- CombineZP - Bizarre, one off CombineZP and Windows compatibility settings.
- camera mounting - Home made mount fixed to shooting table.
- CFL lighting - 85w CFLs on articulated arm lamps with flower pot reflectors.
- flash lighting - DSLR Controller set to five second exposure interval.
I find that I have a lot of trouble picking an initial focus point for stacking. It seems that I frequently get the initial point wrong, while later images are in good focus. This results in stacked images with both blurry and wonderfully sharp sections.
No doubt some of this is due to the nature of the tiny (1/8") gnats I've been experimenting with. I'm learning that proper modeling lights are really important to getting good focus.
At some point, I plan to get a couple of the Ikea Jansjo work lamps, at least for modeling, but that's a pure luxury that will have to wait until I have suitable employment again.
In the meantime, the 85w CFLs put out a ton of [now focused] light.
Does anyone have any advice on picking proper initial focus points, so that when DSLR Controller works it's way back to the initial point, everything is in focus?