I've been playing with three tools for stacking - Photoshop CC 2014, Zerene, and HF6. I tried Combine ZP, but it crashed 100% of the time on anything larger than about 2048 on the longest side...
HF seems to do a good job, although the depth map doesn't seem to work very well for what I typically shoot, flowers with a lot of fine detail. Pyramid gives me better results....
There are a couple things I think I"m not doing well... After I render a set of images, and save it, I want to bring in another set. I want everything from the previous set to go away... So far, I'm having to remove all images then remove all outputs, and I have to CONFIRM each of them. I figure there's got to be a way to get rid of some of these steps - at least be able to set preferences so I don't have to confirm things. Even better would be a "clear everything"... Is there a setting I"m not aware of for doing that?
First Impressions and questions
Re: First Impressions and questions
Curious to hear what you think between the 3 software...........
I found PS (I use CC 2014) does a bad job, I import stack as layers via bridge, align layers, stack layers - After align it is often obvious things are not going to stack well.....and then they don't!
HF - For flowers I think "c" is the correct option - I have to look up which is best as that is still new to me........I did some flowers last night, outside! in the wind!!!
and clearing I do exactly what you do, Im also new to HR / HF.
Zerene I only heard about last night, What's your impression?
I found PS (I use CC 2014) does a bad job, I import stack as layers via bridge, align layers, stack layers - After align it is often obvious things are not going to stack well.....and then they don't!
HF - For flowers I think "c" is the correct option - I have to look up which is best as that is still new to me........I did some flowers last night, outside! in the wind!!!
and clearing I do exactly what you do, Im also new to HR / HF.
Zerene I only heard about last night, What's your impression?
Re: First Impressions and questions
I've had problems with Photoshop too. I can get good stacks, but it involves a LOT of fiddling with layers and masks. Both Zerene and HF do a better job on their own from what I've seen.
I liked Zerene Stacker, but their pricing is even more out-of-line than Helicon's. Unfortunately, Zerene got rid of their free for personal use version of the software, so since I didn't find the user interface any better, and the speed and quality are about the same as HF, I figured I'd give this software a try.
If CombineZP worked it wouldn't be an issue, but so far I haven't been able to get it to stack even a small stack from a D800.
I liked Zerene Stacker, but their pricing is even more out-of-line than Helicon's. Unfortunately, Zerene got rid of their free for personal use version of the software, so since I didn't find the user interface any better, and the speed and quality are about the same as HF, I figured I'd give this software a try.
If CombineZP worked it wouldn't be an issue, but so far I haven't been able to get it to stack even a small stack from a D800.
Re: First Impressions and questions
i do a lot of flowers with fine detail, and i use method B most of the time. that's because i find retouching C-rendered images to be virtually impossible. when C does work it is wonderful.
- Stas Yatsenko
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Re: First Impressions and questions
Thanks for your feedback. Could you explain why retouching C-method-results are "virtually impossible"?
In the latest version we added possibility to use other result (e.g. method B) as a source for retouching current result
(e.g. method C). Have you already tried this?
In the latest version we added possibility to use other result (e.g. method B) as a source for retouching current result
(e.g. method C). Have you already tried this?