It's for some night scenes I will be shooting for my next project, where there is not enough deep focus available. I have been looking around but the camera stores here do not carry them, and not sure what is the right thing to buy online, without getting ripped off, or getting a product that is not quite right for me. What are the best choices, at hopefully not to costly of price?
What's a good split diopter for the T2i.
- Thread starter harmonica44
- Start date
Good luck, they're specialty glass and will most likely end up really expensive. I've only ever seen them used once (Reservoir Dogs).
If you can find one to rent (check rental houses in H'Wood and see if they ship)
LA Film Rental would be the google search I'd try... you may even add split diopter and the t2i is an EF mount right?... so you can add EF Mount as well. If you put phrases in quotes, it'll look for the phrases specifically: [ "EF Mount" "Split diopter" LA Rental ] would probably get you some good results.
If you can find one to rent (check rental houses in H'Wood and see if they ship)
LA Film Rental would be the google search I'd try... you may even add split diopter and the t2i is an EF mount right?... so you can add EF Mount as well. If you put phrases in quotes, it'll look for the phrases specifically: [ "EF Mount" "Split diopter" LA Rental ] would probably get you some good results.
Okay thanks. I have been looking and even for renting a lot of them are up to $1000 dollars which is just as much as most lenses themselves! I know it sounds silly but I am seriously considering, just seeing about hiring a lens maker in town, to make one for me. Or could any of these be any good for the T2i? If I buy one I want to be sure, so I don't have any nasty suprises to find out later, that it won't work for me:
http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_from...&_nkw=split+diopter&_sacat=See-All-Categories
http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_from...&_nkw=split+diopter&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Last edited:
I want it for shots like this, the first shot in the scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLXU-Sa_o_I
But also for shots where the characters are closer together as well, such as night in a driving car, side by side.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLXU-Sa_o_I
But also for shots where the characters are closer together as well, such as night in a driving car, side by side.
A split diopter lens is a lens with two half lenses glued down the middle to allow for a foreground and background subject to be in focus at the same time in a static shot (can't rack focus on it generally unless you're REALLY good) without using a long DoF to achieve the effect.
They are few and far between and hardly ever used. They are expensive (as H44 has found out) and generally, the solution is to restage the scene to not use the lens. Which is what has been recommended, but since we're back to the question, I thought I'd point H44 toward rental as a cheaper solution to buying one as they're prohibitively expensive to purchase.
They are few and far between and hardly ever used. They are expensive (as H44 has found out) and generally, the solution is to restage the scene to not use the lens. Which is what has been recommended, but since we're back to the question, I thought I'd point H44 toward rental as a cheaper solution to buying one as they're prohibitively expensive to purchase.
Here's one... http://www.abelcine.com/store/Tiffen-Split-Diopter-Set-of-3-4.5-Filters/
More expensive than my last rental day rate for a canon 7D... this is money that could probably be spent elsewhere IMHO, but I'm curious to see what you do with it -- so I'm feeding the fire
More expensive than my last rental day rate for a canon 7D... this is money that could probably be spent elsewhere IMHO, but I'm curious to see what you do with it -- so I'm feeding the fire
That's why I wanted to buy one off ebay, so I can practice. If I rent I have to use it, with very little time to practice with it. The ebay ones are around $300, which is not too bad.
I could restage the shots, but every shot of mine is a close up, just to preserve enough light and focus at night. I feel that all my shots are too much the same and would like to be able to change it up, even if it's just a few.
I could restage the shots, but every shot of mine is a close up, just to preserve enough light and focus at night. I feel that all my shots are too much the same and would like to be able to change it up, even if it's just a few.
As a DP, I'm going to go back to... Add light. If focus is an issue, you're still not going to be able to have anything move in the shot as the 2 halves of your shot will each have a shallow DoF. If your foreground subject in those conditions leans forward or backward at all, they'll be out of focus. It doesn't give you a longer DoF, it gives you 2 separate shallow DoFs at different distances based on which split diopter lens you use. If you only get one lens, you're still going to have to stage for that lens. It's not a magical solution, it's a kludge (Not that I'm personally averse to kludges -- I just want you to fully understand what you're getting yourself into) that required someone to chop up a perfectly good pair of lenses originally, then super glue them together to achieve 1 specific look.
You'll stage your foreground actor, focus on them, then move your background actor into focus physically by moving them to the point of focus based on the split diopter.
You'll stage your foreground actor, focus on them, then move your background actor into focus physically by moving them to the point of focus based on the split diopter.
I can add light but, well the location we are using is okay with us running around shooting at night, but is not okay with us setting up lights. I have yet to find a location that is okay with that, and am looking. I could get maybe legally get away with it, if I have the lights in cars, pointing out the windows, but the police may take an issue with that, if it blinds possible traffic.
For doing wide shots though, I am having some trouble pouring enough light on to the person in the background to sharpen him up. I can if the light is very directional, but then it looks too directional, and I need to spread it out more, to look more natural, but still keeping it bright enough. Me and my DP agreed that the ISO at 6400 is too much noise, so we need to get enough light to make the DOF deep enough to get two characters in the shot, one close up, one far away. I can try to shine a lot of lights out of car windows on both people and see but I hope we don't get into trouble for pouring so much blinding light into drivers eyes passing by a few dozen meters away. If I can get it down to 3200 ISO, even that won't look near as bad by comparison.
I would like to get permission to use an outdoor location to light it properly before shooting, but everyone location owner or city government member so far is asking for money that ranges from the hundreds of thousands of dollars area, to the millions. How do you people do it?
For doing wide shots though, I am having some trouble pouring enough light on to the person in the background to sharpen him up. I can if the light is very directional, but then it looks too directional, and I need to spread it out more, to look more natural, but still keeping it bright enough. Me and my DP agreed that the ISO at 6400 is too much noise, so we need to get enough light to make the DOF deep enough to get two characters in the shot, one close up, one far away. I can try to shine a lot of lights out of car windows on both people and see but I hope we don't get into trouble for pouring so much blinding light into drivers eyes passing by a few dozen meters away. If I can get it down to 3200 ISO, even that won't look near as bad by comparison.
I would like to get permission to use an outdoor location to light it properly before shooting, but everyone location owner or city government member so far is asking for money that ranges from the hundreds of thousands of dollars area, to the millions. How do you people do it?
Last edited:
I hope you do notice that this example is shot is broad (and very bright) daylight.
This means: closed down aperture.
You need more light and focuspulling or accepting you can't have fore and background in focus with an opened up iris.
You'd better spend the money to rent some lights and a 5DmkIII (or C300) with L-glass to shoot at night with less noise, than spending it on a crazy lens.
You are always trying to do something without meeting the required conditions.
It's good to have dreams, but you haven't proven you can do something simple right yet.
A lot of your questions still show you still don't master the basics.
Just making something like a lunchtime table conversation will give you more experience and understanding, so you maybe/hopefully don't feel like asking everything over and over again.
Go make something small.
Try recreating a simple commercal without asking anything here. Use your own mind.
Whatever....
Make something!
Get experienced!
Sure. I can't rent, the rental store will only let me rent if I am an official graduate. That's just the local one though, I will try check out the others recommended, and I'll see if my DP can rent from the local. So far we have been trying to figure out how much light with the aperture that much closed, at night.
Last edited:
I don't know how you do it, Knightly. Your patience is admirable. I don't possess the same qualities.
LIGHT YOUR FUCKING SUBJECTS, H44!! THE SOLUTION YOU'RE LOOKING FOR HERE IS WAY MORE COMPLICATED THAN JUST LIGHTING YOUR FUCKING SUBJECTS.
LIGHT YOUR FUCKING SUBJECTS, H44!! THE SOLUTION YOU'RE LOOKING FOR HERE IS WAY MORE COMPLICATED THAN JUST LIGHTING YOUR FUCKING SUBJECTS.
'I don't want to bring in a Focus Puller, and I don't want to bring in lights, and I don't want to use wide angle lenses, and I don't want to move further away from the action, and I don't want to close the aperture... But I want deep focus. Would this option that is far more complicated and expensive than any of the other ones I have available, and not give me the look I want anyway work?'
Seriously, it just gets tiring sometimes. You ask the same questions and get the same answers, and then a month later ask the same question in a different way, as if the answer has changed.
Get some lights.
Seriously, it just gets tiring sometimes. You ask the same questions and get the same answers, and then a month later ask the same question in a different way, as if the answer has changed.
Get some lights.
Thank you... specifically, I look at how these questions will feed the google mill to draw in new filmmakers to our community.
H44: http://www.westconequip.ca/sk_rental.php They're down south a bit in Sasketchewan (regina et al...) but page 11 of their rental catalog has light trees like you see for construction projects... you want light, I give you light.
Listen H44. Just buy the lens. I'm sure you have everyone's blessing here. That's the answer you are looking for right? I read your threads, every time someone gives you a reply contrary to what you are looking for, you have an excuse as to why you can't do what they suggest, regardless if what you want to do is more expensive, or much more complicated. Tell us you want to do this for some artist reason, and not because your location won't allow lighting, and maybe you'll receive answers to justify your reasoning.
But until then, I will speak for myself, you have my blessing to get this lens.
But until then, I will speak for myself, you have my blessing to get this lens.
This thread is actually quite old and the lens far outside the budget. Rental was the best option from this thread when it was active... but it was determined that more light for greater DoF was more budget conscious.
I just posted here because the most recent Film Riot made me think of this discussion.
I just posted here because the most recent Film Riot made me think of this discussion.