#Milky way stacking software full

A high numerical aperture (equivalent to a low f-number) gives a very shallow depth of field. In microscopy, high numerical apertures are desirable to capture as much light as possible from a small sample. The Mars Science Laboratory mission has a device called Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), which can take photos that can later be focus stacked. The hole is 1.6 centimetres (0.63 in) wide and 6.7 centimetres (2.6 in) deep. Stacked image of the Curiosity Rovers first sampling hole in Mount Sharp. Alternative techniques for generating images with increased or flexible depth of field include wavefront coding and light-field cameras. Focus stacking also allows generation of images physically impossible with normal imaging equipment images with nonplanar focus regions can be generated. Focus stacking can also be useful in landscape photography.įocus stacking offers flexibility: since it is a computational technique, images with several different depths of field can be generated in post-processing and compared for best artistic merit or scientific clarity. Focus stacking can be used in any situation where individual images have a very shallow depth of field macro photography and optical microscopy are two typical examples. Bottom is the final 'focus stacked' image.įocus stacking (also known as focal plane merging and z-stacking or focus blending) is a digital image processing technique which combines multiple images taken at different focus distances to give a resulting image with a greater depth of field (DOF) than any of the individual source images.

#Milky way stacking software full

Top right are the three masks used to obtain the contributions of their respective images to the final 'focus stacked' image (black is no contribution, white is full contribution). Top left are the three source images captured at three different focus distances. This example is of a diatom microfossil in diatomaceous earth. Focus stacking (for extended depth of field) in bright field light microscopy.