affinity photo Focus stacking with 95 images

[unni]

Focus stacking with AP. It took about 30 mts for each image. No cropping, only small trimming of borders. Minimal editing like enhancing contrast only done.
Subject: a dead moth which I accidentally came across in the stairway.
Magnification: The field of view for 5X objective is around 5mm X 3mm and 10X about 2.5mm X 1.5mm.
                           From internet I see that the length of one scale is about 0.20mm and width at tip 0.035 mm and distance between the fine longitudinal lines
                           on a scale about 0.001mm. So the smallest feature just visible is about 1 to 2 microns (0.001 to 0.002mm) and 5 micron features are clearly seen.

Camera: Nikon D3100 with 5X and 10X Plan achromatic metallurgical finite objective.
Lighting: One flash Godox TT600 triggered by hotshoe mounted wireless trigger Godox X1N. Powerlevel 1/128, no diffusers.
step movement: Milling machine table , each step was about 15 microns, manual turning.
More details of setup: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/70721-flame-of-the-woods/

10X objective, 95 images stack( eyes) 

 

5X objective, 47 images stack(hair and scales of wings) 

 

10X Objective , 40 images stack(scales on wings) 

[Kasper-V]

Breath-taking!

[John Rostron]

Impressive! I take it that 30 mts per image is for each of the three final images rather than each of the 95 original images.

In a curious optical effect,the grey scales to the right in #2 looked unclear, but in close-up they are well in focus. It is probably the grey colour that has that effect

John

[unni]

thanks @Kasper-V @John Rostron. the processing time per stack is about 30mts.as you mentioned, it leads to the final image as the output. there was an overall haze/lack of contrast which was rectified wonderfully by the dehaze feature of AP. the key to success is to have a setup which can move without axial errors. to achieve it professionally, we need linear guides which is expensive. i could achieve similar results with the heavy milling machine table and my crude dial! lighting diffuser is required to get even light and elimination of specular spots but with 1/128 power level and no diffusers, this image was fine, may be because wings are relatively a flat field case compared to other body parts which are more 3 dimensional. 

[Kasper-V]

I was impressed by your using the milling machine table! As you say, the proper kit is expensive. I wonder who might have a lathe or something among my acquaintances?