how to adjust focus with steadicam / shouldermount?
- Thread starter arkade
- Start date
With a shoulder mount, it's pretty simple with or without a follow-focus. BUT, the shoulder rig needs to be balanced with proper counterweight on the back. If your hands are having to support the weight of the rig while also operating, you'll tire quickly and pulling focus will be challenging.
As for a stabilizer (Steadicam, Glidecam, etc.), there are two basic options. The first is to shoot with a wide lens on infinite focus, which increases depth of field and minimizes the need to pull focus. The other is to add a remote controlled follow focus. This isn't cheap, and requires a second crew member to operate the FF. It also requires the use of external monitoring.
As for a stabilizer (Steadicam, Glidecam, etc.), there are two basic options. The first is to shoot with a wide lens on infinite focus, which increases depth of field and minimizes the need to pull focus. The other is to add a remote controlled follow focus. This isn't cheap, and requires a second crew member to operate the FF. It also requires the use of external monitoring.
Ok thanks man, so only the wide angle lens has infinite focus? and, could i get the name of that lens? What's a cheap but good shoulder rig? Thanks again
That's not what I said. Every lens has infinite focus on the scale. It's just that with wider lenses (basically I'd stay with anything 24mm or under) there's greater DOF. A 50mm lens set at infinity focus will still have a considerably softer foreground, or set to near focus will still have a considerably softer background, than something like a 16mm lens at the same focal points.
I wasn't referencing any one lens. Just stick to 24mm or wider.
Try using the search function at the top right of your browser window. These have been discussed ad nauseum and there's plenty of information on them. Or, you could just look over the first two pages of the Canon APS-C forum and you'll find a handful of recent threads that discuss shoulder rigs.
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I know you know better Alex and were just typing fast, but I thought I'd chime in for the sake of future readers - wide angle lenses actually have MORE depth of field, not less.
I've noticed a common mistake in this shallow-focus era we are in is to mix up "more" and "less" when discussing DOF - the shallow DOF look that DSLR shooters aim for must be "more" after all, isn't more always better? Not in this case, actually - "less" DOF is often the more desirable look.
To the original poster: I'd suggest reading up on some basic photo tutorials, paying particular attention to DOF and what factors influence it. There are many variables involved.