Matthew Dombroski

Thanks all, you're all so helpful and patient and give me new terms to google :-) You answered so fast, before I could post the following link which gives a great explanation of how DOF adapters are designed and especially "why the vibration". I do love this place, think I'll stay :-) If you don't mind. http://www.microfilmmaker.com/reviews/Issue28/Let35_2.html

Ok, so after thinking about it and doing some research this stimulates a few more questions. please. 1) Is it the large sensor or the lens that is creating the overall DOF effect (or both)? I have more photography experience than video, so I understand aperture and focal length and its effect on DOF (real and perceived). I assume the reason f1.8 on my camcorder still has a wide DOF is the sensor size. Would like to understand more about why this is so. Perhaps a pointer to an article or book? 2) So, if it has more to do with sensor size than lens, how does a DOF adapter help? Seems like it is artificially creating DOF using achromatic lens? 3) Why the vibration/oscillation on DOF adapters? 4) are they any good (assuming you don't have $5K plus to invest in a real camera or $1500 to invest in a DSLR)? Although after buying the adapter and a couple of lenses you are in pretty deep anyway. Thanks again, Matt

Haha, yes exactly! I did not realize the sensor size calculated into this. Always learning (especially here). We all want our cheap stuff to look the best until we can afford the better stuff. Yes, my watch is an Invicta "Rolex lookalike" haha. So a large sensor DSLR will do this? Matt

Hi folks, my first post, I hope it makes sense. :-) I am shooting a short film with a Canon HF G10 camcorder. Almost prosumer in features but the disadvantage of a fixed lens. 10x zoom, roughly 20-300 mm in 35mm terms I believe. At wide it is f1.8, full zoom about 2.2 or 2.4. Shooting in Cinema mode real 24p 1080i HD. My question/quandary: I want to achieve a shallow cinematic depth of field look where backgrounds are primarily blurry, particularly for semi-wide and close up shots. This is hard to do with the fixed lens especially when using only a little zoom. If I fully zoom (or close to it) I start to get the effect I want when shooting. For example, a person standing 6 ft or so from a shelf, the shelf will get softly blurry but not quite enough. The problem with this approach is that I have to put the camera rather far away from the subject so I can zoom in enough. I was wondering if I have any options. Would the addition of an achromatic diopter help? How about a tele-converter (both of which are available for this lens)? I thought about going the other way and putting on a close-up lens and zooming but I am not sure what the result would be but logically seems it might work, allow me to get closer to subject but still zoom to get blurry background. I read a review for the tele-converter from someone who said it helped for this purpose. Any thoughts or ideas would help. Great site, have learned so much by reading here the past few months. Thanks, Matt