Hey everyone!

I finally got my new Pana DV953 cam from B&H, and so far I'm very pleased with it's performance. I'm a newbie to the videography thing who has been shooting with single CCD cams for the last few years -- boy, what a difference an extra couple of CCD's can make! This is the best cam I've ever had my hands on by far. :)

Quick question concerning DOF. I saw that Tommy Haupfear had posted some really nice macro stills from the camera that appeared to have a very shallow DOF. Links below (hope Tommy don't mind me posting his links):

http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/2729633.jpg

http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/2729634.jpg

How do I achieve this shallow DOF w/ the 953? Was the portrait mode used or was this achieved with a combination of manual settings? And finally, can this effect be used with video footage or with photo stills only?

I'm wanting to do some documentary type interviews of some local R/C car racers, and I'd like to achieve the shallow DOF look for this purpose.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Brian Sumpter

PS -- Did I mention that I'm loving this cam? :D

Here is the DOF thread (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3926) and the DOF article (http://www.dvinfo.net/articles/optics/dofskinny.php) on the site.

Brian, congrats on your new cam purchase!

Thanks for the links, Jeff! I've been lurking here on DVI for months now, and I somehow missed that article. That kind of info is exactly what I was needing. Now I just need to practice and attempt to master the technique. :)

And thank you very much, Frank! Your numerous posts about this camera played a major role in my decision to purchase it. I've got a tremendous amount to learn, but I'm excited to finally have a "real" camcorder to play with. Sure is a big step up from my ZR60. :D

Hey Brian:

Congratualtions on your getting a DV953. As you have already seen, it's a great camera and what a difference the additonal chips make.

Everyone in my business (Television Production) who has seen this camera have been impressed with it's performance. I use it on live sports events that I work on as a additional camera. Just having the english menus to navigate through while your out and about make it a great advantage alone especially when you need to adjust on the fly. While the GS100 is a somewhat improved version of the DV953, I myself think you as a "newie" (as you put it) made the right decision under the circumstances and I believe this camera will suit your needs for years to come.