New here, First DSLR and First attempt at focus stacking...

[White40thGT]

Hey All.

I just picked up my first DSLR, a Canon 30D with a Sigma 105mm Macro lens. I use it for work, for photographing jewlery. My task is to figuire out the proper way to do it, then teach the monkeys here how to do it - fun right ?

Well, I've had the camera about a week, here is one of my attemps at focus stacking from today.


I took 5 pictures, here they are. I resized them in PS, but they are otherwise unaltered. Ignore the line across the back, I had the watch positioned in a poor position on the platform and the edge was visible.

http://towerofjewels.com/images/forweb/IMG_0228.jpg

http://towerofjewels.com/images/forweb/IMG_0229.jpg


http://towerofjewels.com/images/forweb/IMG_0230.jpg

http://towerofjewels.com/images/forweb/IMG_0231.jpg

http://towerofjewels.com/images/forweb/IMG_0232.jpg


Then I ran those guys through CombineZM - here is what it spit out.

http://towerofjewels.com/images/forweb/New-Out99997_99996.jpg


Then I hit that up with a little photoshop, some auto levels/colors and other minor tweaking... The finished result.

http://towerofjewels.com/images/forweb/New-Out99997_99996_pshop.jpg

For comparison sake - this is the photo of the product we have on the web now... And the company wonders why no one has dropped $6,000 on this baby yet...

http://www.towerofjewels.com/product_images/l/85-1298-lrg.jpg

[Tixeon]

I think you did an excellent job. I would have never guessed this was your first time. The old web photo defenitely did not do the product justice.

[crn3371]

Nice shot, first time or not. I've never tried focus stacking. How is that program? Easy to use?

[c71clark]

Probably a stupid question, but would you get a comparable result with a large DOF (like maybe at f/22, 100mm or more, and some distance away from the object) and a long exposure?

[Vinni]

I'd definitely buy the watch with your image.

[jdizzle]

I like what you did here and it would justify me purchasing the watch. I would buy it, but, I already have one. =)

[rowdyred94]

Probably a stupid question, but would you get a comparable result with a large DOF (like maybe at f/22, 100mm or more, and some distance away from the object) and a long exposure?
+1. What's the idea here?

[davesrose]

+1. What's the idea here?

+2.....DOF isn't too great in these photos. Especially since the watch isn't taking up the entire frame. So I don't know why you'd superimpose different areas of focus. Since these are going on a website for advertising (at least I think I'm reading that), I'd try getting closer to the watch and find a nicer composition. Also, for product photography....IMO, it's best not to blow any highlights.

But overall, it's outstanding for a first time :D Really like the colors....definitely better then what you're going to replace!

[JWright]

I don't think the current website image is the reason no one has bought the watch. It could have something to do with the $6000 price tag...

[forno]

I don't think the current website image is the reason no one has bought the watch. It could have something to do with the $6000 price tag...


People pay $6k for a camera;)

[rmford]

+3 for the 'why' factor. Surely an f/22 shot, even if it's a 5sec exposure, would have to be quicker than shooting 5 images at different focus points, then all the pp work needed to combine them?

[muscleflex]

what is the point of focus stacking? never heard of it

when i would have thought you could have probably done the same with a single well focused shot?

[Eric DeCastro]

I feel the same way as everyone else. why not use a smaller f stop?

[White40thGT]

Because as mentined in the first post - this is my first DSLR camera.

If you all would care to elaborate on the method you are referring to, I will most definatly try it.

With this lens I was unable to get the watch in focus in one shot, unless there is some seceret to the process you all are mentioning.

For those that asked, CombineZM works great and is very simple to use. Also focus stacking allows you to take multiple photos, each with a different area in focus, and combine them into one in focus photo. Hit the search on here, there is a ton of info I found on it here.

[simply amazing]

just use a higher f-stop (narrow aperture).. something to the extent of f/22 and just increase the shutter speed to compensate

[I Like It Sideways]

very nice focus stacking... i've never tried that, but now I want to.

[JWright]

People pay $6k for a camera;)

It's not the same... There is a lot more technology in a digital camera than in a Rolex watch. Rolex watches are virtually unchanged in the last 40 years. I can pay $60 for a Casio that will do everything the Rolex will and just as well. You can't tell me that if a camera exsisted that did everything a 1DMkIII did and it cost $45 instead of $4500, you wouldn't buy it...

[tomd]

If you all would care to elaborate on the method you are referring to, I will most definatly try it.


Another thought: read through the thread here titled "DIY lightbox" or something like that. It has great ideas for product shots including watch shots.

Tom

[White40thGT]

Another thought: read through the thread here titled "DIY lightbox" or something like that. It has great ideas for product shots including watch shots.

Tom

I am using a lightbox, I think its the EZ Cube however I think its to large for such a small watch - the lights are to far away to illuminate the face of the watch propertly.

I'll have to do a little homework on the fstop, thats new to me.

[c71clark]

Liek the above guy said, try it at around f/22 (Av Mode), get away from it by using a longer focal length. That should open up the depth of field enough to get the whole watch inside the focus area. You may want to manually focus on a spot between the watch face and the band behind it.

[JCR]

My meagre observation is to brighten the watch face behind the glass to make the product name stand out more.

[jdizzle]

He's merely showing a technique here. Who care's about how much the watch is. Some of you are off topic here.

[Samdiver74]

White40thGT
this is a great first attempt at Focus Stacking.

Where the problem comes about with Focus is in a very shallow depth of field. Usually associated with high magnification macro images.
now if you were to use Extension tubes also ie Kenko, Canon, you'd get higher magnification than 1:1 depending on which Extension tube/s you were using with the Siggy lens, and thus the depth of field gets even shallower and the distance to subject is less.

White40thGT you are very right in trying and using Combine ZM.
The problem with using f/22 is defraction, all lenses have a sweet spot most are around f/8 to f/11 this is usually where the lens is at it's sharpest optically.
if you used f/22 you would need a longer shutter speed which would result in blur of the second hand.

The rest of you need to check out the Macro section some time and check out LordV's work with Focus Stacking, you'll be amazed at the picture quality available from the Stacking technique.

[White40thGT]

White40thGT
this is a great first attempt at Focus Stacking.

Where the problem comes about with Focus is in a very shallow depth of field. Usually associated with high magnification macro images.
now if you were to use Extension tubes also ie Kenko, Canon, you'd get higher magnification than 1:1 depending on which Extension tube/s you were using with the Siggy lens, and thus the depth of field gets even shallower and the distance to subject is less.

White40thGT you are very right in trying and using Combine ZM.
The problem with using f/22 is defraction, all lenses have a sweet spot most are around f/8 to f/11 this is usually where the lens is at it's sharpest optically.
if you used f/22 you would need a longer shutter speed which would result in blur of the second hand.

The rest of you need to check out the Macro section some time and check out LordV's work with Focus Stacking, you'll be amazed at the picture quality available from the Stacking technique.


I will keep that in mind.

Also here is an ad we are running from the same photo I took.

http://towerofjewels.com/tIV/images/site_images/content/product_detail/details_ad_full.jpg

[QF-347]

hey man i just took a crack at that first photo heres a lil edit *hope image editing is ok..*
all i did was droped the brightness and upped the saturation a bit

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/Allpress/New-Out99997_99996.jpg

camo

[goatee]

To all the people who are asking 'why not just drop the aperture to f/22'. Have you tried shooting something like this? Firstly, closing the aperture so far loses image quality. Secondly, even then, you'd need to focus stack. Also, needing such a long exposure starts to bring other aspects into play, like mirror slap, etc.

You've done a great job here, and are doing the product much better justice than before.

[rmford]

i would have thought that having 5 different focussed shots would make more, not fewer, problems with blur of the second hand...

[goatee]

and yet, the final image has a nice crisp second hand :) Must be the magic of ComineZM

[thomascanty]

I'm guessing he just pulled the adjustment knob out slightly so the second hand wasn't moving while he did the shots.

[LeoR]

Interesting. I'd never heard of focus stacking before. Looks great

[goatee]

I'm guessing he just pulled the adjustment knob out slightly so the second hand wasn't moving while he did the shots.

aha! Despite having an old fangled analogue watch, I hadn't thought of that!

[White40thGT]

You guessed it, the 2nd hand was stopped.

I actually did not do that intentionally, although I should have. I also wondered how CombineZM would work with the sweeping 2nd hand.

I've also learned the watch should have been set to show the time 10:10 - I guess it makes the watch "smile".

Using Combine ZM vs taking one great shot, was not only much easier for me. It will be MUCH easier to teach the non-camera, non-pc savvy people in the photography department how to do. I will not be there to supervise every shot and teach them different fstops and whatnot, so the focus stacking seems to work great so far.

In addition to that, I setup a little batch job that calls one batch for CombineZM, and a batch job for Photoshop. Once I hook the camera up to the PC, I copy the files to a folder, fire up those jobs and go to work on something else. When I get around to it - the finished photos are ready and waiting to be checked and touched up any if needed.

[jordan.meeter]

Where would focus stacking ever come in handy?

[goatee]

When you're photographing small things, even with small apertures, due to the focussing distance, the depth of field is tiny. You use focus stacking to get more in focus - e.g. here with the watch.

[Samdiver74]

Macro Shots of Bugs and flowers is also where this technique comes in very handy provided the bug doesn't move.
If executed correctly the results are outstanding.
Look up Brian (LordV) in the macro section he has some stunning examples of this technique, especially with water refraction shots.