Helicon Focus

Note: This review addresses version 4.80 of the software.

Helicon Focus is one of the best programs I've found for dealing with depth of field problems facing photographers. It allows you to get the equivalent of infinite depth of field in your photos, with sharp focus from the foreground all the way back to the rear. How is this possible? By taking multiple photos of the same scene and combining them afterwards into a composite that features only the sharpest bits of each image.

Note: This shareware version of the program is free, but after 30 days it starts adding promotional text to the images it produces. Paying a $30 license fee lets you use Helicon Focus unhindered for one year; a lifetime license is $115.

--Dave Johnson