Zerene is the stacking software by Rik Littlefield (moderator there) used by many folks, myself included.
The Stackshot is the Cadillac of the focus rail systems, the Wemacro & MJKZZ are lower cost versions, but lack the versatility of the Stackshot controller. There's lots of information on the Stackshot, Wemacro and MJKZZ focus rails over at photomacrograpgy site. I had not heard of WeMacro - so that's a good lead. I am interested small objects like small antique bottles and such (for a neighbor who may start selling them) and studio type flower arrangements so they would not be macro initially but the question seems to fit best here, as I imagine that macro is where focus stacking experts are most likely to be found. However, it is much more difficult to produce a deep stack when the animal is prone to move, wind movement, etc. My personal preference is photographing living creatures between 1:4 and 4:1. I would say 100% of the people who use automated rails are photographing dead or inanimate objects, at greater 5x to 20x, in a studio so they don't have to deal with wind movement, etc. These types of rail aren't really necessary for smaller magnifications and so are just "extra weight" to carry on a hike. The manufacturers of the main two ( StackShot and WeMacro) do make "holsters," supposedly for the field, but I can't think of too many people who actually use them. If I decide to get another rail, it will likely be a Novoflex.Īs far as automated rails go, they're really only for very high-mag studio-stacks of dead arthropods (cells, or whatever), and aren't very practical for carrying out into the field. This rail is only so-so, but it is good and adequate and has lasted me nearly 10 years. There seems to be a lot to learn.Ĭan only say I tend to use the focus ring for stacks at 1:1 or lower mag and fixed focus move the lens for > 1:1 mag.įor all 1:1 macros, I use the Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 Apo-Lanthar Macro, which has 630° of focus throw (compared to 150° to 270° of modern macro lenses with AF).įor higher, I use a simple RRS B150-B Focus Rail. Is there an advantage to also considering an automated Focus rail? I'm about to try out Helicon focus and get started in this new direction. I've got focus bracketing in my Olympus OM-D EM1 and am looking to purchase a Nikon D850 is six months or so, which has the same feature. I want to try my hand at flower arrangements and also shoot some small and medium sized antiques for a friend.
I'm becoming interested in focus stacking not so much for macro, just because macro seems a bit daunting but more for table-top photography. I wanted to ask if there is a fundamental difference between the results gotten for focus stacking using macro rails, such as Stackshots automated macro rail in contrast to having the focus plane moved via the lens?Īre the results from the two approaches fundamentally the same or are there pros and cons?