Hand Held Stacking

Is there a tutorial on hand held stacking? I notice that some of the macro shooters use it but I don't know how you keep the camera steady enough to stack in small increments.Q

Personally, When I use my MP-E 65 I just simply hold as steady I as can braced, on my knees or sitting and move slightly back & forth. If I want to be sure of the results I take a minimum of 50 shots...............As I said personally.

photosbytw wrote in post #18304940
Personally, When I use my MP-E 65 I just simply hold as steady I as can braced, on my knees or sitting and move slightly back & forth. If I want to be sure of the results I take a minimum of 50 shots...............As I said personally.

Is that with or without flash?

I think Brian (LordV) does it all the time. I've been meaning info to ask him for some tips myself.

davholla wrote in post #18306240
Is that with or without flash?

If you have a flash that will fire each and every time without diminishing results......use it. I've had problems with inconsistent flash causing variations when focus stacking so I normally do without.

I do this a lot and it nearly always involves my left hand.
Three scenarios.
1. Can't get any easy way of holding or resting on something. - I hold a pole/stick hold it my left hand along with a bit of camera often the lens. Sway into the subject and take shots as you go and the same as you sway away from the subject. Useful up to about 2:1 magnification.

2. Hold the leaf or twig the subject is on with your left hand and rest the camera lens on the same hand. This stabilises the whole thing and allows you to take incremental shots moving the camera on your hand. Works up to 5:1. Added advantage of being able to manipulate the subject angle/ background with your left hand as well.

3. Able to rest the camera lens on the same surface the subject is on (often on top of my left hand to get an angle) and gently move the camera in to get incremental shots - works up to 10:1 mag. This may also involve resting the lens on your own arm/body.

I use flash most of the time when doing this but only shoot around 1 shot per second. I am judging the focus points by eye.

Hope that helps
Brian v.

Thank you Brian, there won't be any bugs where I live for another month or so but I can't wait to try some of these methods.

Brian, is there a rule of thumb you follow on how much to move the camera and how many shots you take to cover an insect, say 5mm long? Or a flower that is 2 or 3 cm in diameter?

Scrumhalf wrote in post #18306810
Brian, is there a rule of thumb you follow on how much to move the camera and how many shots you take to cover an insect, say 5mm long? Or a flower that is 2 or 3 cm in diameter?

No rule of thumb but I try to see where the focus is just going OOF in the viewfinder and try to make sure that is in focus in the next shot and so on. I suspect I've got so used to doing this I can almost move the lens by feel though.
I just do enough shots to cover the DOF I want but for active subjects you tend to be limited by the subject to 2 or 3 shots


Brian v.

Thanks also to photos bytw and davholla for their contributions.

Who wants to see photos of LordV in action? Me me me me me me me! Or, gasp, a video!

rwmson wrote in post #18308514
Who wants to see photos of LordV in action? Me me me me me me me! Or, gasp, a video!

That's a cool idea..............whic​h reminded me of Michael Erlewine. This guy was a folk musician who literally rode the rails with Bob Dylan when they were young and beginning their careers.

This is not attempt to direct you from LordV but thought you might useful. He tends to be a bit dry.

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=6ruemLwqrbo

Another one you might check out is Tom Shahan.

and yet another.............Do​n Komarechka who does snowflakes

These are all FYI

rwmson wrote in post #18308514
Who wants to see photos of LordV in action? Me me me me me me me! Or, gasp, a video!

Iain Lawrie is quite good and this video is interesting
https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=8W_9m0nBFCk
Here is his flickr stream
https://www.flickr.com​/photos/daddysaurus/

This is interesting thanks.
What software do you use to bring them all together?

avondale87 wrote in post #18691124
This is interesting thanks.
What software do you use to bring them all together?

I use Zerene stacker but Helicon focus and photoshop also have their fans for stacking.

Brian V.