You dont need mini35 w/ this cam?
 

Is it true that by purchasing this camera, you forgo the need for a 35mm adapter like mini35 that allows you to use 35mm lens on a digital camera?

how does the footage with 35mm on this camera compare with other cameras+mini-35mm/35mm adapter?

thanks.

No, it is not true. For a 35mm depth of field you need an adaptor for this camera just like all the others in its class.

What determines depth of field capability in this context is the size of the image receiver. In the case of a prosumer video camera, 1/4 to 1/3 inch. The 35mm adapter throw an image of approximately 35mm size on a ground glass, giving it the 35mm depth of field characterisitics.

is there any digital camera that does not require a 35mm adapter to create 35mm depth of field?

RED One.

35mm-style DOF (without a lens adapter) requires a 35mm-sized sensor. As previously stated, sensors on prosumer cameras are significantly smaller than this.

DOF not bad with XL2
 

I've been pretty satisfied with the 20X's ability to dive into a narrow DOF. Are you playing with your iris settings? The more light you let in, the narrower the DOF. You've gotta play around a little bit, but you can usually achieve your goals with practice.

DoF...
 

Hey Nick how low you think the DoF can go without a lense convertor? I used a sony and a lense convertor to get some nice shallow DoF shots in my last movie (http://www.zmoproductions.co.uk/thevoid.asp about 2 minutes in, the girl with the bat) and if the XL2 can give as good DoF without a convertor I'm buying one!

Would love to know what you think.

Cheers

Chris

Update
 

Sorry guys, this (unedited) footage quickly displays stuff I done with the convertor a bit better. It's the kind of look I'm after. If the XL2 can get close to this DoF on its own then I'm buying it.

http://www.zmoproductions.co.uk/movi.../dpitsTest1.rm

It's a shame cause I think the footage looks ok, just when I put it up to full screen flaws show up. I'm hoping the XL2 would be a great step in the right direction to fix that.

Some shots I just done with the XL2 and the 14x manual lens. No post effect added yet.

Cool DoF
 

Jean-Philippe, thanks for those screen grabs. They look excellent - that's exactly the type of thing I'll be going for.

Do you think I'll be able to get similar results using the 20X lense that comes with the camera?

Thanks again for the reply.

All the best

Chris

you can do this with any camera, you just need to zoom in, a put the camera far from the scene (and that is the biggest problem, especially if you shoot interiors).
you can add more effect by opening iris at maximum (adding a neutral grey filter). again this is ok under the sun, but as soon light goes down ,this can be problematic too.

Thanks for your reply Giroud.

I tried that method with my TRV950 and got middling results, which is why I went out and got a convertor. I was hoping that with the iris control etc on the XL2 it would be a bit more practical to shoot this way....you think that is a safe assumption?

One thing to note is that I'm not really bothered at all about focus pulls; I had that option available to me during my last shoot and only used it once....not really my style :)

Oh and could you explain "adding a neutral grey filter" please? I'm a bit of a noob at these tech matters.

Neutral grey, or a neutral density filter just cuts down the amount of light passing through. They come in varying strengths, like 1X (cuts the amount of light by 1/2, or 1 stop), 2X (cuts light by 3/4, or 2 stops), etc. They let you reduce the amount of light WITHOUT changing the aperature, which would change the DOF. They are just that -- a piece of grey-tinted glass that mounts in the optical path (sorta like sunglasses).

The stock lens (20X) on the XL2 has a built-in ND filter that can be switched to pass 1/6 or 1/32 the amount of light. If that's not enough, you can add filters on the front of the lens (72mm) for even less light.

Martin

Thanks Martin, much appreciated. It's all clear now.

Interested in any commments about the XL2 being more practical for shallow DoF than other cams....

Christopher,

You might be able to get similar results. But it is easier with the 14x lens (or the 16x manual) because the minimum aperture stay the same all the way to the zoom range. With the 20X, the F-stop go from 1.6 on the wide end to 3.4f completly zoomed in.

In this entire shot (screen grabs) I was always below 2.4f, using ND filters to cut down the light.

I have a big preference for the 14X manual over the new 16x because the old one have a true phisical iris ring. I really like to close a bit when I am shooting narrative things outdoor and a pan is needed, passing from something in the shadow to another in bright sunlight.