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35mm DOF Adapters for Cinematography: Getting 35mm Depth of Field with Video
By Frey | May 31, 2007
You’ve been hearing the buzz, but have you been wondering what exactly is a 35mm Depth of Field Adapter (aka DOF adapter)? There’s a great description on them over to Konvas.org called What’s a 35mm DOF adapter and can it use OCT19 mounted Lomo lenses?, which discusses the pros and cons of the different DOF adapters.
Here’s a a few questions and answers for those interested:
Question #1
Do you need one to get Depth of Field?
Answer
The term is a little confusing, let me define it first: DOF is the distance in front of and behind a certain object that is considered imperceptibly in focus - everything else would be considered out of focus (you may also want to check out Konvas.org’s “What does “Depth of Field” mean?“).
Now, with that said, a 35mm Cinema camera can give you a much shallower Depth of Field than any 1/3″ CCD camera can. People often call it “The Film Look.” You can get shallower depth of field with a video camera by opening up the aperture all the way, but you will not get the shallow DOF that a 35mm Cinema Camera can give you. That’s until you add a 35mm DOF adapter.
Question #2
Other than a shallow depth of field, what else can the 35mm DOF adapters offer?
Answer
They can help to limit the amount of light hitting the CCD, so hot spots aren’t as hot. This really helps when shooting outside - since shooting outside is often video’s weaker area.
Question #3
What are the cons of using a 35mm DOF adapter?
Answer
There are plenty of cons to using a 35mm DOF adapter.
1. They lose light - 1 to 2 stops, and that’s not counting the added lens!
2. They can take a while to setup.
3. They are often expensive - the better the quality, the more expensive.
4. They are bulky and can add inches/feet to the overall length of your camera.
Question #4
Should I get a 35mm DOF Adapter?
Answer
Yes. But, that doesn’t mean you should use it on every shoot! Similar to using a wide-angle lens on the front of your video camera, 35mm DOF adapters should only be used in the right places.
Think of the DOF adapter as a great addition to your video arsenal and you won’t go wrong. It makes for a great “film look” and allows you to use cinema lenses. Perfect for shooting with a low-budget, when someone wants a higher quality than they can afford…
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Topics: film, high definition, production |
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