Question about zooming in while shooting.

H

harmonica44

So if I understand this right, it's not good to use the DSLR's zoom, because that can result in the picture looking more grainy, since it's blown up, right? It's better to use the lenses instead?

Another thing is when I like zoom fast with the lenses in some shots for a more dramatic or comedic effect. But when I do the lighting goes from bright, to dark, to bright again. How do I zoom without that happening? Thanks.
 
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The t2i, 7d and 5d don't have digital zooms. There's a button that blows it up on your LCD to check focus, but it doesn't record that.

The t3i has a 3X zoom that will still keep resolution.

You need a lens with a constant aperture to zoom without changing your aperture. The cheaper lenses have a higher aperture, so what you're experiencing is you aperture changing from like 3.5 to 4.5 as you zoom in, and your camerain auto mode (which you shouldn't use) compensating by adjusting the iso or shutter speed.

The EF 24mm-70mm and 70-200mm are examples of constant aperture lenses, they can run at 2.8 (or more) without changing as you zoom.

But to answer your other question, you pretty much should never be zooming in a film anyway. Mockumentaries and a few cliche camera moves (zoom in/dolly out or reverse) are the only things that zooming could work in and be acceptable to most.
 
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Zooms are awesome, albeit tasteless, crude and overused. My next film is an over-the-top spoof kung fu heart-felt comedy action disaster romp and is going to feature two dolly zooms and no less than three crash zooms (used to great effect on the quiz show University Challenge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ8ANgfXuHU).

I know it doesn't answer your question Harmonica, I'm just defending comedy zooms ;)
 
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PaulGriffith said:
But to answer your other question, you pretty much should never be zooming in a film anyway. Mockumentaries and a few cliche camera moves (zoom in/dolly out or reverse) are the only things that zooming could work in and be acceptable to most.
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You lost me here. There are still several shooters in television and film that utilize zooms for more than comedic effect.


Response to the OP:

Cinema Zooms are generally constant apertures throughout, but suffer either on the wide end or tight end. In the same sense, there are SLR zooms that are somehwat constant, like the Nikon 80-200/2.8 for example.

You CAN use the 18-55 to the same effect, but you'll have to employ a stop higher than the widest aperture at the end.

So if the lens is an 18-55/2.8~6, then you have to shoot at a 6 constantly so that the iris doesn't open or close when you zoom.
 
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Kholi said:
Response to the OP:

Cinema Zooms are generally constant apertures throughout, but suffer either on the wide end or tight end. In the same sense, there are SLR zooms that are somehwat constant, like the Nikon 80-200/2.8 for example.

You CAN use the 18-55 to the same effect, but you'll have to employ a stop higher than the widest aperture at the end.

So if the lens is an 18-55/2.8~6, then you have to shoot at a 6 constantly so that the iris doesn't open or close when you zoom.
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That works fine in theory, but not in practice. With EF lenses, as soon as you stop zooming, the iris electronically snaps to the closest 1/3 stop value and there is a visible change in exposure.
 
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Kholi said:
You lost me here. There are still several shooters in television and film that utilize zooms for more than comedic effect.
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This is true. However, the people utilizing those zooms tend to do so sparingly, and they happen to be professional.

When a noob uses the zoom, it looks like a home-movie.

The logic that makes most sense to me is that this camera technique is not something the human eye can do, so it feels unnatural to us.

Forget your zoom for dramatic/comedic effect. Can you dolly for dramatic/comedic effect?

If you really, really, really must zoom, you can always do it in post. If you shoot in 1080p, you can downgrade to 720p for that one shot, and that would give you plenty of zooming power.
 
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chilipie said:
That works fine in theory, but not in practice. With EF lenses, as soon as you stop zooming, the iris electronically snaps to the closest 1/3 stop value and there is a visible change in exposure.
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Ah! That's right, it's an EF lens. You could actually block the contacts but then you wouldn't be able to control the iris at all.
 
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Cracker Funk said:
This is true. However, the people utilizing those zooms tend to do so sparingly, and they happen to be professional.
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Indeed. But, I was referring to it still being employed, regardless of how much. Every camera technique has its time and place, but saying that it "should not be done" was what I commented on.

When a noob uses the zoom, it looks like a home-movie.
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Haha. Most stuff not done by working professionals looks like home-video, though. xP

The logic that makes most sense to me is that this camera technique is not something the human eye can do, so it feels unnatural to us.
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Interesting perspective.
Forget your zoom for dramatic/comedic effect. Can you dolly for dramatic/comedic effect?
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Absolutely. Watch THE BURBS. Every single dolly is for comedic effect, and with great impact. On the opposite end, check out the remake of INFERNAL AFFAIRS. Lots of dramatic circular dolly action going on.

If you really, really, really must zoom, you can always do it in post. If you shoot in 1080p, you can downgrade to 720p for that one shot, and that would give you plenty of zooming power.
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Zooming in post is different than zooming in camera. You don't change perspective in post, in camera you change FOV, AOV and compression. It can be an interesting effect, though! Kind of "disorienting" but could be in a good way.
 
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My 000000000001.5 cents.


I don't mind a zoom in a film if it's SLOW, and it's used if a character is telling a story/or important piece of character building-usually on monologues.


Usually though stay with shot you're working with-even "little adjustments" can be distracting I find.

I also do agree that usually in comic situations the "quick zoom" to capture a characters reaction can work-but otherwise I think it's easier just to stay with one angle/view and not adjust "on the fly"


Just my opinion ;)
 
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Kholi said:
Indeed. But, I was referring to it still being employed, regardless of how much. Every camera technique has its time and place, but saying that it "should not be done" was what I commented on.
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100% agreement. But let me make some analogies to clarify my opinion.

Every now and then, a root canal is the dental procedure best suited to fix a person's teeth. On rare occasion, the Hail Mary is just exactly the play that a football team should call. Depending on the event, once in a blue-moon, there might be a reason to wear a neon-yellow piano-necktie.

But if every time you went to the dentist, you got a root canal...
if your favorite football team ran the Hail Mary, every single down...
if the whole world started wearing neon-yellow piano-neckties...

You might soon start to realize that they are all kinda shitty experiences. Like a root canal, if a zoom isn't exactly what is needed in that situation, it's just plain painfull, and rather pointless.

Kholi said:
Haha. Most stuff not done by working professionals looks like home-video, though. xP
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Mmm, I can't agree with that. Put your camera on a tripod, lock it down, no pan, no tilt, no nothing. Just rely on solid storytelling, and you can rest assured that the work of a noob will be nothing like a home video.

Kholi said:
Zooming in post is different than zooming in camera. You don't change perspective in post, in camera you change FOV, AOV and compression. It can be an interesting effect, though! Kind of "disorienting" but could be in a good way.
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True. I'd say that both methods are "disorienting", and you should either go balls-to-the-wall, or keep the effect really subtle.
 
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Well I have two choices, I can either put the camera on a dolly and move it closer fast, to zoom, or I can just use the 18-55 to zoom in which case the light will get dark for fraction of a second.
 
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