Shallow DOF with the GH-1

[jpkeenan24]

Hey so I'm fairly new to shooting video with DSLRs and I'm wondering if anyone knows how to adjust the GH-1 so you get a very shallow DOF. What do you have to do to adjust to DOF with the GH-1? Is it possible with the standard kit lens?

[Ben_B]

Here is my post from another thread where someone asked the same thing.

Here's some stuff I took with the GH1.

First photo, taken with stock lens, at around 140mm, probably open. As you can see the DOF is very shallow. I am taking a picture of a pretty small subject and if I was further away and showing a bigger subject it would probably not look this shallow.

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5969/p1010910u.jpg

Second photo, taken with Nikon 50mm f/1.4....probably set to f/2.0 (as evidenced by the fact that the bokeh, the out of focus areas of light that take on the shape of the aperture, are not round, but are still rounded...if the aperture was open they would be round, at near closed, very angular.) As you can see the DOF is very shallow, not even the whole face is in focus. This lens is known, for better or for worse, to have very soft focus. If I was further from the subject the whole face would probably appear in focus, with the background still pretty blurry, thanks to the softness...but the look is not always desirable.

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/4475/p1000458h.jpg

[Cassius]

Shallow depth of field is achieved from longer focal length and lower f-stop number.

[jpkeenan24]

so you're saying with the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 you can get that shallow DOF that you can't achieve with the kit lens? or atleast a much shallower DOF

[Ben_B]

Yes, at f/1.4 to f/4 or so...because it is faster you get a shallower DOF, and it's also better low light. This means you usually need to use ND filters in bright light. I'm not sure whether or not the 50mm nikon at f/1.4 is shallower than the kit @ 140mm...I am pretty sure it does.

[commanderspike]

so you're saying with the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 you can get that shallow DOF that you can't achieve with the kit lens? or atleast a much shallower DOF

Yes, any brand of 50mm F1.4 lens will do the job. Canon FD also.

The kit lens is rated at F4. At 14mm you will not get a shallow DOF. At 50mm you will get much less than the F1.4 lens.

Shallow DOF is one of the reasons why (apart from their brightness in low light) that fast lenses are so desirable.

[jpkeenan24]

thank you so much I really do appreciate you helping me out, now I'm looking on ebay to pick one up but I'm wondering which ones will fit on the GH-1. I'm still confused about Ai and no-Ai. Will a standard Nikon 50mm f/1.4 with Ai fit on the GH-1?

[Martti Ekstrand]

First of all you need an adapter. Look in the Hardware section for several threads about them.

[Ben_B]

Yes you will need an adapter. AI or Non/Pre-Ai will work fine, don't buy an AF...just get whatever is cheapest and looks good :)

[jpkeenan24]

ok great. thanks alot. also just one more question. When trying to manual focus on the GH1 it seems to zoom the picture in like 10x. is there a way to turn off the zoom? so i can adjust the focus manually without it zooming in?

[Ben_B]

Yeah that's the focus assist and you can turn it off in the menu...my GH1 is downstairs so you'll have to find where...check the manual :)

You can still enable it by clicking left on the d-pad...very useful feature...but I agree, I have it turned off (but use it to focus almost every shot...just prefer to do it myself.)