Focus Stacking - Cognisys STACKSHOT 3X Owner's Manual

5. Focus Stacking

With macro photography all too often pictures have a shallow depth of field (DOF). This is
where StackShot (and widely available focus-stacking software programs) shine. StackShot 3X
allows precise control over a camera's position and is intended for use with macro photography.
It automates the process of taking several pictures in incremental steps. The subsequent images
are then processed by focus-stacking software to merge the shallow DOF images into a single
crisp and highly detailed picture. While this same process can be accomplished manually,
getting precise steps is difficult, time consuming, and frustrating. Decreasing the time spent
taking the images also allows you to focus-stack things that just wouldn't cooperate or stay still
long enough. By combining a simple user-interface with behind-the-scenes flexibility, StackShot
3X is a necessity for any serious macro photographer.
CAUTION: Always keep your body, cables, and equipment clear of the rail while it is in motion.
Be aware of the environment you are operating in. The center of gravity will change as
StackShot 3X moves the camera. Moving the rail can potentially cause a tipping hazard. Be sure
that your tripod is secured and balanced properly to prevent damage to equipment. Monitor
your camera, lens, and other equipment at all times while the rail is moving to prevent damage
to your equipment. The motor cable may pose as a tripping hazard. Use caution.
Focus stacking has five different operating modes:
1. Single Axis
2. X-R – Stack/Rotate
3. X-Y Scanning/Stacking
4. X-Y-Z Scanning/Stacking
5. X-R-Z – Stack/Rotate/Move
In the next few sections we'll go into the details of the focus stacking operation. If you'd like to
skip ahead and for a real-world walk-through example, see our single-axis example in section
"10.1 - Focus Stacking – Single Axis" and our "Virtual Object" example in section "10.2 - Focus
Stacking – Virtual Objects".
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