I recently purchased a new device form Helicon Focus. I haven't received the device yet, but I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery.
The device is called the Helicon FB tube. It is similar to an extension tube in form in that it fits in between the lens and the camera body. A cord connects with the camera to control the autofocus motor in the lens that allows you to do in camera stack shots. The only camera I know right now, (correct me if I'm wrong here), is the Canon Mirrorless RP body that has a stack shot capability in camera.
So to use the Helicon FB tube, you have to be using any focal length of auto-focus lens, so it would not work with the Canon 65mm MP-E lens.
I think the tube will be a welcome edition for field work. I'll let you know what I think of the tube and how well it works.
Helicon FB tube
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More information about the Helicon FB tube will be appreciated. Right now our best report is the one by MarkSturtevant at https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=40225 .
Regarding other cameras that can automatically shoot focus stacks, a full list would be quite a bit longer than the one camera that you've listed. Most prominent would be several of the Olympus MFT cameras (micro four thirds), as reported at length here by Lou Jost and others. Nikon D850 also has it. Canon's mostly do not, unless you load into them the Magic Lantern firmware extension, in which case a lot of them do. Panasonic calls their version PostFocus, for example as described at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wFRy8VQKuQ . Or you can add a CamRanger controller and do automatic focus stacking with most any Canon or Nikon camera.
Primary advantage of the Helicon FB tube is that it works with a wide assortment of bodies and it's totally self-contained once you have it configured. I think you'll find that the cord is for connection to a smartphone or computer to do the configuration. In operation, the tube monitors electronic signals on the camera side of the lens mount to figure out when each frame has been shot.
--Rik
Regarding other cameras that can automatically shoot focus stacks, a full list would be quite a bit longer than the one camera that you've listed. Most prominent would be several of the Olympus MFT cameras (micro four thirds), as reported at length here by Lou Jost and others. Nikon D850 also has it. Canon's mostly do not, unless you load into them the Magic Lantern firmware extension, in which case a lot of them do. Panasonic calls their version PostFocus, for example as described at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wFRy8VQKuQ . Or you can add a CamRanger controller and do automatic focus stacking with most any Canon or Nikon camera.
Primary advantage of the Helicon FB tube is that it works with a wide assortment of bodies and it's totally self-contained once you have it configured. I think you'll find that the cord is for connection to a smartphone or computer to do the configuration. In operation, the tube monitors electronic signals on the camera side of the lens mount to figure out when each frame has been shot.
--Rik
