want of course.

http://registax.astronomy.net/

http://www.photo-freeware.net/registax.php

I have registax and ImagesPlus. While they will both do
the registration, but then one needs to select which portion of an
image is sharpest and produce an image with only the sharpest
single parts of each image. I think registax and imagesplus
will average the stack to some degree, depending on the weights
of the individual images (I use imagesplus for astrophotos
of the planets where you stack hundreds of frames).
I guess they should be tried to see what they actually do because
I might be wrong.

Roger