Fuji GFX / Tethered Focus Bracketing (and Sony)

[nameBrandon]

Curious if those of you who shoot tethered with the Fuji GFX (particularly the 50S II or 100S) are aware of any focus bracketing capabilities when tethered?

Phocus and Hasselblad have a option to do this, set the increment and number of shots and takes the images for you, adjusting focus as needed.

It sounds like the GFX can do this with in-camera bracketing, but wondering what that looks like when tethered to Capture One..

1 - Does it work? Setup in-camera focus bracketing and then just hit the shutter button on the C1 control window and bracketing magic happens / captures get imported?
2 - Any functionality within Capture One to do this with Fuji bodies, as opposed to configuring it in-camera?

And then finally.. for those of you might’ve also used an A7R III / IV in this same scenario.. an idea if the above would work for Sony as well?

 

[nameBrandon]

From my research it looks this is a big gap outside of the Hasselblad world.. that being said, I did get my X-T4 out and managed to create a workable, if more manual, solution.

Essentially, just set the near point focus while in Capture One live-view / tethered, then use the Camera Focus window to adjust focus in small increments between shots. You can watch the returning image and see where the DOF is sharpest and how much progress you're making. It's not a "set it and forget it" approach, but I guess it should work with any camera where Capture One can focus the lens on your behalf.

It doesn't appear as if Capture One can leverage the in-camera focus bracketing for any brand (perhaps Phase.. but no way to test that here).

 

[P. Chong]

I find the GFX focus stacking very clunky to use. I rather do it manually. Phase has the sleekest. I haven’t used Hasselblad.

 

[handymike]

I have used the 100s focus bracketing successfully, and once you get the hang of it- it’s not so bad. I haven’t done it tethered, but I have done it with my CamRanger as well. It’s in the bracketing menu/ focus bracket/ I use the touch screen for near and far points. Auto usually shoots more than you need, but it works. I choose the shortest time between shots to minimize motion in the frame.

 

[nameBrandon]

Thanks all! I'm testing a few cameras in this functionality.. I have the Nikon Z7 II coming in today, I'm curious if I can use those Focus Shift while tethered to Capture One. I'm sure I'll have to initiate the process from the camera, but hoping the files will write back to the tethered PC.. Sony A7RIV and Canon R5 coming Monday to validate this approach as well.

 

[handymike]

Have you tried Helicon Focus?
It works with many cameras, even my old Nikon D800. That way you can shoot with the system you are comfortable with instead of the camera being dictated by 1 function.

 

[nameBrandon]

Have you tried Helicon Focus?
It works with many cameras, even my old Nikon D800. That way you can shoot with the system you are comfortable with instead of the camera being dictated by 1 function.

Yep, I use Helicon Focus.

I'm not looking for Capture One / Phocus to do stacking. I'm looking for it to capture the images. There are a few things at play here that I'm trying to solve for, probably should've put that in my original post for clarity.

1 - Automated (or at least repeatable manual ) process that is electronically controlled (not by hand with a rail or anything) to focus bracket shots for macro and still life images.
2 - Images need to be transferred to the tethered PC, as I have a separate editing machine with hard drives that are synced between tether station and editing station.
3 - HDMI / Live view out to a monitor, while tethered.. I use continuous lighting and want to see adjustments to the scene, repositioning items, adding / removing items in real-time by looking at an additional monitor by the scene, not by taking a shot and then walking 20 feet away to look at that shot on the editing monitor.

So far the only MF system I've been able to test that will do this is the Fuji GFX (I specifically tested 50S II) with Capture One.. though the focus bracketing is manual from the editing station (remotely controlling focus on the camera in small increments), but relatively repeatable. The Hasselblad could not due to lack of any video out to a separate monitor, though Phocus worked great on the image bracketing part. I'm sure Phase One probably could as well but money.

That being said, since shallow DoF is the enemy here, I am testing higher resolution full-frame cameras (I can't go down to APS-C.. I just won't do it..!), so I have the Canon R5, Sony A7R IV and Nikon Z7 II rented and arriving to be evaluated in this regard..

From my research, the Nikon Z7 II can do all of this (and actually the Z7 Mk I as well).. Sony should be able to do manual "remote" bracketing like the Fuji GFX.. TBD on the Canon R5.

 

[handymike]

The Nikon D850 also does it.