In-camera focus bracketing with Olympus OMD M1 part 1

[wayupnorth]

[Admin note: This thread has been split off of wayupnorth's Vibration monitor thread.]

Hopefully the hours spent turning the table knob are in the past as I am just starting to get to grips with the Olympus M1 which does this in camera and in such a short space of time. Will be interesting to see if I get better results.

--AdminCS edit

[ChrisR]

Interesting:
Olympus M1 which does this in camera :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hSxF3iGnng

[Chris S.]

Very intriguing video. So this camera (a bit elderly, in context of the rapid pace of camera development), with this firmware update, will rapidly take up to 999 images using electronic shutter alone, changing focus a bit each time, all the while holding things as still as possible via image stabilization. This would seem to be a game changer for field macro of insects--why haven't we heard more about it?

Perhaps it's the apparent lack of a long macro lens. The Oly 60mm macro, which would act like 120mm on an m4/3 body, is pretty short for bug work. But with the 1.4x teleconverter, it would act like a 170mm f/4 macro lens, which begins to get into a bug-friendly neighborhood.

Here is a page, sponsored by Olympus, where photographer Kazuo Unno demonstrates the camera and focus stacking feature in macro photography.

--Chris

[wayupnorth]

First test with M1, 128 images. Impressed with the detail - serrations on the right hand side.

[ChrisR]

First Test - very impressive.
This is with the 60mm lens, yes?
That doesn't sound too short - what's the working distance?
For whatever reason, the image suggests to me that the entrance pupil is well forward, which has pros and cons.

A close-up lens (diopter) would be a possibility.

What's the frame rate, when it's running the stack?

I see this auto- stacking feature is also available on the OMD-E5 Mark 2 which has the 64MP exposures by sensor-shift, trick.

I don't suppose both modes can be used together, but even so, Olympus are making a decent assault into Canon's macro territory. It's just that MP-E...

[wayupnorth]

Another test. Previous image was a crop approx 2:1, this one is virtually full frame. 60mm lens (120mm equiv). Stack takes around 40 seconds for 200 images (!!) and the step size is set to 1.

Now using Olympus Capture on a tablet pc to make life easier.

[Lou Jost]

Wowwww! 40 sec for a 200-image stack?!!!

[Chris S.]

Pat,

Thanks for keeping us posted!

With 40 seconds for a 200-image stack using electronic shutter, you have me interested in buying into this system for field work. Very useful information you are sharing! Thanks.

--Chris

[Cactusdave]

This 'on the fly' stacking/focus bracketing on the Olympus OM-D M1 with the latest firmware upgrade is really interesting. It ought to have it's own thread really, as it's not the original subject of this thread. Interestingly Metabones have just upgraded their firmware for their autofocus Canon to micro four thirds adapter http://www.metabones.com/products/details/MB_EF-m43-BT2 It provides improved AF performance on the OM-D M1 and one of the known good performing lenses with this adapter is the Canon 100mm L IS macro! unfortunately Metabones specifically state that their update doesn't support the focus stacking/focus bracketing feature in the latest Olympus firmware update Or is that doesn't support it yet?

[dolmadis]

Hi all

Is the Telecoverter 1.4x known as MC-14 compatible for these focus features with the 60mm Macro lens please?

Thanks

John

[wayupnorth]

I have this converter so will give it a try tomorrow.

Please note that (as suggested) I have started another thread to specifically deal with the M1 so I guess anything not related to the original vibration post can go to:

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=30177

[Chris S.]

Admin note: This thread continues here. I'll lock the older thread to avoid confusion.

--Chris