This file can be copied back onto the camera later if necessary to allow new “range” stacks to be carried out as long as they are copied into the same image folder from which they originally came. However, they also provide the free “PHOTOfunSTUDIO” suite of software which allows the user to export all the component still images produced by the camera in the form of a special MP4 file for use on a computer. This can be done either in its automatic mode when all focus positions located by the camera are said to be used or by using the “range” option when two or more of the 49 selectable regions displayed on the camera rear screen can be chosen. Panasonic obviously assumes that the user will often choose the focus position or carry out the stacking in-camera. In the 4K video mode the camera stores all the individual frames and the user can scroll through them on the camera or after exporting them to choose any particular photo. Panasonic’s new “Distance From Defocus” method quickly calculates the amount and direction of misfocus and moves the lens close to the final focus setting very quickly through the use of an inbuilt database of lens performance characteristics. Focus Stacking technology used in the Lumix CamerasĬonventional contrast-detect autofocus involves a process of “hunting” to find the point of best focus and this is normally fairly time consuming. Other manufacturers are experimenting with stacking but at present only the Lumix camera technology is addressed in this paper. Panasonic has announced its intention to make this feature available on all its new models and retrospectively on existing models whose firmware will allow such updating. Either way one would also be limited to subjects which are completely sedentary. Normally, to create a stack in the field, one would have to provide a power source for the Stackshot rail or take a manual stack of images with a DSLR on a tripod which is rather time-consuming and fiddly. It was immediately obvious that there was great potential for the use of this portable facility for stacking in the field. Although the top end of the price range approaches that of a good DSLR, at the bottom end of the range the price is comparable with other similar models without this capability. The TZ80 – TZ200 (“Travel Zoom”) range of cameras are extremely light and portable and can literally be slipped into your pocket. The urge to upgrade to the more powerful TZ200 which then offered the same possibilities as the TZ90 was irresistible! These functions can be used in both the normal and the macro focus modes. The camera also uses its 4K processor, in a different menu option, to stack the images. The author had been using a Lumix TZ70 camera for a number of years, but a friend had recently bought a later model, the TZ90 and its Post Focus capability was impressive – this camera uses its more general 4K ability to take a number of photos in a short burst and, either then or later on when back at home, presents the user with an array of 49 potential focus points over the image to choose from – a case of “snap now and worry about the focusing later”. Amongst the most widely available with this facility at the time of writing is the Panasonic/Lumix range. It is perhaps not surprising that many camera manufacturers are now embracing this technology. The use of a computerised control rail moving the camera to produce a stack of images, for example with Stackshot, and the subsequent stacking of these images with programs such as Helicon Focus and Zerene Stacker produces stunning pictures with greater depth of focus. This has been of particular value in the fields of macro and micro photography where extremely shallow depth of field can be a major concern. In the last few years there have been significant advances in digital image capture and processing. Home | Resources | Stacking & stitching | Stacking in macrophotography Stacking in macrophotography The image stacking capability and potential of Panasonic / Lumix cameras for field use By David Smith Introduction
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