Helicon Focus 7.5

Helicon Focus is intended to enhance your photographs, particularly those taken to small objects, such as small plants, jewelry pieces, animals and insects. Thus, with a technique called “stacking”, the tool can merge multiple shots, preferably those taken in bursts, to improve focus and make details more visible. It has a nice interface that completely hides rather complex algorithms running under the hood, which makes this program accessible to all kinds of users. However, needless to say, the results will largely depend on the quality of the source images. Fortunately, the product comes with excellent documentation and there are even some online tutorials available.

To enhance focus, you need to start by importing a series of images. It is important that they show the same object, even if they were taken from different perspectives. Moreover, you can import a complete stack by opening its folder. Next, you can pick one of the three available methods, each of them with their own advantages and limitations. For example, the Weighted Average method is ideal for short stacks and preserves the original contrast and color. The Depth Math method, in turn, is the best for rendering textures on smooth surfaces; yet, it only works with consecutive images. Finally, the Pyramid method should be used for complex cases, such as those in which objects intersect or there is a deep stack. Anyway, it is a good idea to try different methods and compare the results. more