Thanks for watching my videos Virgil. I have used the D850 (up until the Z9) and it has a focus stack feature. It's not quite as fancy, but works great if you are still using DSLR. I'd be surprised if Nikon doesn't have this on every camera going forward as well.

Totally 100% agree. I have been watching photography streams since 2005 and the style is spot on. My new found mentor!

Thank you!

Thanks Daniel, for checking it out! I chose Helicon over Photoshop because I thought it just worked, faster, better. I'm all about saving some time or upping my quality.

Awesome! Glad you like them. More to come.

You are welcome Marga!

I appreciate it!

Thank you for watching!

Thanks for watching Steven!

Hi Andy, that is the RRS (Really Right Stuff) tripod, versa 3. I don't have any affiliation with them but here is the link: reallyrightstuff.com/tvc/

No problem Samaresh. Thanks for watching.

Hi Randy. The Width coincides with your aperture setting. If you shoot at f/16 you can shoot LESS shots in your stack. If you shoot at f/8 you will need more shots than if you were shooting at f/16. However, I like to set this width at 1 the most narrow setting. That way if I am shooting at f/4 or 5.6 - I know I will be covered and that I am shooting the lens at its most optimum setting for best sharpness. If you don't mind having more shots in your stack, make the setting 1 for the narrowest movement of focus changes. I hope this helps.

@@tv510 Thanks! That’s crystal clear and helps a lot! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wow, Patrick, thank you so much for the tips. I'm going to try that out. Much appreciated.

HI Kareem, Thanks for watching. When you put the camera in bracketing mode, the Focus Shift shooting option is grayed out. So you cannot bracket while you are focus stacking automatically. I use the sharpest part of my lens, (about two stops over wide open). Yes, I have used it many times for long exposure.

Thanks for watching!

Thanks, I love mine.

Hi Steven, thanks for watching. If you have your camera set for "bracketing" then the focus shift will not be available. That is where I have seen it. Because you can't tell the camera to focus shift AND bracket the exposures at the same time. This might also occur if you have your camera set on HDR - but I don't use that feature, so I haven't seen it.

So what I do is let the stack reach the end of the subject and then shut off the camera (or turn off the stacking program -. OK) That way the background is preserved and not too many useless images aren't created. Hope that helps.

Excellent. Germany is on my list of goto locations. Thanks for watching.

I do take them into Lightroom first, tweak them, then out as Tiffs over to Helicon. I use the pyramid method in Helicon. It returns a Tiff file to Lightroom and I have already made a smart collection that saves all my Tiff files. This makes it easy to find the stacked image right away. Hope that helps, thanks for watching.

I have done this a couple of ways: One, shooting the stack and and blending them. Sometimes I have to take and layer some single files to get the best looking water. I do that via Photoshop and layer masks.

You're welcome!

I use the back slash keyboard button. Thanks for watching.

Sorry I didn't see this until now, Thank you very much!

I haven't done side-by-side tests with the Z lenses. But I should start getting some and I'll check that out.

I mostly use AF-C assigned to a focus button (back button focus). I find that way I can track a moving animal by holding the button or not touch the button and be locked into manual focus.

I usually save all the images, and the stacked image. In Helicon, it returns a Tiff file that is about as large as any other file. (No layers are saved). I don’t know much about the Photoshop workflow so maybe it saves something extensive. Thanks for watching!

Not sure what you mean.

I use primarily Really Right Stuff tripod equipment. I also use a Wimberly Gimbal head for telephoto shots. I have complete breakdown of tripods in my new book - Razor-Sharp Nature Photography. bit.ly/3L7nP3M

Hi Lisa, So the way this procedure works is you are telling the camera to create all these images. Then with those images, (best to use RAW) those images go into a focus stack software like the one I use Helicon. Does that answer your question?

@@tv510 Thank you Terry. I was under the impression, from the use of "make your first in-camera focus stack" that the camera stacked them (Olympus cameras stack in cameras, and now some of the mirrorless Canon 5 and 6 cameras do as well). Good to know that the camera focus brackets and software is needed

Ha, isn’t that the truth!

It would be nice if Nikon would allow us to program in three rapid, bracketed shots, wouldn’t it? I generally like to only use the focus stacking on images that are lit well to start. However, I always shoot RAW, so I do tweak the images as a group before stacking. Syncing all of the RAW processing move I make over all the images in a stack. For all my panoramic images, I do bracket those, then HDR the images, then stitch to a panoramic. Thanks for watching.

@@tv510 再次感谢，您是我的老师。

@@HungerJohn glad you like the videos!

@@tv510 I just bought the Z9 and I have four lenses. I can say that I can’t put it down, but the photography technology is very complicated and there are many skills. The necessary learning is very important. Your video content is very professional and very useful for me to improve my technique.

@@HungerJohn Glad they are working for you!

Generally the good shots of the milky are done in 2 shots. One for the stars and one for the foreground. You could do the foreground shot stacked like you would do with any landscape. Thanks for the idea, I’ll let you know if if I get one like done soon.

I don't have access to the 200 Micro - but that is an older lens, so it may not work. As far as capturing, I always use RAW. It allows me the freedom to tweak the images in Lightroom, (before export to stacking software). Thanks for watching.

@@tv510 I do fear that is the case, as it is an older lens. Allow me to rephrase - Also when focus stacking are the images captured in RAW or JPEG? What I am asking, when using focus stacks is the image output is JPEG or RAW. I read or heard somewhere that when focus stacking, the camera will format the stacked images as JPEG. Sorry for the confusion.

@@fotografiabymiguel There may be a function where the camera stacks the images from Jpeg to give you a final jpeg, if there is I don't use it. Like making a time-lapse video. The camera will shoot Jpegs and build you a video. I prefer to shoot RAW and customize it in post. I don't use any function where the camera does that kind of processing. I'll shoot a stack of RAW images and process them myself.

You're welcome Terekki!

It makes a lot of sense and this is something you need to deal with. When doing close up, once you get past where you want in focus, you have to stop the camera. Turning off the camera will do the trick, (or pressing the OK button is also suppose to end the stack. The camera is built to shoot until it hits infinity. That could be a lot of wasted shots for close up work. Thanks for watching!

@@tv510 - thanks! (and one more question) - how do you know what its past the subject - is it just the distance on the focus ring, or is there another way? SM

@@stewartmonckton8108 I just watch the back of the camera monitor, not touching the camera, when the image flashes up that is past what I want in focus, I shut it down.

Check to see if silent photography is on.

I’m shooting at f/5.6 and it takes about 20 shots to get something in focus at a few inches all the way out to infinity. I feel that I am also shooting at the sharpest part of my lens when I am shooting at 5.6. So that is why I use the focus stacking for my “long depth” compositions. I have the time to take the extra steps and I think it makes a difference.

Hi Christian, I use LR to edit the images and choose the images for the stack, then I send them out to Helicon to do the stacking, then back to LR for cataloging and anything else I might need. As a shameless plug for my book, Razor-Sharp Nature Photography (imagelight.com/lightroom-brushes/razor-sharp-wildlife-images) I step-by-step the readers through exactly how I create stacks and using Helicon and Lightroom together. Good luck!

@@tv510 Thank you, Terry!

@@tv510 FYI Terry, that link is broken

@@CincyKid Thanks Fred. Here is the link to my book: imagelight.com/lightroom-brushes/razor-sharp-wildlife-images

@@tv510 got it, will read tomorrow!

When I am are doing a focus stack, say, in a landscape I might shoot 20 photos of each scene. Then I might change the exposure and start the stack again. Then I might slightly change the composition. After all these shots I end up with hundreds of images that look pretty much the same. I’d have to look closely as them to determine which image is the first and last shot of a stack. When I shoot a shot of my fingers before and after it helps me determine the first and last shot of a stack. While viewing them in Lightroom, I can instantly see where a stack begins and ends. If I were to use file numbers, I’d have to stop while I was shooting and write down somewhere, that a stack starts with (file number) and ends with (different file number). Does that make sense?

I haven't tried a remote because if you start your first focus point early, (those are throw out images anyway) then all the vibrations will settle down once the the useable images are being captured. Good luck!

Thanks for watching. The answer is that it keeps shooting until the camera senses the lens has reached infinity. Hope that helps.

@@tv510 Yeah, I got that, but when you have that flower in your studio, the camera will never sense infinity. It will eventually get to your backdrop. Does it just quit then when it can’t fin anything beyond that?

@@drferry If you are using the Z9 for stacking landscape images, then it will stop at infinity no problem. If you are doing close up, it will stop, but it will churn out a lot of wasted images as it makes its way to infinity. (well past anything you want in focus. I prefer to watch my close up images and as it gets the last thing I want in focus (checking out the monitor as the images flash by) I let it go a few more shots and then stop it myself.

When I say "flip to manual". What I do is start the shoot in "A" automatic exposure mode. This gives me the average exposure for the scene. Then I change to "M" and input those setting in. Now I have my exposure that will not change. I'm just referencing the exposure mode. And no, the Z9 has many automatic settings that are really useful.

@@tv510 thanks for your help. I cannot find an “A” auto exposure mode. There is “P” programmed auto, “A” aperture priority, “S” shutter priority and “M” manual. I get the concept of letting the camera take a first stab at the settings but I am trying to see what I am missing in my understanding of my Z9. Thanks for your help with that!

@@larry6700 My bad, A for Aperture priority. I seldom use "S" shutter speed priority and never use the "P" mode. (I don't like to surrender that much control over to the camera.) 😀

@@tv510 thanks!

I was going from front (the closest thing in the image) to the back (the farthest thing away from me) to get everything in focus. Side to side may not work by itself and probably wouldn’t help the image be any sharper.

@@tv510 Do you have any focus falloff on the sides, when you do your stack , front to back in the center?

@@stevehaden1392 No I don't. The focus racks out in plains. Think of it as everything at 2 inches in focus. From the left side to the right. Anything 2 inches away will be in focus. Then after the first move, everything at 3 inches is in focus. (soft at 2 inches and soft at 4 inches) the next move, everything is in focus from 4 to 5 inches. (the physical distance of your depth of focus grows as it gets farther away from the camera). Everything in front or behind that focus plain is going soft. Capture all the focus plains and stitch them together and you have a full sharp image.

@@tv510 Thank you, sir!

Hi Pharaoh, thanks for watching. Traditionally the aperture ring has numbers on it - that are called f/stops. Typically they would read f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16. Sometimes the lens will start with a lower number and even go higher - such as f/22, f/29... Each number indicates a full f stop. If the widest part of your lens starts at f/2.8 then two stops over the widest would be f/5.6 - 2.8 - 4 (one stop) 5.6 (two stops). I hope this helps!

@@tv510 I appreciate your reply, thanks! It helps a bit. I have two 2.8 lenses that go to 3.5 when I push two stops. Are these half stops or just unusual lenses?

@@PharaohMan007 That might be the clicks in the dial, but it is not full stops. Two full stops will be at 5.6 no matter the lens. One thing to consider, is you may have lenses with variable f/stops. Usually these are zoom lenses that the widest f/stop will vary- depending on the focal length you have chosen. Example; When a zoom lens is set at 18mm it might be 2.8 is your widest aperture but if zoomed out to 70mm the widest will be 5.6. Good luck!

@@tv510 I had no idea about variable aperatures. Thanks so much for explaining that!

Thanks Roger, I'll put that on my list. I appreciate the suggestion.

It may do the stacking for you, but if it does, the images are all done in jpeg. Raw is much more superior in the freedom of editing, so I would never use that feature. Using the raw files is what this video is about to give yourself maximum control and end product.

I'n not sure if I answered this and I know its late but if you have your camera on auto bracketing, the focus stack won't work.

@@tv510 No Problem Terry, I found that It also won't work in manual or if the timer is on which is what I was doing. :)

@@wizard6207 Good to know. Thanks!

Yes, looks like you are understanding. Keep practicing.

HI Kimberly, thanks for watching. There are a couple of ways to focus stack. With the Z9 you can have the camera change the focus for you but it has to be a current lens. (Auto focus). If you wanted to use a manual lens, (like I have on my focus rails that I show in the video). You would have to advance the focus manually in between each shot. After the stack is completed, processing is all the same. Good luck!

I don't think you can, but you don't really need to. The work around is easy, start the stack with the focus well in front of where you want to start. Press the start button and let it do its thing. Even if you are shooting at a slow shutter speed and first one is all blurry, it doesn't matter. It's going to be out of focus anyway since you started the focus stack closer than what you need. When you go into edit, just throw those first blurry/out of focus images away and just pick the best ones to do the stack.

Those are quick release tabs for my camera strap. There are times that the camera strap gets in the way and I want to be able to quickly unclip it without going though the hassle of threading it through the eyelets. The Peak design strap has just those clips. Not a sponsor, but I just like the product. Here is a link: bit.ly/3Ui7v4R

Hi David, I keep my camera on BB Focus all the time. I use it to grab the focus at the beginning of a stack. Once you grab the focus, just don't touch the BBF button again, then let the camera do the work from there. I hope this helps.

@@tv510 perfect. Thx

I haven't seen that. Because I seldom shoot in jpeg, I wouldn't want that as a feature anyway.

Ha, I was told about that before, so I stopped with the background music. Thanks again for the reminder.

Yes, the stacking happens silently. The speed however, is dependent on your settings, shutter speed and any delays that you set. I have a friend that hand holds his close up stacks all the time. The software does a pretty good job of aligning. I use a tripod every time for more of a guarantee of sharpness.

@@tv510 R=Thank you for the reply. great video btw

@@federicoaranda3039 You are welcome!

The focus breathing can be an issue, but I found if I start with a wider composition to begin with, then I have had no issues with the change of size in the end. As far as the lens goes, there are some Nikon lenses that don't work well with this. Thankfully the newest 105 micro works well and that's what I use.

I'm not sure about the Laowa lens working with stacking but I don't think so. Since it's not auto focus, the camera can't tell it to move focus for each shot. You can still create a stack, just not by the camera doing all the precise movements. You can shoot on manual and slightly advance the focus very gingerly as to not move the camera between exposures, and make sure the camera has come to a complete still before shooting the next image in the stack. Total defeats the cool workings of the Z9 but it can be done. I know that stacking worked with lenses that were not Z lenses, but were older "auto focus" lenses by Nikon. As far as the difference in stacking vs bracketing, stacking is changing the focus slightly for each shot, then combining them to make one image with all the sharp parts of each image. Bracketing is changing the exposure for each shot.(Three to five shots) A lot times people will combine those bracketed shots into one images using HDR (Lightroom or Photoshop).

Thank you Terry. That’s very concise, succinct and spot on. As soon as I attach the Laowa (or another manual lens) the focus stacking option is greyed out. Yes as you say I can do it ‘manually’ but that’s very difficult. Thank you again for your guidance on this and bracketing. I wonder why the two can’t be combined…

Thank you Terry. That’s very concise, succinct and spot on. As soon as I attach the Laowa (or another manual lens) the focus stacking option is greyed out. Yes as you say I can do it ‘manually’ but that’s very difficult. Thank you again for your guidance on this and bracketing. I wonder why the two can’t be combined…

Thank you Terry. That’s very concise, succinct and spot on. As soon as I attach the Laowa (or another manual lens) the focus stacking option is greyed out. Yes as you say I can do it ‘manually’ but that’s very difficult. Thank you again for your guidance on this and bracketing. I wonder why the two can’t be combined…

Thank you Terry. That’s very concise, succinct and spot on. As soon as I attach the Laowa (or another manual lens) the focus stacking option is greyed out. Yes as you say I can do it ‘manually’ but that’s very difficult. Thank you again for your guidance on this and bracketing. I wonder why the two can’t be combined…

I am usually changing my composition between stacks and resetting my first focus point so no need for an auto return. I set up, then I just go to my My Menu, hit Focus Shift Shooting and hit Start. It goes pretty quick.

I use my camera on AF-C so that is what I use but I don't think it matters. What is important is that your lens can take this kind of direction from the camera body. Some of the older (10+ years ago) lenses may not work with the in camera focus stacking. I hope that helps.

Thanks for the tip. I’ve not used that feature. I guess when loaded into Lightroom, the images will be designated somehow, I’ll have to give it a try.

Thanks Dave!

I picked Helicon because I thought it was easier to work with and it does a great job.

Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!

Hi Gary, It looks like the three versions, Lite, Pro and Premium have some different features. The main feature of the Pro includes Helicon Remote - which allows the user to tether their Nikon or Canon to the software. While I have the Pro Package, I have not uses this feature yet. Another attraction is the RAW in and DNG out, meaning you output your final stacked images in DNG for more processing if you want. There are a few other features worth looking at. The premium in addition to pro, it just allows you to use the program with mobile devices, that's not of interest to me at this time. When I first used Helicon, I bought the one year license, to see if I would like/use it. Shortly after, I bought the lifetime version because I use it so often and love it. Good luck.

I have found it to work great, but everyone has their own workflow that does the trick for their own images. Good luck.