Can an older manual-focus Nikkor lens be used for focus stacking with tethered software?
Asked 3/31/2018
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I want to shoot focus stacks with a Nikon camera connected to tethering software such as ControlMyNikon. Can an older pre-DSLR/manual-focus Nikkor lens be used for this, or does focus stacking software require a lens whose focus can be controlled by the camera/computer?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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A typical focus stacking setup involves fixing the camera on a rail, which is then moved in very small increments (often involving a micrometer screw).
In such situation it matters little whether the camera shoots in tethered or regular mode. There is a slight benefit of finding your starting focus point easier on the bigger screen, but this is more of a convenience than a necessity.
Adjusting lens focus from the camera / computer gives you less accurate steps compared to moving your whole setup, with focus fixed. Remember you are moving the focus plane forward / backward in dozens of steps of a fraction of a millimeter each.
As you are (typically) not changing your focus during your stacking session you can use some genuine vintage equipment. This is a setup I had used with great success - a four element East German lens from the early 1950's, mounted on a M42 bellows and a late film era focusing rail.
Originally by user62463. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user62463
8y ago
0
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Yes, but it depends on how the stack is made. If the older Nikkor is manual-focus only and the camera/software cannot drive its focus, the software generally cannot step focus through the lens. In that case, you would not use computer-controlled focus changes.
For many focus-stacking setups—especially close-up or product work—that is not a problem. A common method is to lock focus and move the camera or subject in very small increments, often with a focusing rail or micrometer-style rail. This is usually more precise than changing focus electronically through the lens, because stacking often needs dozens of tiny shifts in the focus plane.
So: a pre-DSLR manual lens can still be used for focus stacking, but typically with a rail-based setup rather than software-controlled autofocus steps. Tethering can still be useful for composing and checking focus on a larger screen, even if it is not controlling the lens focus itself.
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