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Re: [OM] Oly firmware updates for E-M1 II, Pen-F and E-M5 II

Subject: Re: [OM] Oly firmware updates for E-M1 II, Pen-F and E-M5 II
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 22:28:42 -0800
My first experience with it doesn't impress me. <http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/tech/Focus%20Stacking/BracketvsStack/FSvsFB.htm>

I chose a test subject that's deep, like many of my practical subjects. Unlike too many of them, it doesn't move around in a breeze. :-)   All shots with the camera on a tripod, no changes to settings, etc., remote release.

The first framing I stacked with 25 slices, but only needed 15. The in-camera stacking, of course, used eight slices. For the second framing, I only needed 7 slices from the bracket.

The whole thing is sort of mysterious:

It appears that it will do focus however it wants. It may be that it looks at nearest and furthest focus points and makes a decision as to what to do.

Sets of eight JPEGs and ORFs are saved to the card, as well as a single JPEG of the combined stack. All the individual slices are the same size as a single shot. The Stack is cropped significantly, then enlarged to fill the whole standard image pixel size, as may be seen in the link. I had set the second framing with a bit of "air" around the subject to crop for the final display version. The Focus Stacking enlarged it so much that parts were cut off.

In the first view, 100% samples, it's obvious that nearest and furthest parts are soft because the are outside the DoF of the Stack. The other general softness may be, at least in part, a result of the upsizing.

In the second view, the lesser depth, relative to the lens DoF at different FL and distance, so only 7 slices of the brackets were needed, the Stacking was much more effective.

Focusing for the two different processes is quite different. For Stacking, the camera seems to decide where to focus. For Bracketing, it starts with the place where the lens is focused, and works out toward infinity. So getting focus on the closest point is really important.

For these examples, I used MF and magnification to focus - and somehow blew it slightly on the second - brushed the ring? Hand held in the field, I use the smallest single AF point on the closest part, then try to move back just a tiny bit, to assure closest focus. I don't mind if the first slice is slightly too close, but if it's too far, the stack may not work.

So far, I can't see any use for the Focus Stacking function for me. It just does a poorer job than a bracket. Fine for web size images, I suppose. It also only works with a couple of my lenses. A lot of my finest focus bracket/stacked images have been taken with the PLeica 100-400. It's also a real pain to turn on and off via the Menus, so would only be practical in a Myset or on a Custom setting.

No Stacks Moose


On 2/28/2018 1:27 PM, Moose wrote:
On 2/28/2018 1:07 PM, Mike Lazzari wrote:
Not much there unless you own one of those supported lenses...did it anyway. 
(shrug.gif)

Only one I had from the old list was the 60/2.8 Macro. However, they added the 
12-100, which I do have.

Comparison test under way . . .

D. o. F. Moose


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