So if the camera is offering stacking then where are they getting the stacking code?.
Not the code to take multiple shots with a focus shift between but the code to stitch the stack together? We know that it is far from trivial.
If Canon or Nikon or (I can dream) even Sony decide to get into this they will want the best and somebody might get the "offer that can't be refused".
There is one mode I would really like to see and that is a shutterless mode. Electronic first AND second curtain. Now I know for normal use electronic second curtain is a silly idea because it takes time to read the sensor and during that time any additional light entering the sensor will smear. However it will work in relative dark with flash.
With automated stacking and multiprocessor processing it is all to easy to wear out a shutter. 500 stacks at 200 clicks per stack = 100,000 actuation's = a reasonable life expectancy for a shutter.
"The new Focus Stacking function captures eight different shots continuously, while shifting the focus from the foreground to the background. It extracts and merges only those areas of each image that are in focus and produces a single photo with a focus that spans several centimeters."
However, it is reported that it can process the stack internally or output all of the images in the stack for external processing.
My partner has pre-ordered one of these cameras and the associated ring flash.
I think (and hope) it will help her enjoy her informal participation in bug photography - she really loves bugs and also enjoys documenting the ones she especially likes that wander through our home deck-based garden in the summer.
I wonder if the focus bracketing feature won't prove to be the most valuable feature? If she can get a quick burst of a half-dozen somewhat differently focused macro photos easily, and then pick the one or two that look the best, that should be a big help. I am not so sure that the fundamental single-shot image quality is good enough to create a stack that is similar to DSLR-based stacks. In other words, the system can't do any better than its fundamental image quality. Still, for my partner's needs, both focus bracketing and in-camera stacking may well be significantly more enjoyable than her current point-and-shoot camera. My DSLR rig or much lighter rigs are just too heavy and awkward for her to use enjoyably.
She expects to receive the camera and accessories in June, and one or both of us will post a summary of our impressions at that time.
