Posts tagged ‘Depth of Field’

May 7th, 2010

Stop Motion Summer #1

This summer will see a influx of content for Many Chefs Broth and also some very exciting news – which unfortunately cant go into just yet.

Any how – do you ever get an idea that makes you think “That might just work?” and feel the urge to try it there and then? On the walk home from work I was thinking about shooting with DOF adapters and the many frustrating little issues with doing so – like the Horizontal and Vertical flip expected though the optics, the tricky cumbersome payload without propper rail/rod support system’s, the lack of Auto Focus (although not a big problem for many, as this allows for much greater creative control) and issues with vibrating /rotating focusing screens. Shooting with DOF adapters is not the answer to achieving ‘great looking cinematic shots’ but what it does do is open up plenty of creative possibilities.

With this in mind i was deterred from going out and shooting with my Camera and DOF adapter, with the very limited time i had before i ran out of light i needed to shoot what i had in mind in super time. I would also require to have full and speedy control over aperture, ISO and shutter speed. Of course, my film camera has these controllable options but not quite like a DSLR.

This lead me to the possibility of stop motion, it would allow shallow DOF (the kind of stylisation I had in mind) and I would be able to set up quickly and shoot instantly. The main issues being 1.My D50 is limited to shooting at about 4 frames per second in JPEG mode, this is a country mile away from the standardised 25 fps usually used in film and 2. Camera motion is exaggerated when using the 70-300mm lens. You’ll notice (2) in the first jerky shot of the glass of Orange juice.

This is a first attempt at stop motion in an outside environment. This summer i’ll be making 4 stop motion shorts. This being the first, which is purely for experience and experimenting.

Check out the video below, dont forget to watch it in HD!

Camera/Editing: James Williams

Music: Ryuichi Sakamoto – Playing the Piano

7 people like this post. Cool eh?
Unlike

CategoryFilm, Photography | Comment1 Comment »

Tags:
June 3rd, 2009

>Question from ‘Danny Digital’

>I received this Question From Vimeo User Danny Digital regarding the Miny 35mm Vibrating DOF adapter from http://www.miny.tv/

Here is my Honest and Frank Response.

Conversation with Danny Digital
saw you got the miny 35mm dof. which one did you get and do you recommend it? 
Hi There. I ordered the Vibrating DOF with ACHROMAT. 

I wouldnt recommend any of them, it was of poor build quality and the ground glass focusing screen seemed as if it was about 20 Micron, had loads of noise on it (they custom make them and they are not very impressive at all when using high def cameras) The vibrating part, which is a motor with a small weight on the end (much like you would find in you PS2 controller) was not much better.The motor decided to spin at different speed Despite changing batteries a number of times presuming it was that!

The Motor then span out of control, so much so that the GG holder was hitting the side of the extension tube uncontrollably. Rendering it useless.

Then, to top it all off the wire attached to the battery case fell off (was soldered on really poorly).

In summery. DO NOT BUY ONE!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, i know they are cheap, but that is for a good reason. ‘Buy Cheap, Buy Twice’

And I’ve had to do exactly that.

On the good side, i did get a refund (apart from shipping, so i lost £20!).


If your looking for a DOF adapter in the same price bracket may i recommend jag35.com.

They offer a range of DOF adapters to suit price ranges. 

Mine is in the post as we speak. I can give you a review once i receive it if you wish.

Cheers
Jim

Unlike

CategoryTechnology | CommentNo Comments »

Tags:
May 23rd, 2009

>LCD Monitor Initial Thoughts

>It was PAINFUL trying to acquire this item! 

The unfortunate thing being; nobody in the UK seems to do items like the LCD4VIDEO external monitor, so without any options i had to order it from the US.
I don’t have a problem with ordering outside the UK, in fact a lot of my purchases are made online to websites all over the world. Main reason being the items i need are not available in the UK.
First of all, Parcel Force are Rubbish. And Second of all, I hate Customs TAX.
For one, my items arrived at the Bournemouth Depot of Parcel force but couldnt be released due to Customs Charges (£63!!) but how was i to know this?! 
No letter was sent to me what so ever. So if it wasnt my me growing concerned about my parcle and checking it online via the tracking number i would have never had known where my item was. 
So…after 19 Days since ordering. I finally had my Item.
Shooting with 35mm DOF adapters offers a few challenges indeed. First of all, and most obviously the issue of horizontal and vertical inverted images. 
Using a 35mm DOF adapter without the use of an Achromat lens (to invert the image) means what you will see onscreen will be your shot but upside down and back to front. 
This (obviously) makes it extremely hard to track your subject matter and to properly frame your shot. 
The other issue being, the freedom of creativity the DOF adapter offers can be quite unforgiving when it comes to getting your subject in focus (say goodbye to auto focus). I personally prefer the Focus all my shots manually, it gives faster and better control over your shot. But it can be very challenging when it comes to shots which require you to be quick when it comes to getting your subject in focus. 
The Answer? 
An External Monitor large enough to make it relatively easy to frame and focus your shot which also offers the capability to flip your image Horizontally and Vertically. 
LCD4VIDEO’s product does exactly that.
The monitor comes with an array of accessories (i opted for the full kit)  from a screen protector and carrying bag to a battery pack to use in the field and a hot shoe clamp to mount it atop your camera.
…Talking about the hot shoe clamp. This I’ve found to be the only let down so far, it don’t feel safe mounting my monitor on it at all. It is clumsy and poorly made, the monitor wobbles and flops about.
Apart from that it is a very good product indeed. The colours are fairly close to what your shooting, its resolution isn’t fantastic but it will do the job when it comes to focusing your shot and the build quality is surprisingly good in contrast to its price tag.
I was, in all honesty expecting a cheap, creaky plastic frame around a low res screen; on the contrary it feels solid and well put together. 
It has a screw mount on the bottom and a slide in mount on the back giving the user a few options as how they want to mount their screen. 
You can change everything you would expect from a monitor (contrast, Brightness Colour) It auto detects PAL or NTSC and you have the option between the two common aspect ration’s 16:9 and 4:3. 
The sunvisor (or sun protector) seems well made and offers good shade for your screen.
There is plenty more to say, but I’ll hold first until its field tested. 
Full review then!
Until I’ve done that, i would recommend it for enthusiasts like myself using DOF adapters.

Unlike

CategoryTechnology | CommentNo Comments »

Tags: