Some semi extrem macros at 2:1 and also CombineZM from tonight

There's not much to criticise as the work you put in shows in the improvements in the final image.
It is something I am going to have to look at and I have already downloaded the program.
Well done.

send the other equipment back man............you don't need it. Superb!!! Aaron

Thanks all.

Two_truths wrote: So, CombineZM merges multiple images into one? Does it only work for macro work? Or, could you take different images of the same set of people (all at F1.4) and merge the images into one (in order to get them all in focus)?

Yes, look here too and esp. use the links a bit down here: Link

I have only used it at macro so far but can't imagine why it shouldn't be usable at other shots too...

That last one I want you to think about for a moment yourself. Hint, 2 to many pics on living things that moves... :)

Lovely, lovely, lovely

Good work Cekari!

Thanks guys.

A few hints on using CombineZM for Cam and others thinking of trying it.

1. Don't take to few shots, and be sure to refocus at the right derection all time, will be less confusing when it's time to add em up.
Will test using a Focusing Rack when i can afford to get one to see of it easier to just move the hole lot with that for refocusing and if it will work with the scaling also, should be easier tho as I think you can realy move in tiny steps much easier with a rack.

2. Use a small aperture at least f8 and best in my tests is f11 as it's hard to be able to move the focus ring evenly in to small steps so the dof at f11 will be a lot of help.

Ex of to big f-stop (f5.6) and to few steps (even if this was made up a total of 11 frames, for the one shown above)
Also notice the white dots talked about below.


3. Don't edit the pics before combining as you will have to edit the combined pic anyway as it tends to add some small shiny whith dots in some of the pics. Probably better use/direction of flash/light can prevent some of those.

4. Don't crop the pics you going to use to the final size (leave a 'safety border' around them if you do crop them) as when combining the program do some scaling (when you change focus the magnif do change too slightly but combineZM will fix that) when working with them and you will need to crop away some artifacts at some edges anyway. ARC is a very nice way of precropping the pics as you can load the hole set there and precrop them all at once.

Ex of cropping with the edge artifacts
1st original of 11 before any cropping


after some precropping and combined


5. Load the RAWs into your edit program and save them as TIFs as this will preserve most details for combineZM to work on, and yes you will lose some sharpness and details during the process as it has to scale and also even out some exposure diffrenses that will occur. Use the file defautnames if shot in focus order or rename them in the right order: aa, bb and cc etc.

My uses of combineZM has been quite straight out of the box so far:
File-New to load the hole set.
Macro-Do stack to combine them into 1 pic
File-Save Frame/Picture as, saving as TIF

and then some final pp from that.



Edited by Cekari - 07 January 2007 at 00:38