FocusFusion

What FocusFusion is

FocusFusion combines photographs taken at different focus distances into one image with greater depth of field. The Windows app provides depthmap and wavelet focus-stacking methods, as well as automatic alignment and manual retouching. Depthmap requires images ordered front-to-back or back-to-front and can have difficulty with translucency or complex overlaps. Wavelet accepts images in any order, but may add noise, create artifacts at sharp brightness transitions or reduce alignment quality. Processing uses at least 16-bit precision per channel. Supported inputs are TIFF up to 48 bpp, 16-bit-per-channel JPEG XR and classic 8-bit JPEG; RAW files are not supported. A clone-based retouching tool offers adjustable brush size, hardness and opacity, with cloning at 16-bit quality. FocusFusion is free. It requires Windows 10, an SSE4.1 CPU made after 2008 and at least 8 GB of memory; 16 GB is recommended for deeper stacks or larger DSLR images. The maker recommends a tripod with focus bracketing or a macro rail and consistent exposure and contrast.

Who it suits

FocusFusion suits Windows users combining images captured at different focus distances, particularly when they can keep exposure consistent and arrange their source images appropriately. It may be less suitable when RAW input is needed or source images contain difficult overlaps or translucency.

Getting started

1. Use a Windows 10 PC with an SSE4.1 CPU manufactured after 2008 and at least 8 GB of memory.
2. Download FocusFusion from the Windows Store.
3. Prepare supported TIFF, JPEG XR, or JPEG source images.
4. Use a tripod with focus bracketing or a macro rail, and keep exposure and contrast constant.
5. Order source images front-to-back or back-to-front when using the depthmap algorithm.

Verdict

FocusFusion offers two stacking approaches, alignment and retouching in a free Windows app. The choice of algorithm matters: depthmap depends on image order, while wavelet can introduce image artifacts or alignment problems.