Has anyone ever shot anything extensive while mimicking a 35mm look? at DVinfo.net

Arif Syed · October 14th, 2009, 02:02 PM

Meaning when you zoom as far in as possible and change the focus without any adapters of extra lenses. Sorry if I am not using the proper terms, sort of new to this.

I recently shot this (see below) with this method and liked the results, but was wondering if this was a viable way of shooting film shorts while saving money at the same time. I understand that being zoomed in fully will make it nearly impossible to get any shots that involve movement, but I am asking more or less about subjects which aren't moving too quick or are still.

YouTube - View From the Window

I have not been able to test a human subject yet, so I have no idea if there are certain things that are so frustrating that its almost impossible.

Joseph Josselyn · October 14th, 2009, 03:57 PM

That trick can be done for static shots, but you would need to place your camera really far away. Videotaping outdoor can do more since there would be more spaces to place your tripod away from the subject. Indoor - it is very difficult except if you are videotaping head and part of shoulder.

When I brought Letus HD adaptor Letus Corporation - Manufacturer's Website, you can get a 35mm look without zooming or moving your camera a mile away!

Joseph =)

Craig Parkes · October 18th, 2009, 07:16 PM

Using very long lenses to achieve shallow depth of field is a trick that has been used extensively in both film and video - longer narrative works become quite difficult on smaller sensor sizes because you need to be a very long distance from the subject matter.

If you block and plan your project to account for this, you can make it work to some extent, but you'll need a really good tripod and other expensive gear for it to work well.

Charles Papert · October 19th, 2009, 04:11 AM

If your narrative involves any scenes in normal sized rooms, this technique will quickly become difficult to maintain. As you have seen, you need a substantial distance between camera and subject (and between subject and background) for this to work. Trying to design a narrative piece around these parameters is putting the cart before the horse; it's better to tell the story with the appropriate focal length and not worry about depth of field. It is more than possible to make beautiful images without the background being soft, regardless of the current fascination with shallow DOF.

October 14th, 2009, 02:02 PM	#1
Arif Syed Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Elmont, New York Posts: 76	Has anyone ever shot anything extensive while mimicking a 35mm look? Meaning when you zoom as far in as possible and change the focus without any adapters of extra lenses. Sorry if I am not using the proper terms, sort of new to this. I recently shot this (see below) with this method and liked the results, but was wondering if this was a viable way of shooting film shorts while saving money at the same time. I understand that being zoomed in fully will make it nearly impossible to get any shots that involve movement, but I am asking more or less about subjects which aren't moving too quick or are still. YouTube - View From the Window I have not been able to test a human subject yet, so I have no idea if there are certain things that are so frustrating that its almost impossible.

October 14th, 2009, 03:57 PM	#2
Joseph Josselyn New Boot Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Council Bluffs, Iowa Posts: 12	That trick can be done for static shots, but you would need to place your camera really far away. Videotaping outdoor can do more since there would be more spaces to place your tripod away from the subject. Indoor - it is very difficult except if you are videotaping head and part of shoulder. When I brought Letus HD adaptor Letus Corporation - Manufacturer's Website, you can get a 35mm look without zooming or moving your camera a mile away! Joseph =) __________________ Joseph Josselyn

October 18th, 2009, 07:16 PM	#3
Craig Parkes Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 183	Using very long lenses to achieve shallow depth of field is a trick that has been used extensively in both film and video - longer narrative works become quite difficult on smaller sensor sizes because you need to be a very long distance from the subject matter. If you block and plan your project to account for this, you can make it work to some extent, but you'll need a really good tripod and other expensive gear for it to work well. __________________ www.afterglow.co.nz

October 19th, 2009, 04:11 AM	#4
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 5,396	If your narrative involves any scenes in normal sized rooms, this technique will quickly become difficult to maintain. As you have seen, you need a substantial distance between camera and subject (and between subject and background) for this to work. Trying to design a narrative piece around these parameters is putting the cart before the horse; it's better to tell the story with the appropriate focal length and not worry about depth of field. It is more than possible to make beautiful images without the background being soft, regardless of the current fascination with shallow DOF. __________________ Charles Papert, SOC www.charlespapert.com

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