Given the availability of MF cameras like the PhaseOne DF and AFD, and the Hasselblad H series, and software such as Helicon Focus, it should be possible to add the functionality to automatically create a focus bracket.
It would be nice to do the following:
The cameras already have all of the mechanics and information they need to perform this task. It seems like firmware changes are all that is needed to implement it.
Helicon Remote has the ability to perform focus bracketing with some Nikon and Canon cameras when they are tethered to a computer, but it would be more practical for field use if the cameras could shoot the focus bracket without tethering.
Any comments?
It would be nice to do the following:
- Set the camera to "focus bracket" mode.
- Adjust the focus to the nearest point that should be in focus (manually, or possibly using autofocus).
- Push a button to inform the camera to record the near focus point.
- Adjust the focus to the distant point of focus.
- Inform the camera to record the distant point.
- Set an aperture (if not already done).
- Push the shutter release.
- The camera computes how many exposures to make, and what focus points to use, so that each exposure contains one "slice" in which a range of distance is in focus. It can use the focal length and aperture to compute the depth of field for each slice, and make some overlap between each slice.
- The exposures are later loaded into Helicon Focus, and the focus blending is performed. Each file contains information about the focus distance, focal length, and aperture, if this information is of use for focus blending.
The cameras already have all of the mechanics and information they need to perform this task. It seems like firmware changes are all that is needed to implement it.
Helicon Remote has the ability to perform focus bracketing with some Nikon and Canon cameras when they are tethered to a computer, but it would be more practical for field use if the cameras could shoot the focus bracket without tethering.
Any comments?