R7 Focus Stacking forces electronic shutter

[rpoole]

The R7, and other R series cameras, forces electronic shutter for focus stacking. This prevents the use of flash for focus stacking. There is no really good reason for not allowing mechanical shutter for focus stacking and the choice of which shutter should be left up to the photographer, not the camera. Does anyone know of any workarounds that can allow the use of flash with the built-in focus stacking?

[Waddizzle]

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@Canonon wrote:

Thats why i was talking about a delay (limit fps).

But as metioned before. It's not a problem for a flash at 1/32 if we could set a delay (limit fps) while using the elctronical shutter (with flash) or use the mechanical shutter.

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I am not certain Dimitri understands the basic issue, that being the frame rate is too fast for the flash/strobe to recharge.  Sensor readout speed is an off-topic tangent.  

The basic problem is the Canon menus do not allow you to set an interval time between frames during focus stacking/bracketing.

[deebatman316]

Just as I said the flash or speedlite can't recharge fast enough. Not to mention the flash or speedlite would need to cool off with that many cycles.

[Marceppy]

There is a integrated timer function that works with brackets, why this cannot be setup to work with flash/focus stacking I don’t understand.  If it were, the timer could be set to allow flash recharge.  Canon are you listening?

Another thing too, shutter only engages when in focus.  An option is needed to allow shutter release when not in focus.

[Chunk]

You're wrong. People have been bursting for stacks for years by using external power sources. Plus other cameras allow flash with their in camera bracketing and people use it. 

[flashfast]

It's hilarious that a company like Canon cannot figure out how to implement this function.  Pretty much every other brand has it.  (OM systems and Older Olympus Mirrorless), Nikon, Sony, Fuji.  Hek I think even Pansasonic does it now.  Canon is the only one that doesn't.  I'm not going to buy a new camera and have to focus stack the slow old fashion way.  It's ridiculous.  I do love the R5 and R6's focusing but not having this feature is a big deal breaker for both Product and Macro photographers.  Please figure it out Canon.

[Chunk]

Flashes actually can and do. Look up the photgas that worked on project Maritus. The guys were shooting a 5dmkIV and made stacks up to around 50 frames by bursting and leaning in (to move the camera forward for the focus plane moving instead of the lens focusing) towards the subject. This is done by using external power sources for the flashes. 

However, even if the flash keeping up was an issue, this could and probably should be solved by allowing control over the interval time. The do it for time lapses so Im sure it can be done for focus bracketing. Other cameras allow flash with focus bracketing and users of those cameras rave about how much they love them because of it.

[Nemo]

I have never found a workaround on the camera. Instead, I use external software to stack in post. I find this preferable anyway since it allows me to shoot RAW rather than JPEG. I use Helicon, which can be used as a standalone, so with your JPEGs, though I use it as a plugin for Lightroom. I know this isn't necessarily the answer you wanted to hear, but may be the best considering you want to use flash or strobe. Affinity Photo and of course Photoshop will do the same.

[Chunk]

You can bracket and save the raw files. Sadly you cant do it with flash so the IQ will be blurry, grainy messes for many use cases...and shooting raw can only help so much. 

[pwiles1968]

The thread is about the lack of Bracketing with Flash not the stacking that is easy to resolve 👍

[pwiles1968]

I will just leave this here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFLpKPzsFjc