Is Helicon Focus produce better (Macro) result than stacking images in Photoshop?
Hi Evgeny,
In my experience it is, and it offers much more control over the process should that be needed.
Can Helicon Focus directly read Hasselblad FFF or 3FR RAW files?
I'm not sure, you'd have to check that with them, but it does allow to control the Stackshot rail with a companion program (
Helicon Remote Desktop) to the Professional or X64 versions. Helicon Remote also allows to directly steer the focusing of a number of Canon and Nikon models.
Is Helicon software still in development? Is it a one man (personal) project?
Yes, they recently added another method of Focus detection, are pretty good at solving user issues, and have an open ear for improvement suggestions, they implemented one of my suggestions (Depthmap output). I think it is a two man (Danylo Kozub and Stas Yatsenko) operation, but I could be wrong.
What license did you buy and why?
X64, large files, free updates, and I've enjoyed them for many years already.
There is also another Focus Stacking application that offers high quality, and that's Zerene Stacker (AFAIK a one man, Rik Littlefield, project).
Cheers,
Bart