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. Read More→