Not a good idea?

[Jbadham77]

So I guess it's not a good Idea to shoot a film hand-held because the camera keeps un-focusing? Is there a way to prevent this from happening with a hand held film...?

P.S

Using DVX100A

[zoostory]

absolutely, you want to shoot with a wide [edited to be correct] open (that is a lower F-stop number). So you want a lot of light. Also, you need to be familiar with your lens and your camera, every good DP is. Know the approximate distance of your subject to your lens, etc. Even at infinity, there are sweet spots.

Then practice practice practice.

I'de suggest getting a book or something to learn all the math involved with cinematography.

Oh, and please don't tell me you have auto focus on... that will guarantee you a swim in and out of focus.

[Jbadham77]

Oh, and please don't tell me you have auto focus on... that will guarantee you a swim in and out of focus.

Thanks for the info,
but isnt "auto focus" supposed to prevent focus problems?

[andy_starbuck]

The DVX has all the automatic settings and assists to operate like a cheap camcorder. And you can use it in this mode. However, what it provides that camcorders do not, is the ability to turn off all those automatic assistants. And that is where the fun begins. Because then you actually gain control over your camera and can start to gain control over the images it produces. Its no longer a matter of luck, but rather talent and skill, knowledge and strategy, to get the images that you want onto the tape.

I don't think its as simple as "handheld isn't good" and "tripod shots are good". Rather, anything you can do with the camera, and setting on the camera, has its use and its benefits. Handheld shots imply action. And if the shot goes out of focus it can be disorienting and maybe even scary. So the art is in knowing what everything does and in figuring out when to use each bit and when to turn it off.

When you use a camcorder, its always focusing on whatever is in the center of the screen. You can't show things going out of focus. And imagine, for example, two people on either side of the screen talking -- a common dialogue shot. Well, a camcorder is going to focus between them on the back wall. The characters will be all a blur. But with the DVX, you can frame one of them in the center of the screen, auto focus on them, turn autofocus off, and then reframe the shot so the two people are on the sies of the screen. And then the characters will be in focus and the background blurred. That shot will look more like a movie. And its a shot that a video camera won't produce unless you can turn off the autofocus.

Often when shooting a movie, you don't want the focus to change as you pan the camera or follow the action. You need to know what effect you want in your final footage, and then you can choose whether to use autofocus or manual focus for that shot.

The other two things that you should read about and learn about are AWT (Auto White Tracking) and Autoiris. These features ensure correct color and correct exposure and are usually permanently turned on in camcorders and can't be turned off. The DVX allows you to turn these off and gain manual control of the exposure and the white balance. More control = more creative control. But you need to know what they do, when to turn them off, and how to use the manual controls when the automatic assistant is turned off.

at your service

[zoostory]

sure, you can use auto focus, some do, but when you do, you are giving control of your focus and racks to the machine, and not you. And auto iris would counter what I said about stopping down. It is essential that you control the iris for hand held shots. If you are really clever shooting out doors, you can sneak an iris rack in there if you need to.



I strongly suggest you read a book on all this! Get Brown's Cinematography book or Barry's DVX book.

[jonnyh1968]

Keep your subject the same distance from your lens as when you first focused and started filming. If it moves closer or farther away keep a finger on the nice DVX manual focus ring and remember your focus numbers on the viewfinder (from the rehersal take - or from experience). Yes, and stop down as much as possible to increase your DOF.

[Ogrus]

I dont get it....
I film handheld and nothing is out of focus
what do you mean by "out of focus?
My subject is perfectly in focus and if the background is out of focus that is the "dof" look everyone wants...
where is the problem?
Please explain to a "focusing rules" to a rookie

[zoostory]

Ogrus. You're finding things much easier because you are shooting DV with a stock lens. DV has a much BROADER depth of field. That means, in general, that more things are in focus at a greater distance to and from the camera. If you were to shoot 35mm film, you would instantly understand what we are talking about. In 35mm, if with certain shot designs, if your actor were to step LESS THAN AN INCH closer or father from the camera he would instantly go out of focus (or soft, as we call it).

Yes, you are correct, people want the "background" out of focus and the subject in focus freqently, this is called limited depth of field. Learn these terms.

However, with a prosumer camera, the way to get the most limited depth of field is to ZOOM ALL THE WAY IN, pull the camera far away, [edited for correction] open your iris (So like keep it at F2.8). You'll find that in this situation, it is much harder to hold the camera steady, and if you have a very limited depth of field, your actor won't be able to move to and from the camera very much without going soft. However, s/he still CAN move Perpendicular to the camera, as s/he will be the same distance away from the lens.

It's math and lens optics. Science.

So it becomes very important to measure and constantly check focus.

[Barry_Green]

small correction -- you want to open the iris all the way up for limited depth of field, so f/2.8, not f/11...

[zoostory]

yeah my bad, I always flip that around... it's one of those things I do and don't think about! I edited the above so as not to confuse.

[Terry Pell]

If he wants to shoot handheld and keep everything in focus without a lot of adjustment, shouldn't he use a HIGH f-stop -- like f/11 or as high as he can get away with? That way, he has MORE depth of field, which means it's LESS likely his subject will go out of focus. Just wondering what I am missing.

[William_Robinette]

No Terry, you are right. The higher the f-stop the deeper the DOF.

Of course, with the DVX, as long as you are at full wide on the lens, has almost an infinite DOF from about 1ft from the lens.

[zoostory]

He wants his cake and to eat it too, he wants limited DoF and handheld... which as we all know ain't easy... but it is possible!

I think more than anything he just wants to know what's what.

[jonnyh1968]

I know, circles of confusion are very confusing when you first encounter them. Read this five times:

"Stop Down a lens" - to decrease the amount of light entering the camera by reducing the aperture size (or closing the iris). Ironically, a small aperture is called by a high f-stop number (F11). The small aperture creates a small circle of confusion on the sensor therefor everything is in focus. Very wide DOF. A huge field where everything is in focus.

"Stop Up a lens"- to increase the amount of light coming in by increasing the aperture size (opening the iris). Ironically this is called by a low f-stop number (f2). Large circle of confusion on the sensor therfore everything is out of focus except one plane. Very narrow DOF. A small field where only a few things are in focus.

Remember: Big Opening: Big Circle of confusion. Everythings confused: Everythings out of focus.

What will really bake your noodle is a small Depth of Field generally creates an image with more "depth."

[zoostory]

What will really bake your noodle is a small Depth of Field generally creates an image with more "depth."

I wouldn't say that. You have more planar separation from FG, MG, and BG, but each plane is flat space. For deeper space you need diagonal lines, surface divisions, lighting contrasts, convergence of line, contrast of size ,etc. Also, the futher the camera is from two subjects, and the longer the lens, the less apparent distance between those two subjects, flatening the plane.

You should check out Bruce Block's "The Visual Story" I had a Master's class with him, man's a genius when it comes to planar spacial interpretation.