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[TESTING...] Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Nikon 55-200 VR + BOOST (Viltrox NF-M43x .71x) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -5 CONTRAST +2 SHARPNESS +5 NOISE -3 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.

Test looks GOOD! May need LUT... Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Nikon 55-200 VR + HELICOID (Macro Helicoid Adapter) Panasonic GH4 CineLike D "PHOTO STYLE" -4 CONTRAST -1 SHARPNESS +5 NOISE -3 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: Test looks GOOD! May need 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.

In the future I may try adding a Tiffen GlimmerGlass or Black Pro Mist filter to attempt to control the dynamic range, etc. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: Promaster HGX UV Canon 70-200 2.8 + BOOST (Metabones XL .64x) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -4 CONTRAST -4 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE -3 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: In the future I may try adding a Tiffen GlimmerGlass or Black Pro Mist filter to attempt to control the dynamic range, etc. 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.

-2 HUE Needing to make a LUT (there is a few things wrong with the SOOC image) but it is worth it, because now I have a Nikon F mount lens (with the manual aperture control) I can use on my Kipon SHIFT adapter (which has no aperture control for newer Nikon G lenses that don't have a manual aperture control ring)...The only bad thing about this shift adapter is it doesn't allow this lens to focus to infinity, so I can only use it at f/16 when I want everything to be in focus, such as for outdoor work (landscapes, etc.) Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Sigma 17-35 2.8-4 EX ADAPTER: Nikon F to M43 (SHIFT) Panasonic GH5 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -3 CONTRAST -2 SHARPNESS +3 NOISE -1 COLOR -4+3 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 0-255 LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT 33 RADIUS 2.2 THRESHOLD 1 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 C IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS D IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE B 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: -2 HUE Needing to make a LUT (there is a few things wrong with the SOOC image) but it is worth it, because now I have a Nikon F mount lens (with the manual aperture control) I can use on my Kipon SHIFT adapter (which has no aperture control for newer Nikon G lenses that don't have a manual aperture control ring)...The only bad thing about this shift adapter is it doesn't allow this lens to focus to infinity, so I can only use it at f/16 when I want everything to be in focus, such as for outdoor work (landscapes, etc.) 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 first thing you will see (when you zoom in on the images this combination creates) is the image has a lot of NOISE...and you may be wondering how NOISE is a result of a lens-sensor combination, but when you compare it to other lenses (with similar SETTINGS) you know what I mean. It's kind of like it's how the light hits the sensor, after going through a certain lens, that makes all of the difference. I was able to get this lens to work okay on a lower-megapixel sensor (the Panasonic G85) but on this denser sensor (no rhyme intended:-) it's not working...so I cannot recommend this lens (for the Panasonic GH5). There is a bit of a FILM LOOK to the noise though, so if you are going for that, this might be a lens to try. One quick word about the MACRO feature of this lens...it's not easy to use, because of the tiny manual focusing ring (they thought AF was they only thing that people would ever use). The image quality of the lens is pretty good at the MACRO setting though, but even on a Micro Four Thirds (2x crop sensor) the close focus is not close enough (to make small things like bugs look good...or gross, whichever applies). Any links below are affiliate links. Minolta AF 35-70 4 MACRO Panasonic GH5 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -0 CONTRAST -2 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE -1 COLOR -3+3 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 0-255 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: The first thing you will see (when you zoom in on the images this combination creates) is the image has a lot of NOISE...and you may be wondering how NOISE is a result of a lens-sensor combination, but when you compare it to other lenses (with similar SETTINGS) you know what I mean. It's kind of like it's how the light hits the sensor, after going through a certain lens, that makes all of the difference. I was able to get this lens to work okay on a lower-megapixel sensor (the Panasonic G85) but on this denser sensor (no rhyme intended:-) it's not working...so I cannot recommend this lens (for the Panasonic GH5). There is a bit of a FILM LOOK to the noise though, so if you are going for that, this might be a lens to try. One quick word about the MACRO feature of this lens...it's not easy to use, because of the tiny manual focusing ring (they thought AF was they only thing that people would ever use). The image quality of the lens is pretty good at the MACRO setting though, but even on a Micro Four Thirds (2x crop sensor) the close focus is not close enough (to make small things like bugs look good...or gross, whichever applies). 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.

Okay, this test is with the Tiffen BPM18 (Black Pro Mist 1/8) and I am super excited about the results. It's WAY better than using either the BPM14 or the UNFILTERED (BARE) settings. This is still going to need a LUT (to add COLOR, CONTRAST and a HUE shift, which I prefer to in the LUT, not with in-camera settings) but these CUSTOM SETTINGS get this to a really good starting point. Why are the results so much better with the BMP18 (instead of the 1/4 or UNFILTERED)? The first things is the 1/8 strength Tiffen Black Pro Mist pre-treats and diffuses the light enough to be able to use a less dramatic HIGHLIGHT SHADOW (-3+3) which always is going to look more realistic than pushing them further (we had to go up to -5+4 on the UNFILTERED/BARE settings to control the dynamic range). Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 Panasonic 25 1.7 ADAPTER: None (Native) Panasonic GH5 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -5 CONTRAST -5 SHARPNESS +5 NOISE +1 COLOR -3+3 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 0-255 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 A IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE A IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR D 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: Okay, this test is with the Tiffen BPM18 (Black Pro Mist 1/8) and I am super excited about the results. It's WAY better than using either the BPM14 or the UNFILTERED (BARE) settings. This is still going to need a LUT (to add COLOR, CONTRAST and a HUE shift, which I prefer to in the LUT, not with in-camera settings) but these CUSTOM SETTINGS get this to a really good starting point. Why are the results so much better with the BMP18 (instead of the 1/4 or UNFILTERED)? The first things is the 1/8 strength Tiffen Black Pro Mist pre-treats and diffuses the light enough to be able to use a less dramatic HIGHLIGHT SHADOW (-3+3) which always is going to look more realistic than pushing them further (we had to go up to -5+4 on the UNFILTERED/BARE settings to control the dynamic range). 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.

GoPro HERO10 Black [UNFILTERED] GoPro HERO10 Black ADD-ONS: None LENS MOD: None "Linear" FIELD OF VIEW COLOR MODE SHARPNESS WHITE BALANCE EV COMP SHUTTER AUTO ISO MINIMUM ISO MAXIMUM Published: March 26, 2022 at 12:18:30 AM GAFFER TAPE SUPPLIED BY

[Vintage lens, so condition may vary.] (If you want SOOC, add +1 SHARPNESS, but if you're sharpening in post, leave it at -0.) When I started this test, I wasn't sure if I liked this lens, but after getting these SETTINGS right, I'm starting to like it. What was interesting was that the copy I am testing was NO WHERE near as good as my Nikon Series E 70-210 F/4 at the default settings (-0-0-0-0). This lens has problems with too little sharpness, a LOT of chromatic aberrations (blue, red and purple glows) and inaccurate color rendition, but again, after figuring out these corrective settings, I'm liking it! Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Nikon 80-200 4 AIS + BOOST (Viltrox NF-M43x .71x) Panasonic G7 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -0 CONTRAST +1 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE -2 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 B 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: [Vintage lens, so condition may vary.] (If you want SOOC, add +1 SHARPNESS, but if you're sharpening in post, leave it at -0.) When I started this test, I wasn't sure if I liked this lens, but after getting these SETTINGS right, I'm starting to like it. What was interesting was that the copy I am testing was NO WHERE near as good as my Nikon Series E 70-210 F/4 at the default settings (-0-0-0-0). This lens has problems with too little sharpness, a LOT of chromatic aberrations (blue, red and purple glows) and inaccurate color rendition, but again, after figuring out these corrective settings, I'm liking it! 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.

BELOW IS REVIEW ON OTHER CAMERA This lens is pretty amazing, because it's one of the few lens-sensor combos out there that actually looks really good at 0-0-0-0 (using the NATURAL photo style). I did do some minor adjustments, but they're not essential. This lens does have some issues with glowing purples (i.e. chromatic aberration) which can be distracting. Also, be aware that it's a really heavy lens (for its size) and I think it needs to be supported by the sort of adapter that has an integrated tripod mount on it (so it doesn't strain the lens mount on the camera). I didn't have a tripod mount on the adapter I used on my initial tests, and it wasn't very ergonomic, but then I found one on Ebay (Minolta MD mount) and it works much better! Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Vivitar Series 1 70-210 3.5 + ADAPTER (Non-Optical Adapter) Panasonic GH4 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -1 CONTRAST +1 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: BELOW IS REVIEW ON OTHER CAMERA This lens is pretty amazing, because it's one of the few lens-sensor combos out there that actually looks really good at 0-0-0-0 (using the NATURAL photo style). I did do some minor adjustments, but they're not essential. This lens does have some issues with glowing purples (i.e. chromatic aberration) which can be distracting. Also, be aware that it's a really heavy lens (for its size) and I think it needs to be supported by the sort of adapter that has an integrated tripod mount on it (so it doesn't strain the lens mount on the camera). I didn't have a tripod mount on the adapter I used on my initial tests, and it wasn't very ergonomic, but then I found one on Ebay (Minolta MD mount) and it works much better! 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.

+3 SHADOWS (Highlight Shadow) Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Sigma 18-35 1.8 + SHIFT (Perspective Control Adapter) Panasonic GH4 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -5 CONTRAST - 2 SHARPNESS +5 NOISE -0 COLOR +3 Shadows 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: +3 SHADOWS (Highlight Shadow) 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.

[TESTING...] Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Tamron 70-300 4-5.6 LD Di + HELICOID (Macro Helicoid Adapter) Panasonic G7 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -3 CONTRAST -0 SHARPNESS +3 NOISE -3 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 Tamron 70-300 4-5.6 LD Di Panasonic G7 NATURAL -0-0-0-0 HS -0-0 CUSTOM Tamron 70-300 4-5.6 LD Di Panasonic G7 NATURAL -3-0+3-3 HS -0-0 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 ? IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR D 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.

(NOTE: Test turning OFF Highlight Shadow for HDR still photos.) (Also, these settings are for WITH the Neewer CP Circular Polarizer filter, and WITH the filter I think NOISE REDUCTION should be set to +4, but WITHOUT, I'd put the settings at +5 because there is too much SHARPNESS without the filter). I had never heard of this lens until recently when I saw it at a local camera store (for a good deal). I've tested the Sigma 17-50 2.8 EX and the Sigma 18-35 1.8 ART, but I didn't know this one even existed! It isn't as "good" as the 18-35 1.8 ART (in a technical sense) but WITH THE CUSTOM SETTINGS I think it's doing a good job (and that's WITH a CPL/circular polarizer attached!!) Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: Neewer MRC CPL Sigma 18-50 2.8 EX + BOOST (Viltrox NF-M43x .71x) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -0 CONTRAST +1 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE -0 COLOR -3+4 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 A IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE B 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: (NOTE: Test turning OFF Highlight Shadow for HDR still photos.) (Also, these settings are for WITH the Neewer CP Circular Polarizer filter, and WITH the filter I think NOISE REDUCTION should be set to +4, but WITHOUT, I'd put the settings at +5 because there is too much SHARPNESS without the filter). I had never heard of this lens until recently when I saw it at a local camera store (for a good deal). I've tested the Sigma 17-50 2.8 EX and the Sigma 18-35 1.8 ART, but I didn't know this one even existed! It isn't as "good" as the 18-35 1.8 ART (in a technical sense) but WITH THE CUSTOM SETTINGS I think it's doing a good job (and that's WITH a CPL/circular polarizer attached!!) 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.