[DONE] Aperture bracketing

[trase]

Ah, yes, 0++
That makes it work exactly like I want it too. Thanks for pointing that out!

[scrax]

yes, exposure should be maintained.
here's an example (view at 100%):


as you can see - at f1.8 the background blur is nice, but even the subject isn't very sharp.
at f5.6 sharpness is good, but background is very busy.
combined, you get the best of both worlds.

I don't understand the purpose of this, from the example posted to me looks like that at f1.8 the mushroom isn't very sharp because focus point is not on it but a little behind (on the pine needles).
And why can't you take a shot at f2,8 instead?
I think there is something i misunderstood about when to use this technique.
Is a way to have more control on what to have blurred? If so why not shooting one pic at f1.8 and the other at f22 or more?
Or maybe better to have also an intermediate value that usually is the best detailed aperture of the lens.

For example my EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro can go to f32 so for this lens my ideal best aperture value are:
f2.8 (max blur),
f9.0 (max details),
f32 (max sharpness)

merging them manually will give me the advantage to chose were to have blur, detail and sharpness on the final image, am I right now?

[trase]

I use the method to get an image with the subject at maximum sharpness and yet with maximum amount of background blur.

The mushroom in the first picture isn't very sharp because the lens isn't very sharp at f1.8, even when the focus point is spot on.

As you probably know, almost no lens is optimally sharp at its widest aperture. Not only are they not optimally sharp, defects such as chromatic aberration are also more pronounced.
Neither are they optimally sharp at very small apertures such as f22 or more, due to diffraction. (They do of course give the farthest DOF, but that is not really important in this case).
Most lenses are sharpest somewhere around f5.6 - f8.0 (as a rule of thumb, this may be debated forever).

Taking the shot at f2.8 as you suggest would surely be a nice compromise, and useful for most situations, however it would neither give most background blur nor most sharpness.

Therefore I find the best way to achieve this is to merge a wide open shot with one at the lens' sharpest aperture.

You can see the effect more clearly here:
http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=3113.0

Edit: By the way I didn't mean to sound so lecturing, I just tried to explain it as clearly as possible to anyone reading this who may wonder the same thing as you.

[ilguercio]

These are the test results of a copy of Canon 100 macro 2.8

As you can see, f/5.6 is usually the f value at which lenses perform the best, if it is not their largest aperture already.
F/32 is surely not the sharpest, probably the least sharp of them all.

[scrax]

Yes that was what i was meaning with the 3 shot f2.8 f9 f32.
I'm agree that f5,6 or f4 looks the better resolution/detail.
So the technique is to use f5,6 for the subject and then f2.8 for having a more real blur (than for example blurring it with photoshop) in the background than with f5,6.

[trase]

That's right. A combination of one shot wide open with one at the lens' sharpest aperture.
A lens capable of really short DOF will give the most worthwhile result.

[indojepang]

isn't it photoshop has photomerge function? why you do it manually?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=intzev1gsbI

[trase]

Yes there are surely many ways to combine the images, both manually and automatically.
I haven't tried to use photoshops photomerge function for it.

For now, I personally like doing it manually, it gives the control I want.

[kaos42ze]

where can i find this feature, i am on the latest nightly build

[dmilligan]

Shoot > Advanced Bracket > Bracket Type > DOF (Aperture)

[kaos42ze]

ohhh yeah ... i found it now, how can i make it take 2 pictures ( one at f/2.0 and one at f/11 ) ... i tried settings with different EVs different number of shots and it either takes pictures non stop or takes pictures at the same aperture.

[barepixels]

Is this by design or a bug

In Advance Bracket I have

Bracket Type: DOF (Aperture)
Frame: 3
EV increment: 2EV
Sequence: 0- --
2 Second Delay OFF
ISO Shifting: OFF

So.... when Sequence are

24-70mm 2.8
==========================
0- --               I get  2.8 - 5.6 - 11
0- + -- ++      I get  2.8 - 5.6 - 2.8
0+ ++            I get  2.8 - 2.8 - 2.8   

[a1ex]

Can your lens go wider than f2.8?

[barepixels]

again same settings

Bracket Type: DOF (Aperture)
Frame: 3
EV increment: 2EV
Sequence: 0- --
2 Second Delay OFF
ISO Shifting: OFF

50mm 1.4
0- --               I get  1.4 - 2.8 - 5.6
0- + -- ++      I get  1.4 - 5.6 - 1.4
0+ ++            I get  1.4 - 1.4 - 1.4   
==========================
85mm 1.2
0- --               I get  1.2 - 2.5 - 5.0  <-- very cool I never seen 2.5 and 5.0 before
0- + -- ++      I get  1.2 - 2.5- 1.2
0+ ++            I get  1.2 - 1.2 - 1.2   

[a1ex]

Looks OK to me.

The "very cool" trick may be a problem on some cameras (like 60D), need to check.

[fav]

Hi, sorry for posting in this very old topic ^^
I've used a lot ML on my 7D back in the days and few days back i was talking with a friend about a great feature that he wanted to have, "Aperture bracketing". And i said, if i remember well i think that was possible on ML !

I would like to know if it' possible to edit some settings in the code, like the EV Incriment and the Sequence ?
Thanks

ps: happy christmas and end of year to everybody

[Walter Schulz]

Sorry, please clarify: What is your actual question?
Maybe have a look into https://wiki.magiclantern.fm/camera_help#advanced_bracket