# An interesting video but I think this guy is wrong about the split diopter shot



## qleak (Jan 17, 2015)

So I found this video entertaining, but at one point the narrator claims that shooting at a lens at an angle is the same as having a split diopter like used by de palma:

All 15 Split Diopter shots in Brian De Palma's 'Blow Out'

I thought this would be much more like adjusting front standard of a tilt shift lens or view camera to change the angle of the plane of focus. Not quite the same thing.

I don't think I'll be doing this technique with the amount of dust I seem to acquire on my sensor


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 23, 2015)

Part way into it I realized what he seems to be describing is free lensing. I don't get where the split diopter comes into it. I wasn't familiar with that, but am with some of the movies mentioned, but I don't see it in his examples.

I guess I'm just getting jaded, but it seems like the video was clear enough in promoting sponsors...  so I don't know, is this to get followers or ad revenue as much as anything? I don't really get what he's doing or trying to show his viewers.

I agree, a sensor may not do well with whacking! lol


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## photoguy99 (Jan 23, 2015)

You can get a tilt/shift effect while freelensing. See also Scheimpflug principle. The effect is similar to a split diopter.


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 27, 2015)

Tilt shift effect doesn't to me look like using a split diopter. Watching 'All the President's Men' I saw what I think was shot with a split diopter. There was a scene set in the Washington Post press room where you could see on one side background that looked in focus and the other side it looked OOF.

edit - I just saw it again - a scene with reporters in the background watching and reacting to a broadcast, to the left in focus; man in the center almost behind a post was OOF as was the background to the right. About 45 min. into the movie. Clear to see it in that scene. Doesn't look the same as tilt shift, you can see the background in focus and the part that isn't, there's a clear division not the more gradual shift.

If I can find that part of the movie on YouTube I'll try to come back and post it. Thanks for the post, I wouldn't have noticed otherwise, interesting!


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## photoguy99 (Jan 27, 2015)

Yes. A split diopter should yield two separate planes of focus, each parallel to the "film" plane. A T/S tilts the plane of focus relative to the film plane. The effects can look similar, but are not the same.


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 27, 2015)

In the scene I mentioned it looked like the left side was focused using a small aperture or to infinity while the right side was focused on Redford and Hoffman, maybe at a more midrange aperture (some distance behind them was in focus but farther back in the pressroom was OOF). Easy to see the split in that scene knowing to watch for it; now every time they're in the press room I look at the background! Can see how it was used to bring the viewers' attention to the two reporters at the desk and at the same time the group in the background.

I have an original Lensbaby where you shift and tilt (a lens that I guess would be considered a small version of that). 

Now I want a split diopter to play with!


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