Artifacts, banding, bizarre looking stacks

Shooting in macro mode, techniques, tips & tricks
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dkperez
Posts: 48
Joined: 22.03.2014 02:30

Artifacts, banding, bizarre looking stacks

Post by dkperez »

I looked in here and found several topics on people getting less-than-optimal outputs from Helicon Focus. Some of my stacks are ok, others dreadful. I've never really understood how to set up Method B radius and smoothing settings - I've tried a lot of different ones, but I'm not getting exactly what changing each value is doing. When possible I use method C. Then try to fix the banding and whatever is blatantly wrong in Photoshop.

That workflow seems inefficient, so I'm trying to get better stacks in Helicon Focus.

I recently created a small stack in Helicon Remote - 12 images, in jpeg, so it's not complex. I stacked it repeatedly in HF with Method B, getting poor results. I then stacked it using Method C, and get the same kind of edge issues and banding I normally see.
2017-05-16 14-32-28 img_001 (C).jpg
(670.98 KiB) Not downloaded yet
I"ve uploaded the 12 jpegs - downscanned from the original 7360x4912 to 1840 on the long side so they're 25% of the originals. I also uploaded the five outputs I got - 4 with Method B and 1 with Method C... They're in "dkperez test".

Hopefully you can give me some advice on how to get rid of the ghosts and/or artifacts and/or banding I'm seeing in Method C, or better, how to get Method B to give me better stacks...
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Stas Yatsenko
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Joined: 06.05.2009 14:05
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Re: Artifacts, banding, bizarre looking stacks

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Thanks for the stack. We tested it on current version and can't exactly reproduce your artifacts. I would suggest to download the latest version before further investigation.

This stack contains image with different relative brightness of fore- and background. Program cannot fully correct this issue, that is why you see artifacts on the background and petals when using method B.

We sent you a link to Beta version in a private message, I would appreciate if you check it.
dkperez
Posts: 48
Joined: 22.03.2014 02:30

Re: Artifacts, banding, bizarre looking stacks

Post by dkperez »

I thought I put this in previous, but apparently I never submitted it...

I've installed the beta version you sent a link for. It seems to be fine, but I"m not sure what new or improved capabilities it has. I haven't had a chance to try it with the stack I previously sent, yet.

Unfortunately, as far as the different relative brightness issue, in using helicon remote in normal conditions, there is frequently a change in the brightness of the light over the extended amount of time required for the images to be captured. I've tried using manual mode, but it's not unusual for clouds to move in and out during exposures, causing some changes. It's also common for nearby vegetation to change the amount of light available as it moves with the air. I've also tried using aperture mode so the software could change the shutter speed during the exposures so hopefully the relative brightness would stay the same, but that doesn't appear to work either.

I"m not sure what the best solution would be...
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Stas Yatsenko
Posts: 3841
Joined: 06.05.2009 14:05
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Re: Artifacts, banding, bizarre looking stacks

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Have a look at Helicon FB Tube at our site. It allows to use burst shooting for stacks and reduce time per stack to several seconds.
dkperez
Posts: 48
Joined: 22.03.2014 02:30

Re: Artifacts, banding, bizarre looking stacks

Post by dkperez »

Interesting... That may also help with the problem that the *&^%$#@ flowers keep moving even when I use a wind box!!!!! Hopefully, shooting a dozen images at 7 fps will give them a lot less time to move than shooting a dozen a 1 every 4 - 5 seconds!
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