The Death of DOF Adapters

Shallow Depth of Field

For the filmmaker, HD camcorders gave us the freedom to shoot without the expense of film and development cost.   The drawback was the inability to achieve shallow depth of field.  With a fixed lens HD camcorder,  everything is in focus down to the smallest detail.  In the late 90s, filmmakers using HD video, were forced to use tricks such as lighting in layers with the subject lit the brightest.  Without these creative but limited solutions, the audience can become distracted by a pretty extra in background or billboard that is part of the set.  The result:  your scene loses its impact due to lack of control over the image.

The advent of the DOF or 35mm adapter gave us the ability to achieve a shallow depth of field giving you more artistic control of the image.  For those who don't know, the device works like a telecine using the macro focus of the camcorder to capture the image on a ground glass screen.  The glass is spun using a miniature motor.  The shear weight of these devices and their components can be in excess of 20 pounds.  This paved the way for an entire industry of camera support systems to redistribute the weight of the device, the lens, the follow focus and the HD monitor, which is critical to ensure clear, sharp focus.

Enter the 1080P Full Frame DSLR

The Canon 5D and now the 7D have only been on the scene for a short while, and now video shooters everywhere are ditching their EX1s,  HVX200s and even their XHA1s for the affordable full frame DSLR.

Indeed, many fortunes have been made by those manufacturers of the 35mm adapter, but I’m afraid it’s all over now.  Prices are falling, and it’s no secret why.  You can buy a Sony EX1 for $6.5k with a Letus Ultimate for $4k, totaling more than $10k without support railings, lenses or an HD monitor.  Those accessories could easily jack up the price another $10k depending what you get.  However, I can buy a 5D Mark II and a good lens with an ikan monitor for under $5k.

If you're still convinced you have to have a traditional video camera with a 35mm adapter, but your on a budget, you can buy the Panasonic DVX100 for $2.7k and get a Redrock Micro M2 Encore DOP Adapter and support system for $2k bringing you in just under $5k with no lens or monitor.  On the other hand, you can go to B&H and get a 7D with a lens for under $2k.  That leaves some extra cash to get the V5600 from ikan for $630, and then you're ready to shoot for under $3k.

Final Analysis

The Canon 5D Mark II ushered in a new era of video production that has left Sony, Panasonic, JVC and even Canon’s Video division standing on the sidelines to make way for the multitudes who are literally grabbing them from stores before they can be shelved.  In the meantime, the DOF Adapters are not moving, and the prices are dropping.  Some are 50% cheaper than they were just six months ago.  How low will the prices go in the coming months?  Who knows.  One thing is certain; the full frame DSLR revolution has rendered the 35mm adapter irrelevant and obsolete.  The question isn’t, "Will they stop manufacturing," but "When."

Related articles on DOF

• Canon EOS 7D DSLR Camera (laughingsquid.com)
• The Top 10 Gadget Gifts for 2009 (sitepoint.com)
• Stunning Video Shot On New Canon 1D Mark IV Digital SLR Camera! (mrgadget.com.au)

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