Focus Bracketing

Focus Bracketing workflows demonstrated using an A7RV camera
This video discusses when Focus Bracketing is, and is not, necessary.
It also looks at the focus bracketing option in the Sony Alpha Drive Mode settings.

Mark Galer is a Sony Alpha Ambassador for Australia.

#SonyAustralia #SonyAlpha #SonyAmbassador #sonyalphaanz #sonydigitalimagingambassador

[jonchung]

Thank you for the video. I appreciate you going through hyperfocal distance at the beginning. It helped me finally understand that technique.

[minibuns]

Hell yeah love Sony Cameras! Powerful!

[MA-bxev]

Thank you Mark! Very informative as always.

[SnowAngelfish]

Wow, , , i learned the manual way of doing this, , and now the camera does most of the hard work. Things just keep getting easier and essier!

[naders.]

Great video as always. Thank you, Mark!

[flemmingmorgan]

Thanks Mark for this brilliant video which explains focus stacking so well. I have to say some of it is a bit beyond my current capabilities but you do explain it incredibly well. Have you done a similar video on exposure bracketing? If not that would be very useful. I am a Patreon member and I would recommend it to anyone who really wants Mark’s expertise in photography with Sony cameras

[TheChannelling]

if you want to skip the theory (which is very useful but maybe people know it) go to minute 10:00

[onegreenev]

Think this might be something they could add to the older cameras like the A1 with added software? For now I must do this manually which I don't like unless Im using my focusing rail for my super macro work where I can do hundreds of focus points to stack.

[jorgglande]

The stacking function is not a 1.0 version from my point of view, as long as you cannot set the focus endpoint so that the camera can calculate the necessary number of shots. But however: It works, even if I'm afraid that Sony will never bring an update for "old" cameras like the R5. The problem I experienced is the image size you get when shooting in RAW. My computer has 64GB of RAM, but with a batch of 25 images, Photoshop takes almost 62 of them (compressed RAW L) when I open them as layers. It's not a problem to use PS with ~10 images, but if you have more, say 40 or 50 for a macro, I would strongly recommend to use Helicon Focus. I tried it and the RAM usage was ~30 GB instead of 62 and it was much faster, so it may be a better choice instead of buying expensive RAM extensions to use this feature. Buying the software is much cheaper at least in my case.

[silverclifflightshow]

I can’t believe it took them that long this was a feature I had on my Nikon over 10 years ago. This is unbelievable I bought a Sony A1 and it was not an available feature on this crazy amazing camera very simple feature to head over a software update, they just can’t do it.

[alexkooistra]

I hope the timing of this clip has something to do with a possible new firmware for the A7IV. This is the mode for I mis on a Sony camera and it took way to long for Sony to implement it. For macro rhis is great.

[peterbrighton]

Hi there Mark
Thanks for your videos I frequently turn to them for guidance. Just a couple of comments about your focus stacking video. I unboxed my new a7RV yesterday and i've been playing with focus stacking as that was the main/only reason I upgraded from my a7Riii. I'm using a Sony 90mm macro f2.8 lens and your comment concerning being able to use it in manual mode results in a curt error message from the camera saying that the lens is not compatible with focus stacking. Switching to auto focus mode solves that issue. I've found that getting the camera to start on an initial point of focus is a bit problematic. I really want the first image to be just a smidgin in front of the closest point I want to be part of the stack and for the objects I generally work on (orchids and other native plants) there is nothing there. I've spent all day trying to wrestle this beast and whilst I have managed a couple of decent images. I'm still not 100% happy. I'm sure its mostly me because the images that I'm happy with are quite good. Maybe a follow up video using some realworld macro examples would be helpfull. The shots i'm happy with ended up with 150 images covering 30mm. I'm still experimenting to try and reduce this as it certainly creates time and storage issues in the workflow. Peter

[swr]

I how Sony makes this more intuitive. For instance, focus peaking could show the range of the focus bracket settings. Even better, I’d love for an “auto” stack mode, where the camera could detect e.g. multiple faces in a group photo, and take enough images to cover that range.

[barrieharwood]

Hi Mark. You mention not knowing why you wouldn't have the shooting interval at anything other than shortest. The reason there are time options is to allow for the recharging of flash if you are using this during bracketing

[drr]

Does Sony have a list of reccomended lenses to use with focus bracketing on the a6700? Is the 90mm macro recommended for this feature?

[echoauxgen]

The most through so far! The focus scale was most impressive to see how many shots. Only ask when doing a macro of say a flower using the FE 90mm f/2.8 and it is just 3 to 4 ins. in depth would not it be best to use the narrow say 2, and use f/16 or something wider(I will check the hyperfocal distance of the lens)? I did some test shots and under the info of others they say it will stop at infinity no matter the number you choose, for info if you use a tube infinity will never be reached (210 later)!!! Thank you so much for your info! Focus Bracketing would be great at say the Grand Canyon BUT my A7rii did great with the FE 12-24mm f/4 all that needed to be done was brush in some Texture and Clarity on the far side and at Horseshoe Canyon I used the Voigtlander 10mm f/5.6 and got a pano look in 3:2 again brush work (pano work at the edge did not look safe)!

[VinyasaUbaradka]

Good video. Aquestion: Does flash work in focus bracketing? For example: Flash doesn't work (during focus bracketing) in some of the Canon models. Flash works in Nikon D850 only when the silent mode is disabled. Please clarify how it works on Sony a7rv.

[mark.physique]

Hi Mark! I will probably use this in my a6700 when I try this handheld for insect photograph. I was wondering if it’s possible to use a flash whilst doing focus bracketing with the electronic shutter ?

[barrydillon]

There is a use for the time gap between the shots. When using flash a time gap is required for the flash to recharge

[wolfnard]

Hi Mark...I have been using the Focus Bracketing on the a7r5 for my studio jewelry shoots and I like it very much except for one thing that is annoying. I shoot with studio strobes and to focus with a bright image in the viewfinder I have to turn live view off to get a bright view. But unfortunately when I put it on focus bracket mode the camera switches to live view.I shoot at 125th of a sec. at f11 so the viewfinder is now very dark. My work around is to do my front focus in single shooting drive mode and the switch to focus bracket drive mode where it automatically goes to live view and is very dark and fire the camera and let it do it's focus bracket. when I'm ready to do the next piece I have to go back to the other drive mode to see where I am focusing again and then switch to focus bracket mode again. There is no way to turn off live view when in focus bracket mode. Camera won't let you. I wish the engineers would come up with a firmware fix for this. It's only a problem when shooting in studio with flash.