A close-focus diopter covers only half of the lens, so near and far subjects are sharp at the same time, giving an odd-looking frame.
When to use it
Building tension, keeping a foreground product and a distant person both crisp.
Example videos
The Hardest Shot to Pull Off — How to Use a Split Diopter — Explainer: From 0:40, it shows with movie scenes a split diopter frame in which a close face and a distant person are sharp at once.The Untouchables scene - Split Diopter — Real: A moment in The Untouchables when the person in front on one side of the frame and the person behind on the other are sharp together.Depth of Field Explained: Ultimate Guide to Camera Focus (Shot List Ep. 4) — Explainer: From 9:53, the split diopter lens section.
Will AI handle it well?
Not verified
One-click prompt
Split diopter shot, the anxious face of a man in extreme foreground and a stranger standing far behind him in a hallway, both in sharp focus with a soft blur line between them, locked-off camera, 35mm lens, dim greenish light, uneasy suspense, 5-second shot.
Tell the AI like this
split diopter shot, face in extreme foreground and figure far behind both in sharp focus