Filming a field. 500T?

Michael Mann · June 3, 2009

Greetings.

I am planning an outdoors shoot in Norway in the autumn:

Fields, forest and water @ dawn, daylight and dusk.

We expect snowfall, so there will be ground / tree reflection even amid murky shadows. A zebra hunt basically.

I'm trying to simplify the logistics by sticking to one stock, as this is a run and gun with preloaded cans (It will be too cold for anything else :-).

Right now I'm leaning to Vision 3 5219 500T for the dawn/dusk shots, but wonder how useful it will be for full daylight if it gets too sunny/shiny?

I'm also tempted to shoot filterless (as opposed to an 85) as we are looking for those icy blues....

What are your thoughts? Any recommendations towards the vision 3 250D instead? Has anyone shot snow in daylight with vision 3 250 or 500?

Caveats:

We are shooting with 2 x old Konvas 1M cameras, with very soft lenses (including a 42yr old zoom at f4.5).

I'm new to these cameras, so I want as much leeway as possible for beginners mistakes :-)

Ideally we want as little additional lighting as possible, for mobility's sake. The principals and dialogue will be shot closeup with perhaps a softbox or two to kill shadows.

We'll have a generator parked nearby, and some spare spots, but I don't want to use them except to warm fingers.

Any advice welcome.

Mike.

Adam Garner · June 3, 2009

I would take a light meter out there in the morning and take some readings.

Since you're shooting landscape, your going to have a very deep focus anyway, so a faster speed film would be ok... But if you want to use the same stock during the day you might want to stick with something in-between, like 250D.

The issue with shooting 500T during the day is that you have to close your aperture SO much that you lose all dimension (absolutely NO depth of field). That's where a 50D or even a 250D comes in nicely.

I'd imagine that even with 50D, with snow during the day, will need about NDx6. I just shot a bunch of footage in West Texas, in the desert, and had to use NDx6 to keep the aperture around f16. Seriously.

Here's a weird idea: shoot 250D for the sunrise. Then shoot the 50D underexposed by 1/3 stop or so, Then in telecine the grain structures might match. ?

Jim Carlile · June 4, 2009

There's going to be a lot of light, so it's best to bring along a few cheap ND gelatin filters, that you can just tape over the lenses if need be. Small apertures are also not going to give you the best definition in those old lenses, along with the depth-of-field being non-existent, so if you can knock it down a couple of stops you'll be better off-- optimum f/8 or f/11 for general readings.

One good thing-- you won't have any problem focusing. But remember, those old lenses will not allow you to get too close to the subjects. You're best off doing some close up tests before you go out, to check the accuracy of the barrel markings.

David Auner aac · June 4, 2009

Since you're shooting landscape, your going to have a very deep focus anyway, so a faster speed film would be ok...

[[snip]]

The issue with shooting 500T during the day is that you have to close your aperture SO much that you lose all dimension (absolutely NO depth of field). That's where a 50D or even a 250D comes in nicely.

Hi Adam,

there can't be no depth of field. It can be either large or small, but it's there all the time. If everything is in focus that's large depth of field! And you're saying that with landscape deep focus is ok but then again you're afraid of loosing dimension when closing down the aperture to get exactly that: deep focus? I don't quite understand what you mean.

Cheers, Dave

Adam Garner · June 4, 2009

Hi Adam,

there can't be no depth of field. It can be either large or small, but it's there all the time. If everything is in focus that's large depth of field! And you're saying that with landscape deep focus is ok but then again you're afraid of loosing dimension when closing down the aperture to get exactly that: deep focus? I don't quite understand what you mean.

Cheers, Dave

Hey Dave: I think I meant to say infinite dof. I confused myself with the terminology! So, with 500T in daylight you'll have no dimension, just deep focus. That's ok for landscapes. I should have added if one were to decide to use 500T for exteriors, they would have a pretty flat look. I don't think that's such a hot look...That's what I meant. I personally wouldn't like that. Make more sense?

David Auner aac · June 4, 2009

Hi Adam,

Yep, def does make sense now. That's kinda what I figured you were getting at. It really depends on the story and style I'd say. But I like shallow DOF as well, generally speaking!

Cheers, Dave