Maximum Depth of Field?

A

andynick

Well-known member
I'm shooting sheepdogs (herding dogs) in action and it's frustratingly difficult to keep a subject in focus when you don't know which direction it will move next.

So I'd like to set my iris at (say) f8 (the highest Barry recommends) and shoot as wide as I can but of course it's not always possible to get close - and dogs being small . . .

So does anyone know of a guide to the focal length point where Depth of Field falls off dramatically?
(I hope this makes sense)!
 
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The simple rule is the higher the f stop number (or smaller the aperture) the deeper the DOF. So the best you'll be able to do is crank the HVX up to the highest stop you have enough light for. You may have less than optimal resolution due to lens issues, but if DOF is what you need most, then it will probably be fine.

For close ups, a remote focus like a Varizoom (I have a Rock-PZFI) should enable you to manage pretty well. Anything beyond the close-up range should be ok at the higher stops. You may even be able to simply focus for the closer shots and let the camera's naturally long DOF take care of the rest. You will find few high quality camcorders with longer default DOF than the HVX, especially at higher stops.
 
you can also change your shutter speed to help with the iris. The higher the shutter speed, the more light the camera needs, and vice-versa
 
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Thanks Ted and SPZ.

I've been a pro photographer for many years, so I'm OK with the basic principles of DOF but what I was trying to find out is whether there's a "sweet spot" which would allow me to keep everything in focus from (say) 25 mtrs to infinity if I use (say) f8 which is the smallest aperture (or iris) setting recommended by Barry Green in his (excellent) book.

If such a setting existed, I wouldn't have to worry about focus unless the dogs came closer than 25 mtrs (or whatever).
 
Your professional photography experience applies well to video for focus. However, bare in mind that at f8 you're going to get a softer image. The HVX is best in the f4 to f5.6 interval.

For 25m to infinity, I believe you're covered with f8. But this is something very simple to try out...
 
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