HVX + diopter = shallower DOF?

A

akkadia

Member
Hi,

Would it would work to use a low-power diopter (e.g. a +1 or +2 from Century Optics or the Nikon 5T +1.5) with the HVX to get a shallower depth of field than using the camera alone? I don’t need anything extreme, just want throw the background a bit out of focus in close-ups. I know a 35mm adapter creates this effect very well, just wondering whether a diopter used by itself could also work to a lesser degree, without bringing any reduction in sharpness.

Thought I would ask all the same whether anyone had already tried this before running out and buying stuff…

Thanks in advance!
 
I regularly do this with my DVX. It certainly helps for close ups (eg packshots) in combination with a longer focal length and wider apertures but basically the same DOF rules apply to get any effect.

You will be dissapointed though if you try to achieve less DOF with the lens at wider angles. (Unfortunately)
 
Thanks Shooter!

Is the problem at wider angles an issue of distorted faces in CU or is there something else going on?

Cheers
 
No distortion. It is simply that the Diopters do not create the shallow DOF because that is not quite how they are designed to perform.

They are designed to "over ride" the minimum focusing distance of lens and they work in distinct regions.
DIOPTER 1 = 36" approx, DIOPTER 2 = 18" and DIOPTER 3 = 9"

With a small CCD chip they fight the DOF available
 
Framing (be as close as possible to the in focus subject)

Open aperture (use ND if necessary)

Long focal length (use as much zoom as you can get away with)

Framing (keep your in focus subjects and out of focus ones at different distances to the camera)

Use different lighting values (this doesn't change DOF but achieves the same thing to the viewers eye, namely keeping the focus where you want it in the frame)
 
A diopter lens will make for shallower DOF in certain circumstances, but not in and of itself. A diopter lens lets you focus closer than you otherwise could. Look at khmuse's first law -- be as close as possible. If you're shooting something tiny (like the thread currently running about the diamond ring) and you can't get close enough to make the object big, then a diopter lens will let you get closer. As you get closer the DOF will be shallower.

For interviews? Not really going to help. The only place I ever found a diopter to be of any use for that purpose was on an original DVX100, which had a minimum focus distance of about 3 feet. If you wanted to do a tight closeup of someone's face at full telephoto, the DVX100 (original) wouldn't quite get you there, so I found a diopter lens would help. However, with the shorter minimum-focus distance of the DVX100A/100B/HVX200, it's now to the point where a diopter wouldn't help on any standard interview setup. It would definitely help for super-macro stuff, but not for a conventionally-framed shot.
 
Can anyone suggest a good "middle of the road" diopter, century optics have several but I don't know which one to choose. Don't need super macro, but would like to be able to get closer than I can with the stock lens
 
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