Blurred background & sharp subject with FX1000 at DVinfo.net

Darryn Carroll · April 12th, 2014, 06:54 AM

So after a few years of shooting in full auto, I thought I would try a few fancy shots. I was trying to get that shot where the background is sharp and subject is blurry, then transition so subject is sharp and background is blurry. I clicked my button from A to M with sweaty palms, but of course all this did was make the entire frame blurry and sharp. Is there a simple way for this manual-novice to experiment this shot?

Thanks all.

Darren Levine · April 12th, 2014, 10:23 AM

you'll need to create as much distance between the subject and the background as possible, keep the camera farther away from the subject, and use the widest Fstop

Seth Bloombaum · April 12th, 2014, 11:08 AM

Expanding a bit on what Darren wrote....

There is a lot to recommend an FX1000 & similar cameras, but shallow depth of focus is not something they're good for. This is due to the sensor size. At 1/3" on the diagonal it's relatively small, and this is a primary issue in getting shallow DoF. With a cam like this most things are mostly in-focus most of the time.

With your cam, or any, these are the controls that can help make DoF shallower:
Bigger sensors.
Greater distances between subjects, or subjects & backgrounds.
Wider lens apertures.
Longer focal lengths.

* Block a scene with, say, 12' between subject and background, and have some good detail in the BG.
* Set your lens to full telephoto and find your framing by moving the camera back until it's framed as you want.
* Using manual exposure controls, open the lens aperture fully, and use other controls to correctly set exposure.
* Now you're ready to rack focus between your subject and background, usually with manual focus.

It's hard to see how well you did until you look at it on a decent-sized monitor.

David Barnett · April 20th, 2014, 09:40 AM

Zoomed in a bit, yet a low F-stop number, something F-2.8 or lower if you're able. But you can't zoom in too much otherwise you're lowest F-stop will be around F3.4 or 4. It needs a bit of prep, and ideal conditions, if you're shooting outside you'll likely need filters or a high shutter speed to allow for a low f-stop, bringing in that much light you'd blow the shot out.

April 12th, 2014, 06:54 AM	#1
Darryn Carroll Major Player Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Norwood, MA Posts: 255	Blurred background & sharp subject with FX1000 So after a few years of shooting in full auto, I thought I would try a few fancy shots. I was trying to get that shot where the background is sharp and subject is blurry, then transition so subject is sharp and background is blurry. I clicked my button from A to M with sweaty palms, but of course all this did was make the entire frame blurry and sharp. Is there a simple way for this manual-novice to experiment this shot? Thanks all.

April 12th, 2014, 10:23 AM	#2
Darren Levine Major Player Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: NJ/NYC Posts: 563	Re: Blurred background & sharp subject with FX1000 you'll need to create as much distance between the subject and the background as possible, keep the camera farther away from the subject, and use the widest Fstop __________________ C100 - GH4 - NYC Shooter www.DarrenLevine.com

April 12th, 2014, 11:08 AM	#3
Seth Bloombaum Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,420	Re: Blurred background & sharp subject with FX1000 Expanding a bit on what Darren wrote.... There is a lot to recommend an FX1000 & similar cameras, but shallow depth of focus is not something they're good for. This is due to the sensor size. At 1/3" on the diagonal it's relatively small, and this is a primary issue in getting shallow DoF. With a cam like this most things are mostly in-focus most of the time. With your cam, or any, these are the controls that can help make DoF shallower: Bigger sensors. Greater distances between subjects, or subjects & backgrounds. Wider lens apertures. Longer focal lengths. * Block a scene with, say, 12' between subject and background, and have some good detail in the BG. * Set your lens to full telephoto and find your framing by moving the camera back until it's framed as you want. * Using manual exposure controls, open the lens aperture fully, and use other controls to correctly set exposure. * Now you're ready to rack focus between your subject and background, usually with manual focus. It's hard to see how well you did until you look at it on a decent-sized monitor. __________________ 30 years of pro media production. Vegas user since 1.0. Webcaster since 1997. Freelancer since 2000. College instructor since 2001.

April 20th, 2014, 09:40 AM	#4
David Barnett Major Player Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Philly, PA Posts: 951	Re: Blurred background & sharp subject with FX1000 Zoomed in a bit, yet a low F-stop number, something F-2.8 or lower if you're able. But you can't zoom in too much otherwise you're lowest F-stop will be around F3.4 or 4. It needs a bit of prep, and ideal conditions, if you're shooting outside you'll likely need filters or a high shutter speed to allow for a low f-stop, bringing in that much light you'd blow the shot out.