Focus Stacking Software for Windows

Focus stacking software: merge a focus series into one sharp photo

Focus Stacking Software merges a bracketed focus series into one photo that is sharp front to back. A macro lens holds only a thin slice in focus, so the subject is shot twenty or fifty times with the focus moved slightly each time. This focus stacking software for Windows lines the frames up, keeps the sharp part of each one, and can then soften the background behind the subject.

How to use Focus Stacking Software

1. Shoot the series on a tripod or a focus rail with the exposure locked.

2. Click Add Files and select every frame of one shoot. All frames must have the same pixel size.

3. Leave the Detail method selected and press Stack. Focus Stacking Software aligns the frames first and merges them second.

4. Zoom the result to 100% and check the thin parts such as antennae and leg tips.

5. Add background blur if you want it, then save a 16-bit TIFF, JPEG or PNG.

Focus Stacking Software is free to try. The unregistered copy runs the whole merge and shows the result at full resolution, with no watermark. Saving it to disk needs a license.

Key features of Focus Stacking Software

• Two merge methods. Detail holds fine texture such as wing scales or a coin rim. Smooth blends by a depth map, and its Radius setting trades sharpness for calm.

• Alignment built in. Each frame is matched to its neighbor, which covers the scale and shift that come with racking focus.

• Background blur from depth. The frames go from near to far, so Focus Stacking Software already knows how far away each pixel sits. One slider sets the amount, another how much of the depth stays sharp, and the sharp part keeps its original pixels.

• RAW in, 16-bit TIFF out. DNG, CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, ORF and RW2 are decoded inside the program, and JPEG, PNG, TIFF and BMP are read too.

• Whole folders in one pass. In batch mode each subfolder is its own series: forty folders come back as forty stacks.

• Memory you can predict. Usage follows the resolution of one frame, about 200 MB per megapixel, and the number of frames does not change it. RAW series are slower than JPEG and do better with 16 GB of RAM and an SSD.

• Limits stated up front. A hand-held burst does not align. Thin edges can show a halo, as in every tool of this kind, and there is no retouch brush.

Who needs Focus Stacking Software

• Insect and specimen photographers who shoot thirty to a hundred frames per subject.

• Coin and collectible sellers whose buyers judge grading detail from one picture.

• Product and jewelry photographers with rings, watches and other deep subjects.

Focus Stacking Software FAQ

What is the point of focus stacking?

At macro distances the zone in focus is under a millimeter deep, and a smaller aperture loses sharpness to diffraction faster than it adds depth. Focus Stacking Software takes the depth from many frames instead.

Is focus stacking worth it?

Yes, when the subject has volume and someone will look closely, as with a listing photo or a specimen record. A flat subject such as a stamp is fine in one frame.

Is there free focus stacking software?

There is, and most of it is command line only. Focus Stacking Software has a window, and you see the merged result at full size before you decide anything.

What is the best focus stacking software for Mac?

Not this one. Focus Stacking Software is a Windows program for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. It works on your own disk and needs no graphics card.

Contact SoftOrbits support with any question about Focus Stacking Software.