jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jul 30, 2017 17:27:43 GMT -5
Too windy to do bugs and flowers so I did a frog and a crayfish. It is a 16M camera, but 8M is maximum setting for stacked focus. Choices are 3M and 8M. Probably due to amount of calculations required on a high pixel shot. Hand held or propped where able. Surprised camera mated up the stacks so well. The frog was in direct sun, the crayfish in bright shade. The frog was intentionally shot with a background about 1 to 4 feet away to get an idea of the background focus on a stacked macro shot.(what is the stack focus bracket/distance ?) The crayfish was shot with the background about 3 inches away. Start with frog, stacked. Background close to focused. Seems best to be able to program bracket depth.  not stacked. Background well out of focus.  Stacked frog skin  Not stacked  Stacked, back ground 1 foot away and in focus. Not bad.  Not stacked  Crayfish stacked  Not stacked  Stacked  Not stacked  stacked  Not stacked  Cropped this head shot of the frog to various levels to get an idea of possible distortion. Camera 3 inch from frog. Hand held and Holy Cow. Stacked  Not stacked  Magnified by cropping, keep in mind camera set at Max 8M density, stacked version  more magnification by increased cropping, stacked version  Some not stacked shots Italian honey bees at the hive   Leaf rollers with fresh and aged excrement. In/out, simple. a section of intestine.  Dudes discussing life  Ingenious wheel poured mower  Awesome little camera. bunches of versatility. |
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 30, 2017 19:10:13 GMT -5
Awesome camera, Jim. I love the frog pictures. Are the beer drinkers in your yard?
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Post by Pat on Jul 30, 2017 19:13:04 GMT -5
Awesome photographer!
What does "stacked" mean?
Thanks.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jul 31, 2017 1:26:30 GMT -5
Awesome camera, Jim. I love the frog pictures. Are the beer drinkers in your yard? No they are not Rob. Just added it for humor, couldn't resist. I was setting up some photo albums in iPhoto on the Mac. Got confused on folders, like subfolders and category folders. Next time I will set up the folders first. And then add photos to them. I found the process difficult, but solved the issue. I find organizing and filing photos difficult in the best of situations. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jul 31, 2017 1:34:18 GMT -5
Awesome photographer! What does "stacked" mean? Thanks. Pat, when you take a photo of say a person the background is often out of focus. This camera will allow you to take the same photo but have the back ground in focus also. Say your daughter is 3 feet from you and your son is 15 feet from you. This camera will allow you to have them both in focus. It basically takes several photos very quickly and adds them together. But both daughter and son would have to not be moving. It is a new technology that may be available on many new cameras. |
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 10:09:31 GMT -5
Awesome photographer! What does "stacked" mean? Thanks. Pat, when you take a photo of say a person the background is often out of focus. This camera will allow you to take the same photo but have the back ground in focus also. Say your daughter is 3 feet from you and your son is 15 feet from you. This camera will allow you to have them both in focus. It basically takes several photos very quickly and adds them together. But both daughter and son would have to not be moving. It is a new technology that may be available on many new cameras. Pat, Further, the camera uses a series of images taken with focus in various places and blends (stacks) them so all the "in focus" areas are in one image. This allows for previously impossible final images. |
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kevin24018
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2012
Posts: 284
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Post by kevin24018 on Jul 31, 2017 10:58:46 GMT -5
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jul 31, 2017 11:05:58 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 18:01:40 GMT -5
Jim,
Is that your lawnmower?
Seems pretty awesome, but does it spin fast enough to do the job.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 18:03:05 GMT -5
Is the yellow spotted feature of this frog common on your property? |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Aug 1, 2017 5:27:03 GMT -5
Is the yellow spotted feature of this frog common on your property? Yes. I have a grey tree frog too. Sure seem to cross with the green tree frog. I find patches of lime green on them. The lime green frog has many odd yellow markings. I tell you, it is the bamboo that creates so much habitat for the tree frogs. So many tree frogs that they turn into major food source for bass when falling out of bamboo growing over water. Ultimate bass habitat would be long 40 foot wide canals with 50 foot bamboo leaning on each other over the 40 foot canals. Tons of vegetative mass over the water for frog habitat. Tree frogs fall a lot. The canal water really helps keep the bamboo healthy, win - win. More tree frogs: www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/albums/72157635091723486 Like this pond:  A strange aquatic plant. A nitrogen fixing floating fern. Each plant is 1/2" diameter. reproduces like rabbits. Wicked natural nitrogen fertilizer. Azolla Caroliniana:  The effect of having a well fertilized 6 inch pot sitting 1" underwater under floating Azolla:  |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Aug 1, 2017 5:39:13 GMT -5
Jim, Is that your lawnmower? Seems pretty awesome, but does it spin fast enough to do the job. Mower is friend of a friend's. Reports that it cuts great. Note slip clutch potential, if blade hits a stump then tires skid on ground. Cheap slip clutch. I guess it best to have a drag car rear end-4:11 or 5:88 ratio for higher blade speed. Is that correct ? Believe so. Reverse driving the driveshaft... Of course, the faster you pull it the faster the blade goes. Darn sure heavy duty, just don't fall off the ATV !! If you put wheel spacers on it to widen distance between tires you could run a longer blade which would give you higher blade tip speed. Bet you could get a longer blade humming. Interesting slant on the blade, like a sickle. Easy to access for sharpening blade. Looks ingenious to me. |
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Post by txrockhunter on Aug 1, 2017 11:24:01 GMT -5
jamesp, Great Photos!!!! That frog skin looks like it was painted and love the eyes! Olympus definitely has a step on the competition! Like we discussed in the other thread, that software is not rocket science. Based on the quality of your photos, it works, and seams to be much more user friendly than any other process. For now, it has limitations, but Olympus has advanced the process in the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. This is the link you sent me on that camera and it's a huge advancement for in-house focus stacking. Olympus Focus Stacking You've definitely fueled my curiosity / OCD (heavy on the O)! I've taken 3,833 photos in the past 4 days, experimenting with subjects, lighting, settings, and now processing. - Lighting has been my biggest obstacle. It's a huge part of macro photography, especially with moving subjects, and just about everything outside is moving (live subjects, wind, shadows, etc). If you don't have enough light, you end up with grainy shots from boosting ISO or blurred images from slow shutter speeds. Flashes work great for a couple shots, but fail miserably with a burst of 30. - There is a definite need for for a large & fast memory card. Shooting a burst of 50-60 photos, in a RAW format, adds up quick! If the memory card is too slow, you won't be able to capture enough photos before subject moves. - A sturdy tripod and remote are also very helpful.Just different things to think about. That Helicon Focus tube has made the process very simple and consistent. The software makes it very easy to load up and render great photos. Keep posting photos and ideas!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Aug 1, 2017 11:38:59 GMT -5
Great Photos!!!! That frog skin looks like it was painted and love the eyes! Olympus definitely has a step on the competition! Like we discussed in the other thread, that software is not rocket science. Based on the quality of your photos, it works, and seams to be much more user friendly than any other process. For now, it has limitations, but Olympus has advanced the process in the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. This is the link you sent me on that camera and it's a huge advancement for in-house focus stacking. Olympus Focus Stacking You've definitely fueled my curiosity / OCD (heavy on the O)! I've taken 3,833 photos in the past 4 days, experimenting with subjects, lighting, settings, and now processing. - Lighting has been my biggest obstacle. It's a huge part of macro photography, especially with moving subjects, and just about everything outside is moving (live subjects, wind, shadows, etc). If you don't have enough light, you end up with grainy shots from boosting ISO or blurred images from slow shutter speeds. Flashes work great for a couple shots, but fail miserably with a burst of 30. - There is a definite need for for a large & fast memory card. Shooting a burst of 50-60 photos, in a RAW format, adds up quick! If the memory card is too slow, you won't be able to capture enough photos before subject moves. - A sturdy tripod and remote are also very helpful.Just different things to think about. That Helicon Focus tube has made the process very simple and consistent. The software makes it very easy to load up and render great photos. Keep posting photos and ideas! Are you using the same camera? |
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Post by txrockhunter on Aug 1, 2017 12:02:17 GMT -5
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Post by Jugglerguy on Aug 1, 2017 12:22:43 GMT -5
Thanks for the links. You're serious about this. I've been thinking about getting a new camera for quite a while, but I'm not interested enough in photography to spend that kind of money. Jim's camera is very interesting though. It gets great reviews, except for video. |
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Post by txrockhunter on Aug 1, 2017 13:30:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the links. You're serious about this. I've been thinking about getting a new camera for quite a while, but I'm not interested enough in photography to spend that kind of money. Jim's camera is very interesting though. It gets great reviews, except for video. Rob, I've been wanting to upgrade from the cell phone for a long time and finally saved up enough to jump in. I really wanted to get better photos of the kids, one swimming and the other playing tennis, as well as pictures of rocks and rock hunting trips. Garage Rocker really helped me figure out my needs and put together some equipment that get me started. The interest in photography has taken on a life of it's own. Really enjoying the endless possibilities to be creative. The Olympus camera that Jim has will give you a lot of options, ease of use, and great photos. |
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Post by aDave on Aug 1, 2017 13:31:59 GMT -5
Jeremy, can you stack while shooting jpg, or can it only be done in RAW? Unfortunately, the buffer in my camera will only handle 20 RAW files. Also, have you only stacked with the macro lens (using the tube) or have you tried it with other lenses as well? Lastly, are you using the Helicon Remote app or doing things manually? Thanks. ETA: I think I found the answer to the one question while looking on the Helicon website, and it appears it's RAW only. Makes sense, and I should have known better. Jpeg files are compressed, and I would think that no two images would be compressed exactly the same. Dave |
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Post by Garage Rocker on Aug 1, 2017 13:58:56 GMT -5
Great shots, jamesp, I'm really liking that little camera you've got there. Seems to be a great way to break into this new technology at an affordable price. The idea of having the leg work done in camera is appealing also. Don't know if I'm at a point that I need more post processing time after shooting pics. The Helicon tube is a fun looking gadget, Jeremy txrockhunter. I'm sure it's been a time suck experimenting with that and the software, but in a good way. I love digging in and figuring out what something like that is capable of, just have too much on my plate for a lot of playing right now. Every now and then, an advance or new technology comes around that reinvigorates the creative photography juices though. Need more hours in the day. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Aug 1, 2017 20:06:02 GMT -5
The TG-4 was purchased primarily for durability in the nasty conditions I work and play in, damaged 3 nice point and shoots in 10 years each costing $300+. Enough was enough. The technical intro to stacking was a great education and functional option. More times than not the best photography subjects come at the worst of times. So this little camera is easy to carry in all environments. It holds it's own considering price and size. It's GPS, WiFi hot spot, fast shutter for sequencing/stacking, micro capabilities, etc makes it a great camera. Jeremy's and Randy's photos make you respect how fine top of the line cameras and software can perform when put in good hands. Randy's point about breaking into new technology on a budget has been the case w/this camera. The wind killed my 'stacked' insect shoot yesterday Jeremy. Not a cloud in the sky, lighting was perfect and it was cooler. Most insects are on foliage, foliage vulnerable to movement from the wind. I see you discovered that issue. An enemy of any type of macro shooting. The greenhouse's are a big help, blocking the wind. But at high light levels there is high heat levels and the bugs hide out in those conditions. I went from a 10 year old 12M Nikon D70 dinosaur to the P&S's which have many more options. This P&S keeps me on my technology toes. However, that D70 has a fine lens and is capable of pro shots in good light conditions. Hard to beat the DSLR with a high end lens for the finest photos. Jugglerguy, with your techy abilities you would like that camera. And it takes darn nice photos. Micro capability. |
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