Home Movies (1954)

how to use MRS STOPS By JULIUS SMITH Depth of torus like this is impossible with a normal lens — but try an extreme wide-angle and see how close you can get to the above effect. YOUR F 1.5 lens will be sharp when it is focused on the specific distance engraved on the barrel — even if it is used wide open at F 1.5. The same thing is true of the F 2.5 or F 2.8 and even the F 1.4 — in fact any decent lens will gice a sharp image if it is properly focused. If we are using an F 1.5 lens and the object is 5 feet away from the camera, then a very shallow area in front of. and in the rear of the object will be sharp. Beyond this point, the image will blur. Stay where you are. point the camera at the same object, but close the lens down to F 6.3. for example, and even greater depth of sharpness becomes apparent. In other words, a greater number of objects in front of. and behind the object will be in sharp focus. So. we can assume that when the lens is closed down, then we have greater depth of sharpness. This is especially valuable when we are shooting active children who frisk about within a variable distance from the camera. If the area of the shot is between 5 feet and 30 feet, we do not focus on the youngsters as they come towards the camera, or step away: this would be an almost impossible feat. \^ e simply set the camera lens to a certain distance, and leave it there. Then the focus takes care of itself. As a matter of fact, any focusing lens can be converted into a fixed focus lens, i one which requires no focusing I if a certain aperture and distance are set before shooting. But the whole thing depends upon the focal length of your lens. Normal lenses for 16mm vary be . See LENS STOPS on Page 72 you can edit YOUR II in FILMS The author who claims to be a rank beginner makes some common-sense suggestions to other new tilmers. WHEN I opened my "film drawer" last week I saw a jumble of films, neatly labeled in their yellow boxes; row upon row of movies taken here and there and covering a period of more than ten years. But it was a box full of nothing because each roll was a separate entitv and could be shown only to members of my immediate family — and no one else. And the reason was simply this — they were dull, taken in many a random spot with never a thought for continuity or editing the whole thing into something which could provide a living record of my life and my family. But things are different now. I went out and bought a splicer. S6.95 I some film cement. I S.50 1 and a few 200 ft. reels. Now if you think that splicing is like falling off a log. then just take it slow and easy until I explain: \ou don't have to be a genius to make a splice, but you have to have some idea of the basic principals. Actually splicing is the mere act of cutting a piece of film and joining it to another piece of film, to form a single piece of longer film. So what ? So this: the longer piece of film now tells a story, and when it is cut into yet another piece, then we have a film which can be shown to the family and even to our friends. I suggest you sit down right now and sort out all your boxes of film and project every single one. making notes as you go along. You might sort them out under the general classi • See EDIT on Page 63 58