hello everyone,
i have been using the focus stacking function on my canon 5d2 for a while now.
i really like it but it takes a lot of time compared to newer models from nikon or fuji which use more of a burst mode for the bracketing process.
im looking for a way to speed up the process.
is there a way to eliminate the pauses between shots?
i am using continuous lighting and keep all ML delays to the minimum.
theoretically the camera can shoot 4 fps but at the moment i can only get about 1 frame every 2 seconds approx.
any advice on that subject?
thank you
We can only move the AF motor in LiveView. That limitation comes from the MPU (a secondary processor not exactly under our control).
If one re-implements focus stacking in LiveView and can send the AF commands between frames, it can be done, but it's not trivial. As a prerequisite, one has to port the full-res LiveView feature (also possible, but not trivial; implemented on 5D3 and being worked on most other DIGIC 5 models).
@ivan3030
It's not clear if you are stacking for macro or landscape.
I assume macro, as you are using the ML inbuilt focusing stacking capability.
If, however, you are focus stacking for landscapes, you may wish to look at my Focus Bar script.
Originally, I wrote an auto stacking script, ie the script driving the lens, but, as @a1ex says, it is a slow process and we don't have 'fine' control over the lens movements.
For this reason I now landscape focus stack only using my FB script.
Using a remote trigger, I find it is a very quick process to take the FB indicated focus brackets. Also, with a 'man in the loop' approach, I find the manual approach quicker than driving the lens.
thank you very much a1ex and garry23.
i use it for macro work.
@ivan3030
BTW have you played around with Lua to see if you can speed things up?
That is a simple script to move one step, take an image, and repeat n times.
I truly don't know if Lua macro stacking could be made quicker than the inbuilt ML stacking algorithm, but it might be worth looking at.
Just a thought.
Cheers
Garry