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Author Topic: Dealing with out of focus areas  (Read 1327 times)

jrr2016

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Dealing with out of focus areas
« on: August 30, 2020, 07:04:19 AM »
I apologize if this has been discussed before -- I was not able to find anything specific through the search feature.

I am making a model of a fairly flat figurine by using a turntable. It has some width to it, so it is shaped a bit like a hardcover book.

I am having difficulty getting the whole object in focus, especially when taking photos of the object when it is at an angle respective to the camera. The top and bottom and (especially) the far side of the body are consistently out of focus to a certain degree. My lens is a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR, and I am shooting at F16. I tried stopping down to F22, but experienced some defocus due to diffraction.

In a case like this, what is the recommended way to take high-quality photos most suited for processing within Metashape? I suppose this ties into the issue of how Metashape actually combines images.

For example, should I take several identical photos at each angle, each with a different area in focus?
1: Head
2: Feet
3: Far side

Would Metashape be able to properly process a set of images like this?

Additionally, can I take close-up shots of, for example, the face or other features that contain more detail, as long as I have enough possible tie points? Will Metashape actually use the greater-detail photos to "improve" the face seen in the full-body pictures?

I would greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you!

cbnewham

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Re: Dealing with out of focus areas
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2020, 03:17:09 PM »
Two answers to this problem.

You could use focus-stacking software to achieve focus over the entire object. Once you've processed the photos, then put them into Metashape.

You could also photograph it in small sections. I photograph life-size effigies using hundreds of photos with areas no bigger than 30x30 cm. Metashape reconstructs them as expected.

jrr2016

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Re: Dealing with out of focus areas
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2020, 02:43:40 AM »
cbnewham,

Thank you for your reply.

I will look into focus-stacking software.

Concerning your second point, do you take full-body images at several different angles in order to provide context for the close-up photos, or is there enough overlap in your close-ups for that not to be necessary?