Focus stacking HDRs

Shooting in macro mode, techniques, tips & tricks
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turnip26
Posts: 2
Joined: 23.03.2023 13:57

Focus stacking HDRs

Post by turnip26 »

Hi, quick question. Helicon remote supports focus stacking (focus shift for each shot) and exposure bracketing (different exposure at each focus position to create a better dynamic range). My question is does Helicon Focus automatically HDR each focus point before stacking or do I have to create the HDR for each shot before stacking? If each shot HDR has to be created manually first, what do you recommend using? I'm hoping that Helicon Focus understands the naming convention that Helicon remote creates and is already automagically creating the HDRs for each frame prior to the final stack.
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Catherine
Posts: 1163
Joined: 29.04.2019 22:38

Re: Focus stacking HDRs

Post by Catherine »

Hi! Helicon Focus itself doesn't do HDR, we only do focus stacking.
Let's say your HDR setup is 3 exposures per each focus step. Then the right way to process it is to render 3 focus stacks, each with its own distinct exposure, and then HDR-merge the result (using any software of your choice). To facilitate that, use batch-processing: load all your source images, then use the "Split stack" function - "By exposure". It will group images into separate focus stacks (3 stacks in our example) based on the EXIF exposure data, and you can queue up all stack for rendering at once.
turnip26
Posts: 2
Joined: 23.03.2023 13:57

Re: Focus stacking HDRs

Post by turnip26 »

Excellent, I will give that a go and it will be much quicker than HDRing each focus step and then trying to stack that.
Cadence
Posts: 6
Joined: 13.04.2023 14:30

Re: Focus stacking HDRs

Post by Cadence »

Helicon Focus doesn't create HDR images automatically for each focus point before stacking. This indicates that if you intend to use HDR images in your focus stack, you'll have to produce them manually first.

There are numerous software alternatives applicable for producing HDR images, like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or Aurora HDR. These tools can combine multiple images taken at distinct exposures into a single HDR-image with increased dynamic range.

Once you've created your HDR images, proceed to import them into Helicon Focus and incorporate them in your focus stack. Helicon Focus should recognize the naming convention used by Helicon Remote and appropriately align and stack the images.

It's vital to acknowledge that not every focus stack will require HDR images since the necessity for HDR hinges on the scene and the lighting conditions prevailing. However, if you are looking to incorporate HDR images into your focus stack, creating and importing them into Helicon Focus is the plausible option.
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Catherine
Posts: 1163
Joined: 29.04.2019 22:38

Re: Focus stacking HDRs

Post by Catherine »

The suggested order is wrong. Focus-stack first, then HDR-merge.
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