HDV-V1P shallow depth of field?

V

vj_jasper

Active member
edit:/ title meant to be HVR-V1P

hi all, i have been considering an HV20 and a Lexus35 mini combination. have also researched the sony HVR-V1P, and it looks like a truly great camera, with no workarounds necessary.

because i am a VJ trying to keep a sensible budget, i will not purchase a 35mm lens conversion system if i purchase the V1P.

in fact, i would like to know if it is possible to use the V1P's on-screen focus settings and/or misuse the Macro focus function, to get shallow depth of field results, without needing to be more than say 3-7 metres away from the subject?

looking forward to hearing from anyone who owns a V1P.. i need to learn about the possibilities of this camera, to be informed. :)

thanks in advance for any info..
 
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Can't be done. The V1 has 1/4" chips and will have deeper depth of field than any 1/3" camera. It'll have deeper depth of field than an HV20 *without* the Letus.
 
:) thanks Barry. i have seen some examples of the V1P's macro focus in use with quite shallow depth of field, but the subject needs to be way too near the camera to be of any proper use.

wishful thinking i guess.

any recommendations for a video artist looking for a shallow depth of field capability on a budget, whilst avoiding auto video gain and workarounds? perhaps the sony HC7 and a letus mini..

the sony V1P and a Brevis35 system with rails is quite an expensive prospect, however i am sure it would bring good results with the right lighting and lens.
 
Why are you looking at the Sonys? The V1 is extremely slow (about 80 ISO IIRC) and when you add an adapter on top of that you lose another 1/2 to full stop of light (down to about ISO 40 to 64). Very difficult to work with. If you're on a budget the XHA1 is a better choice in most circumstances. My vote goes to the HVX as the most flexible tool but I don't know if it would fit in your budget.
 
after some research, the panasonic hvx really seems like a great production camera. i would really like to buy it, i can afford it, but i do not think i deserve it at this point in time.

so, i have made the decision. Canon HV20. wonky workarounds and all.

why? it captures great colours, the sensor is 1920, the HDMI option is there for compressionless capturing direct to raid 0, at 340gigs per hour.

have done lots of research, because this will be the first HD camera i have owned. previous cameras: two panasonic miniDV cameras.

my current Panasonic Lumix (of all things) does a really nice 30p 848*480, great colours imho. with a 10* optical zoom, i managed to make a surf movie that a lot of people like, and hope to release it commercially.

main gig: i make video and animated content for events, so.. that's what the camera would be used for quite often.

production of content involves fashion/dancer film shoots; landscape and local area travelling footage; compositing of footage with hand-drawn, 3D, and particle animations.

the HD camera also needs to handle Greenscreen/Bluescreen filming sessions.

DOF
the narrative/attention-directing power of DOF manipulation is a technique i am very keen to learn properly.

LetusDirect actually have made a cinematic converter, named the LetusMini, especially for the HV20 and similar size cameras. that's really encouraging, and makes me think the HV20 is certainly the way to go at this point. shallow DOF and workarounds to stop the video gain in lowlight situations... a perfect toolset to begin with?
 
actually, i have reconsidered the camera purchase, and am seriously considering a Sony PMW EX1.

as a guitar teacher, i can see the benefit young folks have when they own a very fine instrument; it is easy for them to progress, if even they have only a medium amount of talent.

after reading a review of this mighty new breed machine, i am convinced it is one of the most important leaps forward in digital imaging. i am totally inspired, etc.

the workflow is just so easy.. the 8 gig memory cards connect directly to the macbook pro's Express 34 slot, so it seems logical for me to go with that camera.

slow motion recording is an option at 720p, and with three half-inch sensors, it must have great lowlight response.

onscreen display of focus distance in feet or metres, and also displays the current depth of field.

i wonder, perhaps it would be possible to get shallow depth of field with the sony EX1? Phillip Bloom has done tests with the EX1 and a Letus Extreme, so he obviously thinks there is merit in the idea of attaching a cinematic converter system.. that would involve attaching an SLR lens.. i wonder what SLR lens could be worthy of being placed next to the mighty lens of the EX1?
 
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