fossilsofnj Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 (edited) Finally have a computer with enough horsepower to run some of the stacking software without blowing memory. Still experimenting but thought I’d post a few of the early pics. Stacking software - Helicon and CombineZP Camera – Cannon 1000D Extension tubes – Kenco # Images stacked – between 3 and 10 John Edited February 11, 2012 by fossilsofnj It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling. - Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Those are just awesome!!!! Just how big does one's computer have to be to be able to produce photos like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsofnj Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 I was having problems stacking moe than 2 pics with the CombineZP software on 1 gig of memory. The new PC is a gaming box with 8 gig ram and a quad cpu. I've aligned and stacked 20 pics in about 30 seconds on the new machine. It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling. - Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Excellent!!!! I have stacked a few pictures using combine CP max stack I did was only 4 pics.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taxman56 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I have to learn how to do that. Those are so REAL looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Fantastic! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 amazing John, I especially like how pic 2 w the gastros came - the background really adds alot to this one, hope it isnt too far down the road this year till I can try this also. Carmine "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acryzona Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Very nice photos. I recently got a small stage that can be vertically adjusted in 2 micron intervals (found it on Ebay for optomechanical systems). When taking a photo of a microfossil, it increased my stack from 5 to 20+ photos and the photos are more equally spaced = much better photos using CombineZP. Haven't tried Helicon - though I read good things about on FF. Acryzona Collecting Microfossils - a hobby concerning much about many of the little paraphrased from Dr. Robert Kesling's book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32fordboy Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 (edited) Holy smokes, talk about super macro. For those of us who don't understand, can you explain the purpose of stacking? Edited February 11, 2012 by 32fordboy www.nicksfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsofnj Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 Holy smokes, talk about super macro. For those of us who don't understand, can you explain the purpose of stacking? Sure 32fordboy, it’s all about depth of field. Simply put, a camera loses its ability to keep the whole subject in focus the closer one gets. Stacking images is one way to get around this problem. Several pictures are taken each focusing on a different point and then processed thru a stacking software program. The software, within limits, can determine which areas are in focus and merge the focused areas into one image. For example, the photo of the fossil barnacles is a stack of 5 pictures. I focused on point A, the area closet to the camera first then changed where the camera was focused in steps until I reached point B. The 5 images were run thru the stacking software to produce a single focused image. There is a lot more to it, but that is the general concept. John It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling. - Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsofnj Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 Very nice photos. I recently got a small stage that can be vertically adjusted in 2 micron intervals (found it on Ebay for optomechanical systems). When taking a photo of a microfossil, it increased my stack from 5 to 20+ photos and the photos are more equally spaced = much better photos using CombineZP. Haven't tried Helicon - though I read good things about on FF. Acryzona Acryzona, That sounds sweet. The Cannon can be hooked to the computer and I focus remotely. The problem with the real small stuff is I can't "step" in such small incements as 2 microns and I can only get a few images stacked. Helicon offers a 30 day trial of their software, I wasn't impressed and like CombineZP better plus you can't beat the price of free for CombineZP. john It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling. - Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsofnj Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 amazing John, I especially like how pic 2 w the gastros came - the background really adds alot to this one, hope it isnt too far down the road this year till I can try this also. Carmine Carmine, Thanks, the background is some waste granite from the place that did our bathroom counters. I have permission to rummage thru their dumpsters. I also use the scrap pieces as dispay stands. Heres an Angle shark tooth on a different color, 20 images stacked. john It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling. - Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Very nice John. I am a big fan of Helicon Focus Pro. I got it for free with a life time license by offering Helicon software developers raw pics for their sole use. I try to avoid stacking as much as possible.... only when the optic system has reached its limits for depth of field that a employ stacking ware. Have fun! Stacking software can produce some truly impressive results... as you have demonstrated. PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the tatter Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 WOW I am blown away, awesome pictures, thanks for sharing. :greenwnvy: Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen, and thinking what nobody has thought. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I just love them...excellent photos, John. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmerlin Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 hi I downloaded combinezp after reading here and seeing great photos cant wait to try it ill post pics here soon hopefully once i get to grips with it "A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind... or nothing at all' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I especially like the barnacles, really cool! I've got to try this. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taxman56 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Hi FossilofNJ Have you tried any magification filters instead of the extension tubes? I bought a cheap set of extension tubes off ebay but hadn't found the right adjustments to recognize the lens change yet. I have a ton of magnification filters which I used to make some great photos with only a tiny area in focus so I can't wait for my filter adapters to come in and try the mag filters on my E-PL1. Trying to run my Olympus E-LP1 though the TV buts its too grainy. Bought a VCR to DVD usb thingee to run the video to my laptop works better but still only 50% screen. Shame you can't run Olympus cameras through the USB cable to a computer. They go directly to image transfer and editing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Great to see this discussion... I am looking intro getting stacking software for work. These pix are so cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opisthotriton Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Exquisite! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilsofnj Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 Hi FossilofNJ Have you tried any magification filters instead of the extension tubes? I bought a cheap set of extension tubes off ebay but hadn't found the right adjustments to recognize the lens change yet. I have a ton of magnification filters which I used to make some great photos with only a tiny area in focus so I can't wait for my filter adapters to come in and try the mag filters on my E-PL1. Trying to run my Olympus E-LP1 though the TV buts its too grainy. Bought a VCR to DVD usb thingee to run the video to my laptop works better but still only 50% screen. Shame you can't run Olympus cameras through the USB cable to a computer. They go directly to image transfer and editing Hey Taxman, Yes I do use the magnification filters and they are not bad. The extension tubes give a better picture but as I mentioned before the light drop off can be troublesome if you are not using a light box. Given all the different cameras out there it’s only a small percentage that are designed to interface with a computer. The software is a bit complex and takes some getting use to as does the whole concept of stacking. A few more of my “experimental” pictures ; john It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling. - Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taffie Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 (edited) a bump for stacking - having installed and found CombineZP to be a most useful addition to my macro and micro photography efforts. Here is a first attempt w a side by side comparison of the effects of even just 2 shots "stacked", though with a meager 4 GB of ram I found the software to process lightning fast, and don't anticipate any issues with using a more suitable 4 to 8 photos, I will have to see... I have left the "bad" to show as well, that is, one can encounter blurred edges or distortions near the edges, which can be cropped later, as well as manipulated for contrast, etc, in the usual manner later CombineZP Edited January 19, 2014 by xonenine 1 "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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