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I'm not really liking the results of these settings yet, but what's funny is I tried these settings (as of 2022-05-25) on the Panasonic G7 and they LOOK GREAT. On the GH4 there's still a little bit too much contrast, and it's difficult to maintain highlight detail in sunlit conditions. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: Promaster HGX UV Canon 70-200 2.8 + BOOST (Metabones XL .64x) Panasonic GH4 CineLike D "PHOTO STYLE" -0 CONTRAST -5 SHARPNESS +5 NOISE +1 COLOR -2, +2 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 16-255 LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST ? IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS ? IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR ? IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: I'm not really liking the results of these settings yet, but what's funny is I tried these settings (as of 2022-05-25) on the Panasonic G7 and they LOOK GREAT. On the GH4 there's still a little bit too much contrast, and it's difficult to maintain highlight detail in sunlit conditions. My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.

(These new settings are for using the lens with the Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8.) I started this test because I wasn't able to get this lens-sensor combo (or with G85) to work very well UNFILTERED (see my older notes below). So, while testing I noticed a number of interesting things, including that this filter (with the specific settings I use) is reducing the compression artifacts that were occurring in video (when using it UNFILTERED). Also, no surprise, but using this filter makes this lens more prone to flare (need a lens hood or matte box) and though this can reduce the contrast in certain lighting situations (i.e. pointing toward a light source) the flare doesn't look that bad. So, while I didn't like the results of this lens UNFILTERED, I now feel pretty good about using it with these settings (which include the Tiffen BPM18/Black Pro Mist 1/8). OLDER NOTES (from UNFILTERED test): When I started this test, I was surprised, as I had heard so many people say good things about this lens, but when compared with a lot of the vintage lenses I've been testing, this thing isn't very good...so let me explain. When I started this test (at -0-0-0-0 using the Natural profile) what immediately jumped out at me were the outlines on the edges of objects, which I'm pretty sure is due to over-sharpening...yet at the same time, the image was soft and needed sharpening! This is a problem, because to remove the outlines on the edges of things, you have to REDUCE the SHARPENING...but doing that will mean the image needs even MORE sharpening during post production, so I may have to see how far I can take the sharpening in post production (using Davinci Resolve). IDEA: I may try decreasing the NR (Noise Reduction) by 1 (to +3) and increasing the SHARPNESS by 1 (to -4) to see if I can get a little bit more film grain look (the NR is wiping out all of the texture, and you could add it in post, but I prefer to save TIME). Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 No Lens Adapter (Native Mount) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -0 CONTRAST -3 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE -1 COLOR -3+3 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 16-255 LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST A IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS A IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE A IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR B IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: (These new settings are for using the lens with the Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8.) I started this test because I wasn't able to get this lens-sensor combo (or with G85) to work very well UNFILTERED (see my older notes below). So, while testing I noticed a number of interesting things, including that this filter (with the specific settings I use) is reducing the compression artifacts that were occurring in video (when using it UNFILTERED). Also, no surprise, but using this filter makes this lens more prone to flare (need a lens hood or matte box) and though this can reduce the contrast in certain lighting situations (i.e. pointing toward a light source) the flare doesn't look that bad. So, while I didn't like the results of this lens UNFILTERED, I now feel pretty good about using it with these settings (which include the Tiffen BPM18/Black Pro Mist 1/8). OLDER NOTES (from UNFILTERED test): When I started this test, I was surprised, as I had heard so many people say good things about this lens, but when compared with a lot of the vintage lenses I've been testing, this thing isn't very good...so let me explain. When I started this test (at -0-0-0-0 using the Natural profile) what immediately jumped out at me were the outlines on the edges of objects, which I'm pretty sure is due to over-sharpening...yet at the same time, the image was soft and needed sharpening! This is a problem, because to remove the outlines on the edges of things, you have to REDUCE the SHARPENING...but doing that will mean the image needs even MORE sharpening during post production, so I may have to see how far I can take the sharpening in post production (using Davinci Resolve). IDEA: I may try decreasing the NR (Noise Reduction) by 1 (to +3) and increasing the SHARPNESS by 1 (to -4) to see if I can get a little bit more film grain look (the NR is wiping out all of the texture, and you could add it in post, but I prefer to save TIME). My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.

THE SHORT STORY: I'm super happy with the results coming from these settings (the lens-sensor combo, including the Pixco speed booster)! What was super surprising was that these settings not only look good on the final files, but they also look good on the Panasonic GH4 flip-out screen (while you're shooting) and that doesn't always happen (it's a really good thing!) THE LONG STORY: I just tested this lens-sensor combination on a Panasonic GX85, so I had some expectations for this test...but I must say that it turned out a lot better than I expected! Not only does this turn the very affordable Canon FDn 50 1.8 into a great low light tool (a 35mm 1.2) but it renders quite a filmic look on this GH4 (a super affordable camera nowadays)! I say it looks a lot like film because it's doing a really good job controlling the highlight rolloff, midtones and shadow detail, and it even renders a sort of film grain look by having a bit of digital noise (but it's not too much that it's distracting). The NOISE REDUCTION settings are what I'm using to control how the "film grain" look is rendering, and the final settings I'm using are a result of a lot of back-and-forth trial and error, so I'll have to say that it's important to use these specific settings (try it and I think you'll like it). In regard to the optical quality of this speed booster, it has flaws and imperfections, but I think what's really important is how the image it renders looks, etc. It has issues with lens flare which some people actually like, and has other issues that could normally be considered a negative (such as sharpness reduction, etc.) that are working well with this lens-sensor combination. In the end, I think using this Pixco speed booster with this Canon FDn 50 1.8 is a very cost-effective way to turn this 50 1.8 into a 35mm F/1.2 low light tool. The aperture control is stepless (i.e. de-clicked) though it does have a couple places it seems to catch slightly. GH4 NOTE: One problem with the GH4 is that the sensor seems to render too much BLUE. So, the workaround I use is to shoot in "Cloudy" white balance when it's sunny outside. My "REAL" ratings rate "COLOR" as being pretty accurate, but it's when using this workaround. Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Canon FDn 50 1.8 +BOOST (Pixco Focal Reducer) Panasonic GH4 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -0 CONTRAST -3 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE -0 COLOR -2+2 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 16-255 LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST A IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS B IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE B IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR A IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: THE SHORT STORY: I'm super happy with the results coming from these settings (the lens-sensor combo, including the Pixco speed booster)! What was super surprising was that these settings not only look good on the final files, but they also look good on the Panasonic GH4 flip-out screen (while you're shooting) and that doesn't always happen (it's a really good thing!) THE LONG STORY: I just tested this lens-sensor combination on a Panasonic GX85, so I had some expectations for this test...but I must say that it turned out a lot better than I expected! Not only does this turn the very affordable Canon FDn 50 1.8 into a great low light tool (a 35mm 1.2) but it renders quite a filmic look on this GH4 (a super affordable camera nowadays)! I say it looks a lot like film because it's doing a really good job controlling the highlight rolloff, midtones and shadow detail, and it even renders a sort of film grain look by having a bit of digital noise (but it's not too much that it's distracting). The NOISE REDUCTION settings are what I'm using to control how the "film grain" look is rendering, and the final settings I'm using are a result of a lot of back-and-forth trial and error, so I'll have to say that it's important to use these specific settings (try it and I think you'll like it). In regard to the optical quality of this speed booster, it has flaws and imperfections, but I think what's really important is how the image it renders looks, etc. It has issues with lens flare which some people actually like, and has other issues that could normally be considered a negative (such as sharpness reduction, etc.) that are working well with this lens-sensor combination. In the end, I think using this Pixco speed booster with this Canon FDn 50 1.8 is a very cost-effective way to turn this 50 1.8 into a 35mm F/1.2 low light tool. The aperture control is stepless (i.e. de-clicked) though it does have a couple places it seems to catch slightly. GH4 NOTE: One problem with the GH4 is that the sensor seems to render too much BLUE. So, the workaround I use is to shoot in "Cloudy" white balance when it's sunny outside. My "REAL" ratings rate "COLOR" as being pretty accurate, but it's when using this workaround. My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.

Not sure if test for v2 was done. Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Minolta AF 50 1.7 ii + ADAPTER (Non-Optical, NO BOOST) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -5 CONTRAST -4 SHARPNESS +5 NOISE -0 COLOR -0-0 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST ? IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: Not sure if test for v2 was done. My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.

These settings do not work SOOC, and it will need a LUT to finalize the image. The CONTRAST and SHARPNESS are looking pretty realistic (with these custom settings) but a LUT is needed to add a bit of the COLOR (saturation) back to the image. I think this (using these settings) is a much better starting point than the default (-0-0-0-0) settings as the CONTRAST was so intense it was not easy to get a realistic image, and the COLOR was too saturated and not very accurate. These custom settings should make it much easier to capture a more realistic image (and it should be really easy to color grade in post). Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Panasonic 45-150 4-5.6 No Lens Adapter (Native Mount) Panasonic GX85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -5 CONTRAST -4 SHARPNESS +3 NOISE -4 COLOR -0-0 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 16-255 LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE DEFAULT Panasonic 45-150 4-5.6 Panasonic GX85 NATURAL -0-0-0-0 CUSTOM Panasonic 45-150 4-5.6 Panasonic GX85 NATURAL -5-4+3-4 REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST B IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS B IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE A IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR C IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: These settings do not work SOOC, and it will need a LUT to finalize the image. The CONTRAST and SHARPNESS are looking pretty realistic (with these custom settings) but a LUT is needed to add a bit of the COLOR (saturation) back to the image. I think this (using these settings) is a much better starting point than the default (-0-0-0-0) settings as the CONTRAST was so intense it was not easy to get a realistic image, and the COLOR was too saturated and not very accurate. These custom settings should make it much easier to capture a more realistic image (and it should be really easy to color grade in post). My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.

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[TESTING...] Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Tamron 70-300 4-5.6 LD Di + BOOST (Viltrox NF-M43x .71x) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" - 4 CONTRAST +4 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE -0 COLOR Standard HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST ? IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: [TESTING...] My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.

UPDATE: I changed the Highlight Shadow settings (from -3+3) to -2+2 and now it has the same HS settings as the UNFILTERED version. This is interesting as it means that, while the LUT will still need to be different for this version (which is using the Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8) because of tonal range, but what's interesting is the SHARPNESS settings are the only difference (2 points less when using this filter). I know, it would be nice if this pattern was the same for ALL lens-sensor combinations (and I could just apply that logic, and not have to TEST each one) but I know better than to do that by now, LOL! I came back to this test after some time, and I think the old settings looked okay SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) but I think the image would fall apart if any post sharpening was to be added, so I increased the NR (Noise Reduction) to tone down sharpness. This helps to get the image to a better starting point (before adding a bit of sharpening in post). I also increased the COLOR setting by 1 (because adding NR reduced the color saturation too). I need to test the post-production sharpening settings in Davinci Resolve (I will publish them below). Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 No Lens Adapter (Native Mount) Panasonic GH4 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -3 CONTRAST -3 SHARPNESS +5 NOISE -0 COLOR -2+2 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 16-255 LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: UPDATE: I changed the Highlight Shadow settings (from -3+3) to -2+2 and now it has the same HS settings as the UNFILTERED version. This is interesting as it means that, while the LUT will still need to be different for this version (which is using the Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8) because of tonal range, but what's interesting is the SHARPNESS settings are the only difference (2 points less when using this filter). I know, it would be nice if this pattern was the same for ALL lens-sensor combinations (and I could just apply that logic, and not have to TEST each one) but I know better than to do that by now, LOL! I came back to this test after some time, and I think the old settings looked okay SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) but I think the image would fall apart if any post sharpening was to be added, so I increased the NR (Noise Reduction) to tone down sharpness. This helps to get the image to a better starting point (before adding a bit of sharpening in post). I also increased the COLOR setting by 1 (because adding NR reduced the color saturation too). I need to test the post-production sharpening settings in Davinci Resolve (I will publish them below). My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.

While I'm still testing this lens-sensor combo, it looks pretty nice so far. Not only does it have a really nice vintage look, but it's also pretty accurate in terms of COLOR and CONTRAST. Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Kiron 28-85 2.8-3.8 +TILT (Tilt-Only Adapter) Panasonic GH4 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -1 CONTRAST +1 SHARPNESS +1 NOISE -0 COLOR -1+2 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 16-255 LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST B IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS C IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE B IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR A IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: While I'm still testing this lens-sensor combo, it looks pretty nice so far. Not only does it have a really nice vintage look, but it's also pretty accurate in terms of COLOR and CONTRAST. My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.

UPDATE 2: I just finished the updated settings! I think it still could benefit from doing some tests with some kind of diffusion filter (like the Tiffen GG or BPM) but I have to note that this is my last test with this camera because the shutter speed dial completely stopped working (when I turn it, it only goes HIGHER). The problems with this camera started after using a Viltrox EFM2ii (Canon mount focal reducer/speedbooster) during which the screen glitched, then the camera froze. Since then, it has gotten worse, and now I can't use it at all. (I love the Nikon mount version of the Viltrox focal reducer, the non-electronic version, but now I'm going to warn people about using the Canon mount version (because it has electrical contacts, and tries to communicate, and pull power from, the camera). One thing that is really interesting about these settings, is that the SOOC JPEG (in still photo modes) looks really good (and, in fact a bit more accurate than the video footage, because the video footage is still a LITTLE bit over-sharpened). UPDATE: I recently talked with another photographer about this lens (as well as talking with others in the past) and most people don't like it much. I've been working to figure out CUSTOM SETTINGS that help each lens look its best (specific to each camera sensor) and haven't been able to get this combo to look realistic (it looks too "digital"). I've started testing some lenses using Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 filters and may try that here. What the filter does is smooth the transition of light from the highlights to the shadows, keeping the light projected onto the sensor within the dynamic range of the camera. This also causes SHARPNESS to decrease, but I have it turned all of the way down right now, so I can then turn it up on the custom settings, and it should make the image look less digital. Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Panasonic 14-42 ii No Lens Adapter (Native Mount) Panasonic GX85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -1 CONTRAST -4 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE -0 COLOR -2+3 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 16-255 LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST A IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS A IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE C IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR A IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: UPDATE 2: I just finished the updated settings! I think it still could benefit from doing some tests with some kind of diffusion filter (like the Tiffen GG or BPM) but I have to note that this is my last test with this camera because the shutter speed dial completely stopped working (when I turn it, it only goes HIGHER). The problems with this camera started after using a Viltrox EFM2ii (Canon mount focal reducer/speedbooster) during which the screen glitched, then the camera froze. Since then, it has gotten worse, and now I can't use it at all. (I love the Nikon mount version of the Viltrox focal reducer, the non-electronic version, but now I'm going to warn people about using the Canon mount version (because it has electrical contacts, and tries to communicate, and pull power from, the camera). One thing that is really interesting about these settings, is that the SOOC JPEG (in still photo modes) looks really good (and, in fact a bit more accurate than the video footage, because the video footage is still a LITTLE bit over-sharpened). UPDATE: I recently talked with another photographer about this lens (as well as talking with others in the past) and most people don't like it much. I've been working to figure out CUSTOM SETTINGS that help each lens look its best (specific to each camera sensor) and haven't been able to get this combo to look realistic (it looks too "digital"). I've started testing some lenses using Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 filters and may try that here. What the filter does is smooth the transition of light from the highlights to the shadows, keeping the light projected onto the sensor within the dynamic range of the camera. This also causes SHARPNESS to decrease, but I have it turned all of the way down right now, so I can then turn it up on the custom settings, and it should make the image look less digital. My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.

While these settings create A GOOD STARTING POINT, they do need a LUT (on my website) to perfect the shots. What I did with the settings was I added +3 SHADOWS (by creating a custom curve within the "Highlight Shadow" menu) and this is very important, in addition to the adjustments to the "Photo Style" settings (adjustments to CONTRAST, SHARPNESS, NOISE and COLOR). Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Sigma 18-35 1.8 + SHIFT (Perspective Control Adapter) Panasonic GX85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -3 CONTRAST -3 SHARPNESS +2 NOISE -0 COLOR -0+3 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 16-255 LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST ? IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: While these settings create A GOOD STARTING POINT, they do need a LUT (on my website) to perfect the shots. What I did with the settings was I added +3 SHADOWS (by creating a custom curve within the "Highlight Shadow" menu) and this is very important, in addition to the adjustments to the "Photo Style" settings (adjustments to CONTRAST, SHARPNESS, NOISE and COLOR). My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.

Tests shot. Needs LUT Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Minolta AF 50 1.7 + ADAPTER (Non-Optical, NO BOOST) Panasonic G7 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -3 CONTRAST -1 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE -1 COLOR -0-0 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST A IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS A IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR C IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: Tests shot. Needs LUT My goal for these camera settings is to improve the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color with the result that it produces an image that looks less "digital" and more "organic" (more like film, etc). The first step is to apply these settings while shooting (produces an image that looks pretty good straight out of camera) but keep in mind there may need to be slight color grading (or a LUT) applied to finalize each shot.