60 Shutter Speed > Footage Out Of Focus at DVinfo.net

Aram Rian · April 28th, 2008, 05:45 AM

hi guys. i just shot a video with the shutter speed set to 60. am now importing it into imovie and can see that the crisp and sharp image i had on the lcd panel during recording now looks 10-15% out of focus. is this anyhow related to the shutter speed? would it be different if i set it to 50?

Steve House · April 28th, 2008, 10:24 AM

Won't swear that it's the source of your issue but the faster the shutter speed. the wider the iris for a given light level. The wider the iris, the narrower the depth of field for sharp focus. Usually one of people's issues with DV cameras are that they are TOO in-focus due to the deep depth of focus with most of the lenses used, making it difficult to use selective focus as a creative tool.

Jarrod Whaley · April 28th, 2008, 10:51 AM

A lower shutter speed would in fact (probably) force you to stop down the iris, which would in turn make for a wider depth of focus, as Steve explains.

However, I suspect that your camera's viewfinder simply doesn't have enough resolution to tell you whether you're in focus or not. Since you don't mention which camera you're shooting with, it's hard to say for sure.

If your EVF is low-res (as most are in all but the most pricey cameras), things may look very sharp while shooting but in fact turn out to be quite soft. This is where an external monitor with more resolution can be very handy.

April 28th, 2008, 05:45 AM	#1
Aram Rian Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Birmingham, UK / Yerevan, Armenia Posts: 93	60 Shutter Speed > Footage Out Of Focus hi guys. i just shot a video with the shutter speed set to 60. am now importing it into imovie and can see that the crisp and sharp image i had on the lcd panel during recording now looks 10-15% out of focus. is this anyhow related to the shutter speed? would it be different if i set it to 50? __________________ "I do detest everything which is not perfectly mutual." Lord Byron

April 28th, 2008, 10:24 AM	#2
Steve House Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Posts: 5,742	Won't swear that it's the source of your issue but the faster the shutter speed. the wider the iris for a given light level. The wider the iris, the narrower the depth of field for sharp focus. Usually one of people's issues with DV cameras are that they are TOO in-focus due to the deep depth of focus with most of the lenses used, making it difficult to use selective focus as a creative tool. __________________ Good news, Cousins! This week's chocolate ration is 15 grams!

April 28th, 2008, 10:51 AM	#3
Jarrod Whaley Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: chattanooga, tn Posts: 721	A lower shutter speed would in fact (probably) force you to stop down the iris, which would in turn make for a wider depth of focus, as Steve explains. However, I suspect that your camera's viewfinder simply doesn't have enough resolution to tell you whether you're in focus or not. Since you don't mention which camera you're shooting with, it's hard to say for sure. If your EVF is low-res (as most are in all but the most pricey cameras), things may look very sharp while shooting but in fact turn out to be quite soft. This is where an external monitor with more resolution can be very handy. __________________ -->jarrod whaley. www.oakstreetfilms.com