Jump to content

depth of field issues


Joe Gideon

Recommended Posts

There are a few ways you can achieve this:

 

1.) Shoot more toward the telephoto end of the lens' zoom range

2.) Shoot wide open (open the iris as much as possible)

 

Shooting with a wide aperture decreases depth of field, giving you the look you desire. There are a few ways you can do this and still get correct exposure, even in very bright conditions (like outdoors):

 

+ Increase the shutter speed of the camera to compensate for the increased amount of light coming through the lens. Although this will work, I don't recommend it. It will give your footage a very "strobe-like" look to it, which does not mimic the 180 degree shutter in a typical film camera.

 

+ Use the lens' built-in ND filter, screw-on ND filters and/or a polarizing filter to cut down the amount of light. This is the most desirable method if in bright conditions. It cuts down the amount of light hitting the lens, allowing the use of a larger aperture.

 

+ Set the gain on the camera to 0db, or in the case of the XL1s, -3db.

 

You can also "cheat" your actors farther apart in close ups to make it look as though your depth of field is more shallow than it actually is.

 

Here are some sample frames that demonstrate the above techniques:

 

http://rarevision.com/films/real_to_me/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...