Focus stacking in CAMERA and in POST

I'm going to show how to do focus stacking in Lumix camera and how to do it in Photoshop.
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My name is Matti Sulanto, I'm a photographer and a Lumix ambassador based in Helsinki Finland. I'll publish a new video twice a week.
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I make my content using Panasonic Lumix cameras and lenses. Some of the equipment I use is my own and some is on loan from Panasonic.
My Instagram: / sulantoblog
My website: sulanto.fi

[@Marshcreekmini]

Timely information! I just got some macro extension tubes today, and want to get some close ups of my tiny models.

[@ArtofServer]

I keep learning from your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks so much.

[@MrFirstdance2000]

I really miss this opening!

[@AnandaSim]

Excellent work my friend. It's good to hear sincerity and honest opinions.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks, Ananda, and good to hear from you.

[@ricardoalves8313]

Wow thank you! Now I can up my macro game on my lumix fz82 :))

[@MontrencoPerez]

To go straight to the matter in question go to 2:50

[@mattisulanto]

I guess it depends on the matter in question😀

[@bjnslc]

I've had poor luck with the in-camera stacking from my G9. And if it doesn't work in 6K mode, it's much more difficult to extract frames from the video clip to process the stack manually. Handheld stacking is possible if you have a still subject and don't move much while shooting. I find shooting raw with focus bracketing produces better results, with much more flexibility. It's less work to process raw and/or merge jpegs than to post-process the h.265 6K video clips. For handheld shooting, allow some room in the frame to crop and use Photoshop's align capability first, then do the stacking blend.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for you input.

[@samsen3965]

5:03 Sample image - In-camera focus stacking. 9:28 PP FS.

[@sbradleysmith423]

Totally awesome information Mattie! You have found a great niche for your talents, you are only lacking another half million or so subscribers... but don’t fret... with quality informative content like this they are on their way. I appreciate you taking on each subject and can’t wait for you to post more videos... Just a note, your shot gun mic 🎙 slipped into the shot but I kinda liked that part too! Kudos!!!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for your kind words. I saw the mic in the shot, but didn't care😀

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

Definitely see the advantages of doing this in post -- in terms of retained image quality (RAW vs. 8K or smaller with JPEG from in camera) and control over the final image -- but definitely a lot more work to do it in post. At least the camera focus-bracketing makes shooting the source images easier! Can you imagine shooting them manually? Thanks!!!!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! Like they say, no pain no gain. Shoot RAW and stacking in post is the only way to get the best results. Not all cameras have focus bracketing.

[@oneeyedphotographer]

Project Maratus has a video might interest you. Uses a Canon MP-E 65 lens, it doesn't focus at all. And it's hand-held. The project photographs spiders. Small ones.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks, I'll take a look.

[@bulbhead3333]

Focus bracketing is the way to go. I use olympus and I recently bought an omd10 mark4. It was a big mistake because the focus stacking on that model is terrible and olympus removed the focus bracketing. I have gone back to using the really old omd em 10 mark 2 because it has focus bracketing. I really regret not getting a lumix g9 instead of the mark 4 but I thought the mark 4 would do everything and more than the mark 2 but I was wrong and I feel let down by olympus. The mark 4 does have a suoerb sensor in it but it is let down by its featurs and settings that are designed for begginers and not for propper photographers.

[@DENISENKOTiME]

Молодец мужик.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks!

[@detlevalthaus983]

Many thanks for this professional video. What do thing about stacking software Helicon focus ?

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. I have not used Helicon and can't comment on that.

[@douglasallen511]

Please explain for the viewers what kind of computer power and specs are required in order to replicate your raw stack in this demonstration. And thank you for your effort.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! Well, I can't possibly know the minimum computer that can do it, but I have the MacBook Pro 16". I suppose even a basic computer could do it, but it would be very slow.

[@SJSCHOCH]

I dig your channel, Matti. I think the in camera area selecting experience would be better if I could do it while looking at a larger monitor. I've tried to tether my camera, but it seems like all I can do is view the image/media. Perhaps there is a way to do it, but I'm just not smart enough to figure out to make edits. Perhaps you have some tips? This would also be helpful for doing composition sequences in my ZS200.

[@mattisulanto]

Maybe, but you still have the same focus points to choose from. I have the latest OSX and so far the Lumix Tether does not support that and I haven't tried tethering lately, because of that.

[@SJSCHOCH]

@@mattisulanto Got it! Cheers, Matti.

[@ruuddirks5565]

Thanks, the video I was waiting for. Some remarks; some older small cameras like the gx 80 can do focus bracketing, but you can only select single pictures. The processor is not powerful enough to de the focus stacking in camera.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! I'm sure there are some limits with older cameras.

[@MichaelGerrard]

I have the GX80 and it does have Post Focus mode. I have used it to stack a photo recently :-)

[@MichaelRedford]

Hey check if you're gx80 is up to date. Mine (gx85) has this feature. It's called post focus

[@williamdavid4823]

Thank you. But would you choose to use in-camera focus stacking for landscape? You've said before f/22 is not sharp, maybe only consider using when you have say a flower close up and you want that plus all the distant landscape in focus. Would in-camera focus stacking be any good in a situation like that?

[@mattisulanto]

It really depends on the situation how well it works. I recommend you try it and see for yourself. Besides, you'll learn something new while you are at it😀

[@craig_m_mi]

Need to explain how you manipulated the images that were stacked in PS to remove the blur (like on the left side of the orange)...

[@mattisulanto]

I just edited the individual layers, the layer masks to be exact. I understand what you are asking, but that would be more like a Photoshop tutorial and the video would be at least 5 min longer. When making these videos it's not always easy to decide what to include to keep the video length reasonable. I decided to stick more to the shooting part and not so much to the image editing part. You'll find many PS layer and layer mask tutorials her on KZbin, if you search.

[@craig_m_mi]

@@mattisulanto Okay. Just wondered if you edited the masks, or edit the individual image in some way and redid the blend. Mask editing, got it. Have a day in Finland.

[@mehmetmetemutlu3138]

Thank you, I didn't know that focus stacking was available under the post focus mode.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks!

[@BirdsofEurope]

Can't a simple smartphone with a small sensor capture that image with all the parts in focus?

[@mattisulanto]

In some favorable conditions yes, but not in macro photography.

[@sjmedia_official]

Weird, I never had issues with focus BKT with Fujifilm XT4. Did the camera not focus well or why is that, does it comes down to Panasonics autofocus?

[@mattisulanto]

What exactly are you referring to?

[@sjmedia_official]

@@mattisulanto when you focus stacked the frames, to those blurry spots

[@mattisulanto]

@@sjmedia_official That is just a processing error at the stacking stage, nothing to do with autofocus. Some subjects are easier than others and this can happen with any camera or application. You've been just lucky, if you have never seen this before😀

[@99loki]

I get a much better result with Post editing, using Affinity Photo than with the camera.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing.

[@garybrown9719]

Great video also watch Marlene Hielema for more great tips

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. Yeah, Marlene has some good stuff on her channel.

[@LonStar3000]

stacking is worth it, but Instagram is a piece of crap!

[@mattisulanto]

Strong words😀 It's not THAT bad.