Focus Stacking App for Android

[neat oyster]

Is there an Android app that lets me do Focus Stacking right on the phone? Paid is fine.

[tropic burrow]

What do you call focus stacking? Is that a Warhammer 40k terminology?

[paper flower]

It's a technique to take multiple photos with different focus points, and calculate one photo from all of them where every point of the object is sharp. It is done to compensate for low depth of field while taking shots with a wide aperture (to let more light in).

[slow pivot]

Can lightroom do it?

[paper flower]

Canon's R8 can do it within the camera... ˆ.ˆ (yay, Christmas)
Also there are android apps for remote-controlling a camera to do focus stacking, like Helicon. Not sure from the question if that would be eligible. Their post-processing tool is only for desktop PCs.

[neat oyster]

Do ya know the cheapest camera that can do it in-camera? 😅

I'd want something all-in-one-go, either an app or a camera

Cuz realistically I'm not gonna do it otherwise lol

[full wind]

Doesn't focus stacking require a tripod?

When using a tripod already why not take longer exposure time and smaller apperture

Sorry I have no answer to your question.

[neat oyster]

Well right now I'm shooting with my phone, so I can't control the aperture (did get a Tripod, tho!)

I guess the Focus Stacking might matter less if I got a proper camera though?

Cuz I guess it's mainly a way to get around not being able to control the aperture in phones?

Hrm... https://www.reddit.com/r/AskPhotography/s/bkorOwx7H7

[slow pivot]

I mean I don’t understand about half of the jargon in that person’s reply, but it sounded like they were giving advice on a camera for macro photography. In my experience you don’t really want a macro lens for take photos of miniatures as it shows unwanted levels of detail

[neat oyster]

Oh damn. What should I get then? I do like the idea of The Whole Thing Is In Focus tho

Whether taking a picture of a single mini or a bunch

I hate Depth of Field lol, stop making me take multiple pictures dammit

[slow pivot]

Honestly just any camera with manual exposure, aperture and shutter speed control will get you all the depth of field you need for the whole mini to be in focus

And that describes most dedicated cameras

Take a look at ‘entry level’ dslr cameras that include a lens, get a tripod, you’re all set

Then you can take good photos, video, and use it for general photography too

Would also look at getting it 2nd hand

[paper flower]

With a camera and a tripod, you can use a wide aperture to maximize DOP, and have a long shutter time. You then set the shoot to fire 2 seconds after you pressed the trigger, so the camera does not move any more from manually pressing the button. Or use a remote trigger.

Posted this a while ago, after experimenting with camera settings: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2517861/more-brilliant-colors-optimizing-photo-setup

[neat oyster]

Neat, thanks!

[grim urchin]

Instead of focus stacking on your phone try moving the phone further away and using zoom. The further you are the more depth of field you get. It'll be a trade off on quality though so you'll have to find a good compromise. On my phone shooting at 2x or 3x doesn't really compromise detail much but I wouldn't go to 7x 😉

[neat oyster]

I want 0 Depth of Field though. I just want to frame my shot and have the whole thing be in focus.

Hence, Focus Stacking

Nothing blurry

[grim urchin]

Oh I thought you meant just the mini parts. I didn't think the background was important.

If you put the foreground past the infinity focus distance of your camera and then crop everything will be in focus. That is still fairly close for most phones

You can probably find a lytro camera cheap these days. They do light field photos and you can choose what's in focus including everything. But you'd have to plug it into your PC to get the photos so that sounds like more then you want to do

[neat oyster]

Right! I want the cheapest version of "everything in the viewfinder is In Focus with 1-ish click"

(that doesn't have any weird downsides, or ways in which it's actually bad for minis lol)