Helicon Focus Lite
For Windows or Mac OS
(Downloadable)
Note: After purchase you will receive an email with download link and activation code
HeliconFocus is an amazing program that can give you UNLIMITED depth of field. The program is designed for macro photography, microphotography and hyperfocal landscape photography to cope with the shallow depth-of-field problem.
It does this by combining multiple images where each image has a different point of focus. It also aligns images as objects often change their size and position from shot to shot. This function is especially important for macro photography.
Helicon Focus is designed for: - Micro photography (camera + optical microscope)
- Macro photography (camera + macro lenses)
- Landscape photography (infinite depth of field)
- Remote shooting from computer via USB cable
You use it by mounting your camera on a tripod and setting your camera to manual focus. You then focus on the closest part of your subject and take a picture. You then focus a little further away and take another picture. You keep doing this until you've taken enough pictures where each image has part of your subject in focus. You then feed these images to HeliconFocus and magically it combines the sharpest portions of each image to create one image with EVERYTHING in focus.
The PRO version allows you to automate this process with Canon and Nikon DSLRs and also includes a module to turn your processed imanges into a 3D model.
There are VERY few software products that we like, but this is DEFINITELY one of them This program does what no other program can. One of the photographic concepts that most photographers have a problem with is depth of field and sharpness. Using a small lens opening creates more depth of field, but at the cost of overall sharpness. Using f22 will create a SOFT image with a lot of depth of field. The greatest sharpness will be obtained when a lens is set to about 3-stops from wide open. Thus an f2.8 lens is sharpest at f8. HeliconFocus allows you to take sharp pictures at f8 while getting far more depth of field than you could get with f22!!
- Quality: advanced interpolation techniques, 16 bit workflow, direct RAW input
- Scope: unlimted number of images, resolution over 100Mpixels, 64 bit support, Windows/Mac versions
- Performance: very fast, multi-threaded, i7 compatible, batch and command line modes available
- Tools: clone from source brush to repaint possible artifacts, 3D model , dust map, 2D panorama, Helicon Remote for automated focus bracketing
There are two versions that we carry:
(Note: all versions come with an unlimited license - it's valid for a lifetime and all updates are free. The software can be installed on 4 computers as long as only one is used at a time.) Here's a summary of the features in each version: | Feature | Lite | Pro | Premium | | 16-bit Precision | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Unlimited stack length | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Dust map support | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Adjustable RAW development | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Smooth interaction with Lightroom | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Text/scale bar | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Command line support | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Multi-core processing | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Advanced interpolators | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Helicon Remote desktop (Win/Mac OS) | -- | Yes | Yes | | Specialized retouching tools | -- | Yes | Yes | | OpenCL hardware acceleration | -- | Yes | Yes | | Batch mode and stack autosplitting | -- | Yes | Yes | | Folder monitor | -- | Yes | Yes | | RAW-in-DNG-out mode | -- | Yes | Yes | | Depth map saving | -- | Yes | Yes | | 3D model generation | -- | Yes | Yes | | 2D micropanorama | -- | Yes | Yes | | Helicon Remote mobile (Android, iOS) | -- | -- | Yes |
This is a product that we highly recommend! Helicon Focus is a program that creates one completely focused image from several partially focused images by combining the focused areas. The program is designed for macro photography, microphotography and hyperfocal landscape photography to cope with the shallow depth-of-field problem. Helicon Focus also aligns images as objects often change their size and position from shot to shot. This function is especially important for macro photography. Helicon Focus is able to create 3D model of the object which can be manipulated in free Helicon 3D Viewer (included into Helicon Focus installation) and exported as video file, stereo pair or anaglyph. | 
View a 1MB Macro animation & description
View a 400KB Landscape animation & description
|
| | |
|
The recommended system configuration is: - 4 core processor or higher
- 16 Gb RAM or higher
- Resolution 1920 x 1080 or more
Minimum system requirements are: - 64-bit OS
- 2 GHz processor
- 4 Gb RAM
- Resolution 1280 x 1024
| |
| | |