I also like that you can save a depth map of your stack. The options are compressed TIFF, TIFF, JPEG and DNG. There are plenty of other functions in the Save area, including building depth maps and 3D projections, but my use case was for macro photography and as I didn't have a particular reason to try them all out, I did not. It allows you to add a size scale and some text to your image, very handy if using a stacked image in a report or analysis.įinally, you can Save your image out for use in other tools. The Text/Scale module is not something that I would have thought of using but it is really quite neat. Most important, is that I had no need to do so. I confess, that I did not try this, but I see it as similar to painting on a Photoshop layer mask. ![]() ![]() Once rendered, you can retouch your image, but be aware that the retouching is for the stack itself, basically allowing you to select areas of a source and paste them into the final on a manual basis. Please understand that the Photoshop CC version was not bad in any way, it's just that the Helicon Focus version is better, with greater sharpness, fewer vague areas, and better contrast. I tested Helicon Focus with the same set of model car images that I used for my tutorials, and in my opinion, the final result from Helicon Focus is better than what I got out of the latest version of Photoshop CC. I always recommend shooting your stack in a consistent sequence, but if you have not, or have been doing the "bobbing" method of shooting, you still have Method A available. Gives good results in complex cases (intersecting objects, deep stacks), though increases contrast and glare.īy bringing more choices to the table, Helicon Focus helps you best deal with specific shooting or file order scenarios. Method C uses pyramid approach to image processing dividing image signals into high and low frequencies.Perfectly renders textures on smooth surfaces. This method imposes strict requirements on the order of images - it should always be consecutive. Method B selects the source image containing the sharpest pixel and uses this information to form the "depth map".This method works better for short stacks and preserves contrast and color. Method A computes the weight for each pixel based on its contrast and then forms the weighted average of all pixels from all source images.Here's a brief explanation of each method and its most typical applications: You can choose between three algorithms of focus stacking: methods A, B, and C. I copied the information directly from the web documentation to avoid screwing up any definitions. Once open, you select the RENDER option, which will build you a TIFF file that combines all the images. ![]() You point it at the folder or directory where your originals are and open them. Helicon Focus automates the whole darn process. What this means is that if Lightroom or Adobe Camera RAW can open your RAW files, so can Helicon Focus.Ĭonverting to TIFF isn't that hard, but it takes time and space. Helicon Focus can work with TIFF or JPEG files, similar to what we would find in other tools such as ZereneStacker, but can also handle your native RAW files, because it calls the Adobe DNG Converter to do the conversion from proprietary RAW formats to the DNG format. This is a product dedicated and designed to do one thing, extraordinarily well, and that one thing is the production of a final image from a series of focus stacked images. Most of the attendees have the Adobe Photographer's Bundle, and so have Photoshop CC which does pretty darn good focus stacking, but some object to subscription software and others wanted something that was perhaps easier to use and that was more focused on stacking, as it were.Īnd therein lies Helicon Focus from the nice folks at HeliconSoft. ![]() I've recently done some tutorials on macro photography and a popular sub-topic to this kind of work is the subject of Focus Stacking.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |