Film look with full-frame cameras
The deliberate use of depth of field is an essential part of the “film look” as we know it from cinema and high-quality feature film productions. Since 2008, when the Canon 5D II revolutionized the camera market with its video function, a tool has been available for the first time to achieve this film look with comparatively inexpensive means. The best technical prerequisites for creating a shallow depth of field are a large image sensor, preferably in full format, and a lens with the highest possible lens speed.
This article is about how the use of a full-frame camera can influence the production and design of a film.
Overview:
- Drawing the viewer’s attention
- Bokeh
- Recognizing the miraculous in the everyday
- Forgiving small quirks
- Lightweight and compact
- Mobile and inexpensive
- Psychological proximity
- Unusual perspectives
- Vintage look
- Restrictions
- Conclusion
1. direct the viewer’s attention
The larger the sensor, the faster the lens and the longer the focal length, the shallower the depth of field. Typical areas of application include testimonials, video portraits, product presentations, event films and mood videos of all kinds. This creative aspect is particularly effective whenever the viewer’s eye is deliberately drawn to a detail. An everyday image can be turned into a special image that cannot be created with a smartphone without special “tricks”. Due to its design, a smartphone has neither a large image sensor nor a sufficiently bright lens.
2. bokeh
Light sources, reflections and bright areas of the image create circular images in the blur, known as bokeh. The bokeh supports a light, airy and dreamy or magical visual language and is also an element of the film look. The bokeh is created by the lens and varies depending on the design.
3. recognize the miraculous in the everyday
Everyday objects and scenes take on a whole new perspective and dimension. By deliberately reducing the depth of field, the everyday office is perceived in a completely different and more conscious way. Particularly in connection with close-ups, completely new pictorial worlds are created that seem to be removed from reality.
4. forgive small quirks
The office desk has a scratch, the white wall is slightly dirty and the curtain has a small hole.The cameraman can skillfully shift these imperfections into the blur and the problem is solved. A full-frame camera with a fast lens is particularly helpful for long shots or medium shots, which are naturally sharp from back to front.
5. light and compact
Due to their design, still cameras are smaller and lighter than classic video cameras, especially as they do not originally record sound. The lower weight and more compact design offers new application possibilities. For example, mounting in vehicles or on the outside of vehicles close to the ground.
6. mobile and inexpensive
Whether tripod, pan head, gimbal, dolly or crane: the additional equipment can be lighter and more compact and therefore also cheaper.
The more compact design also means less fatigue for the cameraman who carries the camera all day.
7. psychological proximity
The relatively small size of the camera equipment also has an important psychological effect on the people in front of the camera during reports and documentaries. People in everyday life behave more naturally when they do not speak into a camera and do not realize that they are being filmed. The recording itself and the awareness of being recorded changes the statement both in terms of content and expression. There are certain things you don’t want to say “in public”. The more elaborate and larger the film equipment, the more “important” the whole event appears to the actors. The professional receives appreciation, but the layman feels rather overwhelmed.
8 Unfamiliar perspectives
Full-frame cameras have a usable sensor area of 24x36mm, which corresponds to the classic 35mm format in analog photography. Over the last few decades, a number of special lenses have been developed for this type of camera, which were not available for film cameras due to the relatively small number of cameras built and their intended use: extremely fast lenses with an aperture of 1.0 / 0.95, extreme wide-angle lenses, extreme telephoto lenses or various macro lenses. All of these lenses can be used on digital cameras with a full-frame sensor with the aid of adapters, without limiting the distance setting or the angle of view.
9. vintage look
Due to their lens construction and their “image errors”, many lenses for the 35 mm format have a charm all of their own that does not meet the classic requirements for optimum sharpness, high contrast and distortion-free imaging. In terms of design, this enormous potential can be used to great effect and at low cost.
10. restrictions
● Depth of field: The biggest advantage is also the biggest disadvantage – at least in certain situations. The shallow depth of field also makes it necessary to constantly focus, which can be very difficult when shooting sports or news and when “fast pictures” are required.
For a group shot of executives, it may even be important to show all the people in the same focus and a shallow depth of field is undesirable. Landscape shots and architectural films usually require long shots and a wide angle of view. The film look is less suitable here.
● Fixed focal lengths: The creative possibilities of fast fixed focal lengths come at the expense of the quick and easy handling of zoom lenses. Before shooting, the cameraman must be aware of whether he has time to change lenses and, in case of doubt, miss a motif, or whether this is not possible. This is a fundamental decision that every photographer has to make.
Sound recording: The lack of professional XLR inputs and the fact that the 48V phantom power, which is important for many microphone types, is not available on a camera is an important limitation if speech or high-quality sound is important. External solutions, which are now widely available, make handling more complicated, less reliable and the equipment bulkier and heavier.
● Rolling shutter: This distortion effect, which occurs with fast camera movements or objects moving quickly through the image, is due to the characteristics of the sensor used in cameras. Here too, the intended use must decide whether this limitation is a serious disadvantage. This is certainly the case with sports and action shots or tearing pans.
● Signal processing and compression artifacts: Signal processing and recording in filming cameras is not quite at the same quality level as dedicated film cameras. This cannot be denied and is also understandable in view of the price differences for the hardware and the size of the camera. However, technology is making great progress in this sector in particular and the boundaries will become increasingly blurred in the near future.
● Recording duration: Because cameras imported to Germany from Japan or America are subject to lower customs duties than imported video cameras, the recording duration of cameras is limited to a maximum of 29:59 minutes. This is clearly an exclusion criterion for event recordings lasting several hours.
● Moirée: Sensors developed for photographic purposes with a high pixel density are particularly susceptible to the moirée effect. This flickering pattern-generating effect occurs in practice particularly with finely patterned textiles/fabrics, but also with regular structures on house facades, grilles or when filming computer screens.
● Dust: Every lens change increases the likelihood of dust being deposited on the sensor. Careful inspection is unfortunately essential, but a targeted blast of air from a small blower can easily remove the dust particles. More stubborn, however, are the smallest dust particles that stick to the sensor unnoticed over time due to changes in humidity and can no longer be removed with air pressure. The sensor should then be cleaned once a year by the camera service.
11. conclusion
Working with full-frame cameras and fixed focal lengths means:
- more conscious design
- Take your time
- Selection of possibilities
- Class instead of mass
If this is simply not desired or not possible, if the rolling shutter effect is an exclusion criterion, if you expect the highest standard in image post-processing or if you need to shoot as much material as possible in the shortest possible time, then you are better off with other camera solutions.
Finally, I would like to point out that there are also compromise solutions if shallow depth of field is not the measure of all things: video cameras with a 35mm sensor and filming cameras in APS-C format or micro four-thirds format. With these cameras, a similar film look can be achieved as with full-frame cameras, even if the sensor area is smaller. Above all, these cameras are even more compact.
