Focus Shift Shooting

Focus shift automatically varies focus over a series of shots. Use it to take photos that will later be combined using focus stacking to create a single image with increased depth of field. Before using focus shift, choose a focus mode of AF-S or AF-C and a release mode other than E.

Option	Description
[Start]	Start shooting. The camera will take the selected number of shots, changing the focus distance by the selected amount with each shot.
[No. of shots]	Choose the number of shots (maximum 300).
[Focus step width]	Focus shift varies the focus distance over a series of photographs. Choose the amount the focus distance changes with each shot.
[Interval until next shot]	The time between shots, in seconds. Select [00] to take photos at up to about 5 fps. To ensure correct exposure when using a flash, choose an interval long enough for the flash to charge.
[First-frame exposure lock]	[On]: The camera locks exposure for all shots at the setting for the first frame. [Off]: The camera adjusts exposure before each shot.
[Silent photography]	Select [On] to eliminate shutter sounds during shooting. Selecting [On] does not completely silence the camera. Camera sounds may still be audible, for example during autofocus or aperture adjustment, in the latter case most noticeably at apertures smaller (i.e., at f-numbers higher) than f/5.6.
[Starting storage folder]	Highlight either of the following options and press 2 to select (M) or deselect (U). [New folder]: A new folder is created for each new sequence. [Reset file numbering]: File numbering is reset to 0001 whenever a new folder is created.

Focus Shift Photography

Before Shooting

Take a test shot at current settings.
To ensure that shooting is not interrupted, use a fully-charged battery, an optional charging AC adapter, or an optional AC adapter and power connector.

Focus.
- During focus shift, the camera takes a series of shots starting from a selected focus position and continuing toward infinity. Given that shooting ends when infinity is reached, the starting focus position should be slightly in front of (i.e., closer to the camera than) the closest point on the subject.
- Do not move the camera after focusing.
Highlight [Focus shift shooting] in the photo shooting menu and press 2.

Adjust focus shift settings.

Choose the number of shots.

Highlight [No. of shots] and press 2.

Choose the number of shots and press J.

The maximum number of shots is 300.
We recommend taking more shots than you think you’ll need. You can winnow them down during focus stacking.
More than 100 shots may be required for photographs of insects or other small objects. On the other hand, only a few may be needed to photograph a landscape from front to back with a wide-angle lens.

Choose the amount the focus distance changes with each shot.

Highlight [Focus step width] and press 2.

Choose a focus step width and press J.

Press 4 to reduce the focus step width, 2 to increase.
Note that high settings increase the risk that some areas will be out of focus when the shots are stacked. A value of 5 or less is recommended.
Try experimenting with different settings before shooting.

Choose the interval until next shot.

Highlight [Interval until next shot] and press 2.

Choose the interval between shots and press J.

Choose the interval between shots, in seconds.
Select [00] to take photos at up to about 5 fps.
To ensure correct exposure when using a flash, choose an interval long enough for the flash to charge. A setting of [00] is recommended when shooting without a flash.

Enable or disable first-frame exposure lock.

Highlight [First-frame exposure lock] and press 2.

Highlight an option and press J.

[Off] is recommended if lighting and other conditions will not change during shooting, [On] when photographing landscapes and the like under variable lighting.
Selecting [On] locks exposure at the value for the first shot, ensuring that all photos have the same exposure. Large changes in subject brightness during shooting may however result in apparent variations in exposure. This can be addressed by selecting [Off].

Enable or disable silent photography.

Highlight [Silent photography] and press 2.

Highlight an option and press J.

Choose starting folder options.

Highlight [Starting storage folder] and press 2.

Select the desired options and press J to proceed.

Highlight either of the following options and press 2 to select; selected items are marked with a check (M). To deselect (remove the check from: U) a selected option, highlight it and press 2 again.
Place a check (M) next to [New folder] to create a new folder for each new sequence.
Place a check (M) next to [Reset file numbering] to reset file numbering to 0001 whenever a new folder is created.

Highlight [Start] and press J.
- Shooting starts after about 3 s.
- The display turns off during shooting.
- The camera takes photographs at the selected interval, starting at the focus distance selected at the start of shooting and progressing out toward infinity by the selected focus step distance with each shot.
- Shooting ends when the selected number of shots has been taken or focus reaches infinity.

Ending Focus Shift Photography

To end shooting before all shots have been taken, either:

select [Focus shift shooting] in the photo shooting menu, highlight [Off], and press J, or
press the shutter-release button halfway or press the J button between shots.

Aperture

Given that pictures shot at very small apertures (high f-numbers) may lack definition, we recommend that you choose apertures wider (f-numbers lower) than f/8–f/11.

During Shooting

During focus shift photography, the release mode indicator in the control panel will turn off. The memory card access lamp will flash.

Focus Shift Photography

The shutter speed and the time needed to record the image may vary from shot to shot. As a result, the interval between a shot being recorded and the start of the next shot may vary.
Shooting ends when focus reaches infinity, and consequently depending on the focus position at the start of shooting, shooting may end before the selected number of shots has been taken.
Regardless of the option selected for Custom Setting c3 [Power off delay] > [Standby timer], the standby timer will not expire while shooting is in progress.
If you are using a flash, choose an interval longer than the time needed for the flash to charge. If the interval is too short, the flash may fire at less than the power needed for full exposure.
If shooting cannot proceed at current settings, for example because shutter speed is set to “Bulb” or “Time”, a warning will be displayed.
Changing camera settings while focus shift photography is in progress may cause shooting to end.

Focus Shift Photography: Restrictions

Focus-shift photography cannot be combined with some camera features, including:

movie recording,
long time-exposures (“Bulb” or “Time”),
the self-timer,
bracketing,
HDR (high dynamic range),
multiple exposures,
interval-timer photography, and
time-lapse movie recording.

When [On] Is Selected for [Silent Photography]

Selecting [On] for [Silent photography] disables some camera features, including:

ISO sensitivities of Hi 0.3 through Hi 2.0,
flash photography,
exposure delay mode,
long-exposure noise reduction, and
flicker reduction.

Close-ups

Because focus depth is reduced at short focus distances, we recommend choosing smaller focus steps and increasing the number of shots when photographing subjects close to the camera.