Forum Special Interests Macro Photography Stacking
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Ulf Simon 06.10.2023, 10:22 #1

Stacking

Request for Experience Sharing / Discussion
I'm curious to hear about your experiences with stacking/bracketing in macro photography.
- Which software do you use for stacking, and what specific insights do you have, especially regarding post-processing of the final stack?
- Do you stack RAW files or JPEGs?
- Thoughts on manual stacking (using a slider manually or motorized) versus bracketing—what are the pros and cons of each technique?
- Have you tried quick stacking, like 3 to 5 handheld shots, for example with insects?
Best, Ulf
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Andreas F 06.10.2023, 13:07 #2
Hello Ulf,

I stick to my usual approach. If something isn’t sharp with the aperture, then it simply won’t be sharp. I’m still old-school, even with a digital camera, especially when it comes to macro photography. I prefer to spend as little time as possible in front of the computer. Often, even quick editing with Darkroom feels like too much for me.
That said, I do find the possibilities that stacking offers quite fascinating and worth seeing.

Best regards, Andreas
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Ulf Simon 06.10.2023, 14:43 #3
@Andreas F For some photos, the traditional optical depth of field just isn’t enough anymore. I’m thinking about the borderline between macro and micro photography—like slime molds—where achieving a depth of field of about 2 mm requires stacking around 100 shots. When using a microscope objective screwed into a Raynox adapter as a close-up lens, it can even be as many as 300 shots. With good software, the stacking process itself can be done in about a minute. Most of the time is spent selecting the area to be stacked and post-processing the final stack to remove ghosting effects, such as moving antennae or insect legs, or to correct light halos.
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Wilfried Voßen 06.10.2023, 21:03 #4
@Ulf Simon - Hi Ulf - I enjoy macro photography and use Helicon Focus Pro for stacking. I would only recommend electronic sliders. Manual operation takes way too long when you need a lot of shots. Nowadays, many cameras already have a bracketing program built in. I've had good experiences with that. I try to work in RAW format, but depending on the print size, JPG can also be sufficient for a photo.
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Ulf Simon 06.10.2023, 22:20 #5
@Wilfried Voßen
Thanks for the info, Wilfried. I mostly stack subjects that don’t move too quickly, like mushrooms, slime molds, or orchid flowers ;-)
I use the bracketing feature on my Olympus MFT. Sometimes in the micro range, with a Raynox attached to the 60mm macro lens. That usually requires at least 100 shots. So far, I’ve been stacking them as JPEGs and then touched up the results a bit in darktable. For stacking, I use Franzis Focus Pro. It’s not quite as fast as Helicon but costs only about a third of the price. It also offers good previews and some built-in correction options. Instead of five different models like Helicon, I only have three, but that’s been enough so far. When I stack RAW files, it gets painfully slow—over 20 images and you might as well go grab a coffee... So I’ve got the basics down.
It’s a different story when I want to work with my full-frame setup. Sony has refused to offer bracketing for years. But I’m not about to ditch my A99-II with 40 megapixels because of that. I have a manual rail with a crank drive from Traumflieger. It works, but it’s fiddly. Automatic rails aren’t very practical out in the field anyway.
And then there’s the issue of insects. Sometimes a quick stack with the camera resting on something works—up to about 10 shots. But the critters usually move around...
Alex Mett’s system is faster, but he uses flash—which is a no-go for me in nature.
Cheers, Ulf
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Wilfried Voßen 07.10.2023, 07:32 #6
Hi Ulf – I don’t use flash at all. Sony is really lagging behind when it comes to macro photography. However, I believe the new Alpha 7r V and the Alpha 6700 now offer focus bracketing. I haven’t really tried much in the micro range yet. I’m not entirely sure what exactly I need to make shooting at higher magnifications like 2:1 or 3:1 as easy as possible. I also prefer to photograph subjects that don’t move. That way, you can take your time to set everything up and light the scene properly.🙂
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Ulf Simon 07.10.2023, 11:53 #7
@Wilfried Voßen
Yes Wilfried, I don’t actually own a flash unit. (At least not one for my current cameras; I think there’s one from the Minolta days gathering dust in a drawer for over 40 years. I used it occasionally for nude and bodypainting shoots back in the film days.) When I need more light (for example, when shooting mushrooms), I use LED flashlights with a diffuser.
Sony: I use Sony A-Mount because of my Minolta lenses. E-Mount was never an option for me since switching would mean a complete system change, and the A to E adapter is just a workaround.
For affordable high magnification, I use Raynox lenses or a microscope objective mounted in a Raynox adapter. This way, the camera’s internal bracketing works as usual. Magnification ranges from 2:1 up to 10:1, depending on the lens and adapter combo. More details can be found at traumflieger.de. Alternatively, for my full-frame setup, I have Zhongyi Mitakon loupe lenses. They’re fully manual, so they only work with stacking on a rail. The quality is good, and they’re reasonably priced. They can achieve up to 5:1 magnification.
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Wilfried Voßen 07.10.2023, 12:02 #8
Hi Ulf – that’s interesting – a microscope objective in a Raynox mount? Which one are you using?🙂
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Arno Lehmann 20.07.2026, 15:33 #11
@Wilfried Voßen: After some initial attempts about 10 years ago, I recently picked up the topic of "stacking" again. Those first attempts are not yet good enough for publication. I have a manual slider and realize in hindsight that there are areas I didn't capture sharply. So I'm interested in the electronic slider you mentioned. Today I published my first stacking photo. Alongside it are two single photos that are almost better than the stacking photo. I stacked a spider that I thought was dead in a magnifying cup. After about 15 photos, it suddenly came back to life. I then continued photographing inside the container and got some pretty good shots. Ultimately, I want to develop technically. As the next step, I want to stack objects that I don't have to keep still first. Which is basically a problem for me. That's why I appreciate the spider from yesterday. It cooperated almost perfectly with me – to its benefit. What objects have you had good experiences with?
Best regards Arno
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Arno Lehmann 20.07.2026, 15:48 #12
@Wilfried Voßen:
Welchen elektronischen Schlitten kannst du mir empfehlen?
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Jörg Hartmann 06.10.2026, 00:11 #13
I work with the Nikon Z6iii and the NIKKOR Z MC 105 mm 1:2.8 VR S. Of course, with a sturdy tripod and a mechanical macro rail. The difficulty for me is focusing sharply on the point closest to the lens. But the camera helps me quite well with that. Depending on how deep the subject is, I set the number of shots on the camera. About 20 - 50 shots. I almost always shoot in RAW, so the whole processing takes a bit longer. The difference between RAW and JPG shots is only marginal though. I light the scene with 2 x 200 watt continuous LED lights and corresponding softboxes. Once the camera has done its job, I let Affinity Photo merge the photos and voilà, the shot is sharp from front to back.
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Ulf Simon 06.10.2026, 08:45 #14
@Arno Lehmann: Hi Arno: Automatic rails are ideal if you have a) a stationary subject, b) plenty of time, and c) are willing to carry not only the rail but also the battery pack and all the lighting into the field. Meanwhile, the bracketing technique has become so good that the rail is only for specialists (e.g., Jürgen, who, as far as I know, works with a manual one). I preferred to invest the considerable amount in a camera body with a good bracketing function. (It can do 300 shots, more than 200, in the microscope range, which I've never needed)
For the tripod, it's clear that it must be very stable because the relatively heavy system sits off-center. So ideally one with a reversible center column, so the camera along with the rail hangs below between the tripod legs. If it has to be quick (e.g., insects), sometimes just a beanbag or a ground tripod (metal plate with tripod head) is used.
Best regards, Ulf
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Werner Willms 06.10.2026, 09:59 #15
@Ulf Simon: I also have the microscope lens in the Raynox mount. However, I find it a bit tricky to handle because it requires a relatively long focal length. I tried it once with a 100–400 mm lens. In the natural setting, it’s quite cumbersome and not exactly easy to manage, especially when you’re out in the field.
P.S.: Unfortunately, the shop Traumflieger no longer exists.
Best regards Werner
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Jürgen's Welt 06.10.2026, 10:14 #16
As Ulf already mentioned, I do everything manually with a macro rail and remote shutter release.
When I started with the Canon Rp, the internal focus bracketing wasn’t for me—too complicated and inaccurate, the AF couldn’t be disabled back then, and I wanted to start where I wanted, not where the AF found something. Also, the step length options were too cumbersome for me, etc..

So I ignored all the videos about stacking, did countless, hundreds of tests, changed and refined everything until it worked for me, and developed my own technique so I felt comfortable and the quality was right for me.

Not to forget, I mainly work with a manual lens, the Canon MP-E 65, for which bracketing doesn’t work.
By hand, depending on shutter speed, I manage 3-4 shots per second... so it goes really fast with insects and mushrooms...
Also worth mentioning is that I’m always out with insects in the very early morning hours when they’re still sleeping or haven’t started their day.

I once considered getting an electric rail, and that would have been the one from Novoflex because it was the most precise and easiest for me, but it was too expensive and too cumbersome in the field... so I quickly discarded the idea. You only really need an electric rail for very small magnifications in the studio, otherwise not. Setting it up and adjusting it takes too long with insects. And it’s not light to carry into the forest either.

At first, I had the Castel-Q macro rail, but with that, I couldn’t do the very small step lengths I needed at 4-5x magnification, and the fine adjustment wheel was on the side, which caused too many vibrations at that magnification. For a while now, there’s the Castel-M, which allows step lengths down to 0.01mm, so I can fully utilize the MP-E 65 macro lens since the depth of field at 5x magnification is 0.05mm. Here the fine adjustment wheel is at the back.

In the future, I even want to venture up to 10:1 magnification with mushrooms... let’s see what’s possible out in the field... often I wished I could get to 7-8x magnification with myxomycetes slime molds.

Now, if I were to start fresh today and had no camera equipment, I’d probably use the OM system—quick and simple..

But honestly, I love sitting with my subjects and really engaging with them... I really enjoy that time......

One more thing about flashes, which are often used—I would never do that because insects have very delicate eyes and it really hurts them..

The tripod shouldn’t be too light, so no carbon.

Just a few bits of info in brief

Best regards, Jürgen
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Jürgen's Welt 06.10.2026, 10:22 #17
@Jörg Hartmann: Hello, just briefly... to hit the focus point cleanly, use a macro rail so you can move in precisely. As for RAW or JPG, I always shoot RAW... often I need to take full advantage of the camera's dynamic range, for example due to overexposure and shadows, which is only possible with RAW. That's why I would always recommend RAW, because you have many more options in post-processing... JPG always lacks depth... the life. I also use light, in the dark forest with small subjects, with everything needed, always paying attention to the CRI value... Best regards, Jürgen
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Jürgen's Welt 06.10.2026, 10:25 #18
@Werner Willms: Hello Werner... my partner also uses the Rainox lenses so she can get a bit closer in the ABM... and with the 100mm macro, it works well with the macro rail... a solution without much effort for those who also want to capture something small sometimes Best regards, Jürgen
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Werner Willms 06.10.2026, 10:43 #19
@Ulf Simon: I also use focus peaking on my Lumix G9 with MFT. I've had good experiences with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro combined with the Raynox DCR-250 macro attachment. Sometimes I also add an extension tube when I want to get even closer to the subject.

Currently, however, I am photographing with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO from OM System.

For such shots, 100 to 150 images are actually the minimum for me. I shoot the entire series in RAW format and then do some editing in the RAW converter before converting them to JPEG for focus stacking. For the actual stack, I use Affinity Photo. I've had very good experiences with it so far and manage well with my focus stacking shots.
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Ulf Simon 06.10.2026, 12:45 #20
@Werner Willms:
I was also considering the G9-II, but at the moment I still use my old Oly EM10-II with the 30mm or 60mm macro + Raynox if needed for mushrooms with artificial light, the Oly OM 1 with the 90mm, the microscope attachment, or with the Oly converter for everything else. Photos in raw, also stacked in raw (Franzis Focus Pro professional). I then take the finished stack again with darktable and afterwards with Corel Photopaint. Normal mushroom stacks up to about 30 images, slime molds or other micro subjects sometimes 200 (then the computer just calculates for half an hour....)
Oh yes, the Traumflieger shop has been gone for a long time, first Olaf left, and then suddenly he was passive - there are rumors that Stefan is sick.
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