Rick Wise
1
COW Coin
Forum Replies Created
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[Todd Terry] “Also your choice of camera (or rather, imaging size) will affect the appearance of the DoF. A tiny-sensor camera (like a little HDV camera with a 1/3″ sensor) will have a much much deeper DoF, even at long focal lengths, than a 35mm-sized sensor camera.”
That’s because a smaller-chip camera needs a wider lens to achieve the same field of view. A 10mm lens has the same depth of field no matter what camera you use it on. Note that depth-of-field tables only specify: focal length, f/stop, and distance from subject. They never include chip size since it’s not a direct factor. The consequence of a small-chip camera is you end up using shorter focal lengths.
Also, if you leave the iris the same and go to a wider lens, you will not get more depth of field if you move the camera closer to achieve the same framing of your main subject(s). On the other hand, if you go to a wider lens and let the framing be looser, you do get some more depth of field.
The dance never ends.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Depth of field depends on 3 factors: f/stop, distance from the subject, and focal length of the lens.
- f/stop: The more you close down the iris, the greater the depth of field. Usually to increase depth of field you will need to add more light so you can stop down. On cameras with variable ISO, you can increase that setting up to the point the image degrades too much for your taste. The higher the ISO, the more you can close down the iris.
- Distance from the subject: The farther away the subjects are, the greater the depth of field. The closer, the more shallow the depth of field.
- focal length of the lens: Given the SAME distance to the subjects and the SAME f/stop, the wider the lens the greater the depth of field; the longer the lens the more shallow the depth of field.
Those three variables apply to all lenses. There are no special lenses with greater depth of field. In your situation, figure out what lens you want to use, then increase depth of field by either adding more light or increasing ISO, and, if necessary, move the actors a bit farther from the camera.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
I’ll second Todd’s point: using a steadicam works only if it’s appropriate for the scene.
Long master shots with little or no “coverage” is a rare technique that some directors use well. For instance, the amazing opening 4-minute take of Touch of Evil by Orson Welles. That example uses a crane. It took massive prep and rehearsals and many retakes mostly due to a bit player who couldn’t remember his lines. When director Welles told him to say anything and we’ll dub your lines in post, the shot worked smoothly and just in time as dawn was about to break. The result: many pages of script shot in a single night.
A director I often worked with insisted on using steadicam for a high-end corporate film. I wasn’t crazy about the idea since I would not be operating and hence not looking through the viewfinder to frame and evaluate. When I saw how well the operator did and how fast we able to move, and how many pages we covered, I was impressed.
Bottom line: get the right cast and the right crew and shooting long masters can be an efficient and effective tool. You are however walking out on a very long branch that could break and send you to the ground.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Neat! Another term to learn as well… ah, vocabulary.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Todd, I believe you are looking for a “step-up ring” that goes from 80mm to series 9. AbelCine has a bunch of step-up rings, though I didn’t wade through them to find if they have what you need. Ditto B&H. If they don’t have one, maybe you could find a machinist to make one for you.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Ah Todd, another great piece from you. Inspired and inspiring. Terrific DIY car mount!
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
If you like the Sony look, the your choices seem pretty good to me. Otherwise, the Canon EOS C-100 with the new autofocus would likely be a great choice for your “filmic” camera. For the “video look” why not get a prosumer camera such as the Sony 96GB HXR-NX30 Palm Size NXCAM HD for $1,800? Then you’d have a very distinctive difference to show potential clients. I’m guessing that unless price is too much of an issue they will all opt for the Canon. However, that little Sony has a fantastic internal stabilizing system which will allow you to make very smooth hand-held shots. It also seems to have amazing auto-iris and focus. There are some demo videos on YouTube you can check out. (Yes, pros don’t use “auto” anything, except when they do.)
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
I just saw Todd’s query from January, and Erik’s recent reply. I think Erik nails it as to why PARs are so useful. That said, different DPs have different styles and practices. For myself, if I had to pick just one 1200 HMI unit, I’d go with the PAR and a set of lenses because of their versatility. If not limited, I’d get a mix of both.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
“Optional accessories available include: padded carry bag, 7″ LCD color monitor kit, remote control” in the product description.
But I think you CAN pan and tilt as is. Look at this review, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um03Q6kzUpA
Do a GoogleSearch for Advanced Digital 12 foot crane jib to get the home page of the company. You can see the accessories/packages there.
As is almost always the case, a bit of Google searching reveals the answers to so many questions….
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
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There’s a significant difference in price between those two softwares. I’m guessing the more expensive one is easier and faster to use.
Still, can’t one get there without an add-on, just using what already comes with Vegas 12?
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com