XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Depth of Field Examples at FreshDV

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XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Depth of Field Examples

Published by Matthew Jeppsen January 13th, 2008 in Cameras, Formats, FreshDV, News, Research

This article is part of a series of tests FreshDV conducted with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1. Thanks to Miami rental house and Sony dealer Midtown Video for providing a XDCAM EX camera. And thanks to DSC Labs for providing test chart patterns. You can read more about ours and others experiences with this camera here.

The Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1 is equipped with three half-inch CMOS image sensors, which not only perform well in low light but also deliver surprising depth-of-field. The EX’s Fujinon fully-manual lens can be adjusted down to f/1.9 and sustains that aperture throughout the entire range of the zoom. Bear in mind that shallow DOF is either a blessing or a curse, depending on what you wish to accomplish. For dramatic filmmaking, it can be a very effective tool at drawing focus to specific areas of the frame and de-cluttering backgrounds. Your focus puller may have to work hard, but the results can be brilliant. But for fast action and sports applications shallow DOF can be a curse. This footage from the EX1 shows exactly how shallow that DOF can be. For a very detailed explanation on the mechanics of DOF, watch this tutorial.

EX1 1/2 inch Sensor DOF Example Footage [1:43m]: Download

Thanks again to both DSC Labs and Midtown Video for making this EX1 test series possible. Stay tuned here or at our EX1 link page for more test results.

5 Responses to “XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Depth of Field Examples”

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1 Ajit Jan 15th, 2008 at 8:07 pm

That is one pretty depth of field test. Also, is that from the new Radiohead cd.
2 Matthew Jeppsen Jan 16th, 2008 at 12:17 am

Thanks Anthony! That was actually Muse.

-Matt Jeppsen
3 Chun Jan 16th, 2008 at 1:51 am

I take it from these tests that film lens adapters such as Redrock’s M2 and Cinevate’s Brevis 35 will no longer be required? If that is true, that would probably swing me from buying a HVX200 to an EX1.
4 Matthew Jeppsen Jan 16th, 2008 at 3:17 am

I think it really depends on the application and the look you want to achieve. I could see that in certain applications the EX1’s increased shallow focus vs common 1/3″ small-format HD camcorders would be enough to keep some from utilizing a 35mm adapter. But there are plenty of other benefits to using a 35mm adapter, like smoother bokeh rendering.

-Matt Jeppsen
5 Chun Jan 16th, 2008 at 6:39 am

I will be shooting for dramas and short films. What are the other benefits to using a 35mm adapter in addition to smoother bokehs? It would be great if someone could post some comparison shots, with and without a 35mm lens adapter.