There isn't much to say in terms of SETTINGS (because this recorder is a 32-bit float recorder, and you can't set any settings) so instead I'll focus on one of the most important things that affect quality: wind protection. There's a really good story here, and that is that after a number of tests, I discovered I like to use this lavalier microphone with a Comica CVM-MF1 furry windscreen (better than with the stock FOAM windscreen) because it sounds more "REAL". It sounds more natural and balanced in terms of levels of lows/bass, mids and treble/highs with the FURRY, but too "tinny" (too much treble) and "thin" with the stock FOAM windscreen. "LAV" Proximity [7 inches / 17.78 cm] Zoom F2 [NO AUX. BOOST] Zoom LMF-2 (Lavalier) WINDSCREEN: Comica CVM-MF1 (Furry) 32-Bit Float REC. SETTINGS OFF REC. LOWCUT N/A REC. LIMITER N/A REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS N/A AUX. BASS N/A AUX. HIGH-LOW N/A AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS N/A MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS N/A MIC. BOOST (RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m BETWEEN 1.1ft / 0.34m -2.2ft / 0.67m BETWEEN 2.2ft / 0.67m -3.3ft / 1m BETWEEN 3.3ft / 1m -4.4ft / 1.34m Published: December 19, 2022 at 7:41:48 PM REAL RATINGS After testing each microphone, I like to know if it sounds realistic (accurate lows/bass, mids, highs/treble) in combination with the recorder and/or AUX. amplifier, to see if it needs EQ. LOWS/BASS A DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? MIDS A DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? HIGHS/TREBLE B DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? NOTES: There isn't much to say in terms of SETTINGS (because this recorder is a 32-bit float recorder, and you can't set any settings) so instead I'll focus on one of the most important things that affect quality: wind protection. There's a really good story here, and that is that after a number of tests, I discovered I like to use this lavalier microphone with a Comica CVM-MF1 furry windscreen (better than with the stock FOAM windscreen) because it sounds more "REAL". It sounds more natural and balanced in terms of levels of lows/bass, mids and treble/highs with the FURRY, but too "tinny" (too much treble) and "thin" with the stock FOAM windscreen. Remember to always monitor your audio while you're recording (using accurate headphones) because good settings can't fix bad audio. Also, these settings will not establish the exact level you'll need for every scene, but the goal is to provide a good starting point that will become clean, after adjusting in post. Additionally, these "custom settings" are used to make the Microphone-Specific EQ files work (as they won't work as intended if any of they aren't used). The EQ files were created to correct any imperfections of the microphone and/or wind protection (FOAM and/or FURRY) and were made in Audacity (the free audio editor) to make them as affordable & universal as possible.

(NOTES FROM BOOSTED TEST): This lens is too sharp for this sensor, as with the SHARPNESS turned all of the way down (to -5) plus the NOISE REDUCTION turned all of the way UP (to +5, which I do to reduce sharpness even more when needed) the image still has a lot of aliasing. This sensor also renders more compression-related artifacts when a lens is too sharp (which adding NR can help with) but since we've maxed out those 2 settings, we're left with a lens-sensor combo that is bound to be a problem in certain lighting situations. This used to be a top-of-the-line telephoto zoom (it was the first AF 80-200 2.8 Nikon produced) and the build quality is excellent. However, the "focus breathing" is not good for video (image changes size as you focus, etc.) and lenses such as the Promaster 70-300 I've been using, are MUCH better for video (even though the aperture is not constant, but with this breathing, you can't zoom while shooting ANYWAY!) it's also heavy and slow to operate. It's slow because of the push-pull zoom, and because of the focus (there is a focus limiting feature that helps with that). Optically, it's a great lens, and though each lens-sensor combo usually needs some work to look its best. NOTE: With a non-optical adapter, I set the contrast to -2 (instead of -1). Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Nikon 80-200 2.8 D ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic G7 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -3 SHARPNESS -5 NOISE +5 SATURATION -1 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 16-255 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: (NOTES FROM BOOSTED TEST): This lens is too sharp for this sensor, as with the SHARPNESS turned all of the way down (to -5) plus the NOISE REDUCTION turned all of the way UP (to +5, which I do to reduce sharpness even more when needed) the image still has a lot of aliasing. This sensor also renders more compression-related artifacts when a lens is too sharp (which adding NR can help with) but since we've maxed out those 2 settings, we're left with a lens-sensor combo that is bound to be a problem in certain lighting situations. This used to be a top-of-the-line telephoto zoom (it was the first AF 80-200 2.8 Nikon produced) and the build quality is excellent. However, the "focus breathing" is not good for video (image changes size as you focus, etc.) and lenses such as the Promaster 70-300 I've been using, are MUCH better for video (even though the aperture is not constant, but with this breathing, you can't zoom while shooting ANYWAY!) it's also heavy and slow to operate. It's slow because of the push-pull zoom, and because of the focus (there is a focus limiting feature that helps with that). Optically, it's a great lens, and though each lens-sensor combo usually needs some work to look its best. NOTE: With a non-optical adapter, I set the contrast to -2 (instead of -1). The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

Using same SETTINGS for this Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/4 version (as with the BARE, no filter version) to make production easier. They WILL HAVE DIFFERENT LUTS though, as this filter reduces CONTRAST and COLOR, and the post-production SHARPENING will be different as well (because filter reduces the SHARPNESS). Interesting side note is that I was considering adding more COLOR to this version of the settings, but starting with less COLOR is actually better to hide the digital noise artifacts, yet if you wanted the two shots (filter/non-filter) to MATCH, then I would increase the COLOR to +3 (when using this Tiffen BPM14 filter). NOTES FROM UNFILTERED/BARE VERSION: I've been learning that, specifically with the GH5, a lot of the OEM Panasonic lenses still have too much SHARPNESS and too much CONTRAST so to correct for this (while using the NATURAL profile) I'm not only tuning those settings but also need pretty extreme HIGHLIGHT SHADOW compensation...and that ends up adding more MAGENTA to the color cast (and adds other color noise too, but the overall color cast leans towards MAGENTA). Therefore, this is going to need a LUT to correct for this, for sure! Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/4 Panasonic 25 1.7 ADAPTER: None (Native Mount) Panasonic GH5 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -5 SHARPNESS -5 NOISE +5 SATURATION +2 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -5+4 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 0-255 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 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: Using same SETTINGS for this Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/4 version (as with the BARE, no filter version) to make production easier. They WILL HAVE DIFFERENT LUTS though, as this filter reduces CONTRAST and COLOR, and the post-production SHARPENING will be different as well (because filter reduces the SHARPNESS). Interesting side note is that I was considering adding more COLOR to this version of the settings, but starting with less COLOR is actually better to hide the digital noise artifacts, yet if you wanted the two shots (filter/non-filter) to MATCH, then I would increase the COLOR to +3 (when using this Tiffen BPM14 filter). NOTES FROM UNFILTERED/BARE VERSION: I've been learning that, specifically with the GH5, a lot of the OEM Panasonic lenses still have too much SHARPNESS and too much CONTRAST so to correct for this (while using the NATURAL profile) I'm not only tuning those settings but also need pretty extreme HIGHLIGHT SHADOW compensation...and that ends up adding more MAGENTA to the color cast (and adds other color noise too, but the overall color cast leans towards MAGENTA). Therefore, this is going to need a LUT to correct for this, for sure! The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

If you have never heard of Koah Artisan Series lenses (I know I had not) then you are might be pleasantly surprised. If you have heard of them, you may know they were created/distributed by Focus Camera.com (one of the New York photography stores) and that they are super affordable. However, I was not expecting much when I ordered this lens, not only because of the price, but because it was an f/1.2 lens (and every affordable f/1.2 lens I've tried...made me want to buy a 1.4 instead, because they were not any good at 1.2). Yet, I went ahead with the purchase not only because of the the f/1.2, but also because it was the focal length I needed (35mm) but the part that made me not expect much was the 1.2...but I was surprised. I started by testing the lens on a bright, sunny day (a good test for controlling dynamic range) and I began experimenting with the (in-camera) tonal curves using the HIGHLIGHT SHADOW menu (Panasonic G85). It didn't feel as difficult to correct as a lot of the other lenses I have worked with and I got custom settings dialed in pretty quickly. I actually had to ADD SHARPNESS (I usually remove some) as well as do other things in the (Natural) photo style/picture profile. I usually do about 10 tests before I get the settings right, but not for this one. The lens was amazingly consistent at almost all aperture values, and even at f/1.2, which was what surprised me. At f/1.2 it was certainly softer, but it did not show a lot of distracting red and blue color fringing that I've seen in a lot of other low-light primes (even f/1.4 lenses). I like the results with these custom settings enough to say I am going to keep this lens, and I am certainly going to recommend it to people. It creates sort of a vintage feel, but it still realistic, even if that sounds like a contradiction. I will also say that these settings provide a little bit too much COLOR, but overall (with these settings) this is looking REALLY good for a budget f/1.2 lens. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Koah 35 1.2 ADAPTER: None (Native Mount) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -0 SHARPNESS +3 NOISE +4 SATURATION +2 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -3+3 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 16-255 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: If you have never heard of Koah Artisan Series lenses (I know I had not) then you are might be pleasantly surprised. If you have heard of them, you may know they were created/distributed by Focus Camera.com (one of the New York photography stores) and that they are super affordable. However, I was not expecting much when I ordered this lens, not only because of the price, but because it was an f/1.2 lens (and every affordable f/1.2 lens I've tried...made me want to buy a 1.4 instead, because they were not any good at 1.2). Yet, I went ahead with the purchase not only because of the the f/1.2, but also because it was the focal length I needed (35mm) but the part that made me not expect much was the 1.2...but I was surprised. I started by testing the lens on a bright, sunny day (a good test for controlling dynamic range) and I began experimenting with the (in-camera) tonal curves using the HIGHLIGHT SHADOW menu (Panasonic G85). It didn't feel as difficult to correct as a lot of the other lenses I have worked with and I got custom settings dialed in pretty quickly. I actually had to ADD SHARPNESS (I usually remove some) as well as do other things in the (Natural) photo style/picture profile. I usually do about 10 tests before I get the settings right, but not for this one. The lens was amazingly consistent at almost all aperture values, and even at f/1.2, which was what surprised me. At f/1.2 it was certainly softer, but it did not show a lot of distracting red and blue color fringing that I've seen in a lot of other low-light primes (even f/1.4 lenses). I like the results with these custom settings enough to say I am going to keep this lens, and I am certainly going to recommend it to people. It creates sort of a vintage feel, but it still realistic, even if that sounds like a contradiction. I will also say that these settings provide a little bit too much COLOR, but overall (with these settings) this is looking REALLY good for a budget f/1.2 lens. The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

[Needs a LUT to finalize, if I add this Highlight Shadow compensation. The highlights were a little bit too bright without the B+W F-PRO UV filter, so I'm trying to compensate with Shadow Highlight, to -1-0. This test used the settings from the Panasonic G85 + BOOST (Viltrox NF-M43x) and all I had to change was to add 1 positive point to the CONTRAST (because the Viltrox focal reducer lowers the contrast a bit). Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Promaster 70-300 4-5.6 ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic GX85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -5 SHARPNESS -5 NOISE +3 SATURATION -0 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -1-0 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 16-255 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: [Needs a LUT to finalize, if I add this Highlight Shadow compensation. The highlights were a little bit too bright without the B+W F-PRO UV filter, so I'm trying to compensate with Shadow Highlight, to -1-0. This test used the settings from the Panasonic G85 + BOOST (Viltrox NF-M43x) and all I had to change was to add 1 positive point to the CONTRAST (because the Viltrox focal reducer lowers the contrast a bit). The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

OVERVIEW: My first impression of this lens-sensor combination wasn't too good, but after getting these custom settings worked out, there are some good things to say about it. Overall, it's got a lot of character, and the strange thing is that it renders the image MUCH differently at different F-stops (in more ways than depth of field and sharpness). It's hard to put in words, but it just kind of makes the image look like it's from different film stocks at different aperture values. This made it difficult to decide on one set of settings, but what I'm using is working pretty well (see the above settings). WIERD NOTES: There's a lot of "weird notes" for this lens-sensor combination, because it behaves so differently than most of the other lenses I've tested. One thing is that it gets MORE contrasty at f/2.8 and LESS at 5.6 or f/8 (most lenses become more contrasty as they stop down). As normal, the SHARPNESS increases as it gets closer to f/8, but I find it weird that the CONTRAST is greater at 2.8. In general, I like using this combination (this lens + PIXCO speedbooster) at f/2.8, as it has just the right amount of bokeh, as well as good sharpness, and contrast as mentioned. Also, focus pulling is really nice at f/2.8, with a short focus throw, and infinity focus being pretty much right on (in my experience). The sharpness isn't good enough below f/2.8 either, so needless to say, I use it at f/2.8 almost all of the time. SHARPENING SETTINGS: This is a very difficult lens to give SHARPENING settings for because the sharpness changes so much at different aperture values! However, I'll start working on figuring this out after I've gathered enough footage to run it through tests (in Davinci). FIRST IMPRESSION (OLD NOTES): The #1 thing I'm starting to notice with this focal reducer/speedbooster, is that it causes a big flare ball (not hair ball) in the middle of the frame, no matter what lens is used. I tried shielding the lens (I put my hand about 6 inches in FRONT of the lens, and slightly above) and it removed the flare, but it's pretty bad without this. The only solution would be to use a BIG French flag above the lens. The lens flare does the normal bad things to the lens really bad flare does (reduces the contrast and color saturation) and in this case, it almost totally destroys the image. So, for now I'm not going to recommend this lens-sensor +BOOST (speedbooster) combination (and I might look into some other speedbooster brands for M42). Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Vivitar 50 1.8 M42 ADAPTER: Pixco Focal Reducer Panasonic GH4 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -0 SHARPNESS -5 NOISE +4 SATURATION -0 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -3+3 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 16-255 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 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: OVERVIEW: My first impression of this lens-sensor combination wasn't too good, but after getting these custom settings worked out, there are some good things to say about it. Overall, it's got a lot of character, and the strange thing is that it renders the image MUCH differently at different F-stops (in more ways than depth of field and sharpness). It's hard to put in words, but it just kind of makes the image look like it's from different film stocks at different aperture values. This made it difficult to decide on one set of settings, but what I'm using is working pretty well (see the above settings). WIERD NOTES: There's a lot of "weird notes" for this lens-sensor combination, because it behaves so differently than most of the other lenses I've tested. One thing is that it gets MORE contrasty at f/2.8 and LESS at 5.6 or f/8 (most lenses become more contrasty as they stop down). As normal, the SHARPNESS increases as it gets closer to f/8, but I find it weird that the CONTRAST is greater at 2.8. In general, I like using this combination (this lens + PIXCO speedbooster) at f/2.8, as it has just the right amount of bokeh, as well as good sharpness, and contrast as mentioned. Also, focus pulling is really nice at f/2.8, with a short focus throw, and infinity focus being pretty much right on (in my experience). The sharpness isn't good enough below f/2.8 either, so needless to say, I use it at f/2.8 almost all of the time. SHARPENING SETTINGS: This is a very difficult lens to give SHARPENING settings for because the sharpness changes so much at different aperture values! However, I'll start working on figuring this out after I've gathered enough footage to run it through tests (in Davinci). FIRST IMPRESSION (OLD NOTES): The #1 thing I'm starting to notice with this focal reducer/speedbooster, is that it causes a big flare ball (not hair ball) in the middle of the frame, no matter what lens is used. I tried shielding the lens (I put my hand about 6 inches in FRONT of the lens, and slightly above) and it removed the flare, but it's pretty bad without this. The only solution would be to use a BIG French flag above the lens. The lens flare does the normal bad things to the lens really bad flare does (reduces the contrast and color saturation) and in this case, it almost totally destroys the image. So, for now I'm not going to recommend this lens-sensor +BOOST (speedbooster) combination (and I might look into some other speedbooster brands for M42). The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

A few things I'm considering regarding this microphone-audio recorder combo is that the microphone would probably be used with a FURRY windscreen in practice (but I don't have the official one from Shure as of yet) so that would cut the level down a bit, and I may need to change the REC. GAIN to 5 (from 4.5). "VLOG" Proximity [ 22 inches / 55.5 cm] Zoom H1n (NO AUX. Amplifier) Shure VP83 LensHopper + Foam (Stock) WAV 24-bit/96kHz REC. SETTINGS Off REC. LOWCUT Off REC. LIMITER 4.5 REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS AUX. BASS AUX. HIGH-LOW AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS OFF MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS +20 MIC. BOOST (RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m BETWEEN 1.1ft / 0.34m -2.2ft / 0.67m BETWEEN 2.2ft / 0.67m -3.3ft / 1m BETWEEN 3.3ft / 1m -4.4ft / 1.34m Published: May 5, 2022 at 7:29:34 AM REAL RATINGS After testing each microphone, I like to know if it sounds realistic (accurate lows/bass, mids, highs/treble) in combination with the recorder and/or AUX. amplifier, to see if it needs EQ. LOWS/BASS DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? MIDS DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? HIGHS/TREBLE DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? NOTES: A few things I'm considering regarding this microphone-audio recorder combo is that the microphone would probably be used with a FURRY windscreen in practice (but I don't have the official one from Shure as of yet) so that would cut the level down a bit, and I may need to change the REC. GAIN to 5 (from 4.5). Remember to always monitor your audio while you're recording (using accurate headphones) because good settings can't fix bad audio. Also, these settings will not establish the exact level you'll need for every scene, but the goal is to provide a good starting point that will become clean, after adjusting in post. Additionally, these "custom settings" are used to make the Microphone-Specific EQ files work (as they won't work as intended if any of they aren't used). The EQ files were created to correct any imperfections of the microphone and/or wind protection (FOAM and/or FURRY) and were made in Audacity (the free audio editor) to make them as affordable & universal as possible.

[TESTING...] Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Tamron 70-300 4-5.6 LD Di ADAPTER: Viltrox NF-M43x (.71x) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST - 4 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE +4 SATURATION -0 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW Standard iDYNAMIC OFF 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...] The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

Initial tests good. Starting to test filters... Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Panasonic 45-150 4-5.6 ADAPTER: None (Native Mount) Panasonic GH4 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -4 SHARPNESS -3 NOISE +5 SATURATION -1 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW 0 / 0 iDYNAMIC OFF 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: Initial tests good. Starting to test filters... The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

CAMERA-SPECIFIC NOTES: If you need to upload the video footage to YouTube SOOC, use +2 on the in-camera SHARPNESS. If you're planning on adding sharpening in post-production, then use +1 on the in-camera SHARPNESS. CAMERA-SPECIFIC NOTES: After first testing this lens on the Panasonic GH4 (and writing most of the notes in the "LENS-SPECIFIC NOTES" section below) I was amazed at how much better this lens looked on the Panasonic G85 sensor! I was able to cover up that "glowy, purple fringing" easier, and it was much easier to make the color turn out looking "REAL" (the NATURAL profile in the GH4 is not super neutral, but the CINELIKE D is a lot worse). I like using this lens on the G85, and I highly recommend it...though it still does have some "character" (the purple glows are still there, somewhere). LENS-SPECIFIC NOTES: I will say this lens has really nice bokeh (out of focus areas) yet the glowy, purple fringing (or chromatic aberration) is very noticeable on light-colored subjects, and it shows up as mystery purple patches all over. If you WANT that effect, this is a good lens for that, but 'm trying to find lenses that retain what I call a "sense of reality" so this one isn't high on my list. In terms of overall usefulness, the push-pull zoom is surprisingly easy to use even for video, as it sort of sticks in whatever position you set it because it has an angular groove in the motion travel that keeps it from slipping too much. The copy I have was a little bit loose, but that made it fast to focus or zoom with (which I liked). I'm not going to comment much on the corrections I performed, because the lens differs so much from one aperture value and focal length to another. Let's just say "It has character" and is full of lots of surprises. In comparison to the older Vivitar Series 1 70-210 f/3.5, I prefer the optics of the older one, but the ergonomics (zoom and focus feel) of this newer one are better. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Vivitar Series 1 70-210 2.8-4 ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -0 SHARPNESS +2 NOISE +4 SATURATION +2 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -3+2 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 16-255 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 C IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE C 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: CAMERA-SPECIFIC NOTES: If you need to upload the video footage to YouTube SOOC, use +2 on the in-camera SHARPNESS. If you're planning on adding sharpening in post-production, then use +1 on the in-camera SHARPNESS. CAMERA-SPECIFIC NOTES: After first testing this lens on the Panasonic GH4 (and writing most of the notes in the "LENS-SPECIFIC NOTES" section below) I was amazed at how much better this lens looked on the Panasonic G85 sensor! I was able to cover up that "glowy, purple fringing" easier, and it was much easier to make the color turn out looking "REAL" (the NATURAL profile in the GH4 is not super neutral, but the CINELIKE D is a lot worse). I like using this lens on the G85, and I highly recommend it...though it still does have some "character" (the purple glows are still there, somewhere). LENS-SPECIFIC NOTES: I will say this lens has really nice bokeh (out of focus areas) yet the glowy, purple fringing (or chromatic aberration) is very noticeable on light-colored subjects, and it shows up as mystery purple patches all over. If you WANT that effect, this is a good lens for that, but 'm trying to find lenses that retain what I call a "sense of reality" so this one isn't high on my list. In terms of overall usefulness, the push-pull zoom is surprisingly easy to use even for video, as it sort of sticks in whatever position you set it because it has an angular groove in the motion travel that keeps it from slipping too much. The copy I have was a little bit loose, but that made it fast to focus or zoom with (which I liked). I'm not going to comment much on the corrections I performed, because the lens differs so much from one aperture value and focal length to another. Let's just say "It has character" and is full of lots of surprises. In comparison to the older Vivitar Series 1 70-210 f/3.5, I prefer the optics of the older one, but the ergonomics (zoom and focus feel) of this newer one are better. The goal of our camera settings is to improve what we call the "lens-sensor relationship" by adjusting the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and color to create an image that looks less digital and more organic (more like film, etc). Therefore, the first step is to apply the custom settings while shooting, and the second is to add a lens-sensor LUT, to finalize the image.

You may have noticed I didn't test any other proximity (than the "CLOSE" one) for this mic and recorder combination (I did the same for the H1n, F1). The reason is that this mic doesn't output a high enough signal to be useable (without an AUX. AMP) at proximities that are further away (VLOG, BOOM, AFAR). I did have a workaround when using this on the Zoom F2, and that was to add a Comica CVM-D03 AUX. AMP to boost the level...but it isn't really practical to add this amplifier AND the recorder to the top of your camera (while vlogging). Then, as far as the "BOOM" and "AFAR" proximities, I may follow up and do a test later, but I would prioritize using other mics if that is your intended use. This microphone/audio recorder combinations sounds better without the REC. LOWCUT, so at this "CLOSE" proximity that's what I use. Sometimes a LOWCUT helps to reduce handling noise (especially when using it while moving around such as in the "VLOG" or "AFAR" proximities) but I tested this mic with the included Rycote shock mount, and it's pretty good without the LOWCUT. "CLOSE" Proximity [3.5 inches / 8.89 cm] Zoom H1 AUX. AMP: None Rode VideoMicro (Shotgun) Windscreen: FURRY (Stock) 96k 24-bit REC. SETTINGS OFF REC. LOWCUT OFF REC. LIMITER 63 REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS N/A AUX. BASS N/A AUX. HIGH-LOW FULL AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS N/A MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS N/A MIC. BOOST (RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE ? LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m ? BETWEEN 1.1ft / 0.34m -2.2ft / 0.67m ? BETWEEN 2.2ft / 0.67m -3.3ft / 1m BETWEEN 3.3ft / 1m -4.4ft / 1.34m Published: February 7, 2023 at 1:23:08 PM REAL RATINGS After testing each microphone, I like to know if it sounds realistic (accurate lows/bass, mids, highs/treble) in combination with the recorder and/or AUX. amplifier, to see if it needs EQ. LOWS/BASS ? DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? MIDS ? DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? HIGHS/TREBLE ? DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? NOTES: You may have noticed I didn't test any other proximity (than the "CLOSE" one) for this mic and recorder combination (I did the same for the H1n, F1). The reason is that this mic doesn't output a high enough signal to be useable (without an AUX. AMP) at proximities that are further away (VLOG, BOOM, AFAR). I did have a workaround when using this on the Zoom F2, and that was to add a Comica CVM-D03 AUX. AMP to boost the level...but it isn't really practical to add this amplifier AND the recorder to the top of your camera (while vlogging). Then, as far as the "BOOM" and "AFAR" proximities, I may follow up and do a test later, but I would prioritize using other mics if that is your intended use. This microphone/audio recorder combinations sounds better without the REC. LOWCUT, so at this "CLOSE" proximity that's what I use. Sometimes a LOWCUT helps to reduce handling noise (especially when using it while moving around such as in the "VLOG" or "AFAR" proximities) but I tested this mic with the included Rycote shock mount, and it's pretty good without the LOWCUT. Remember to always monitor your audio while you're recording (using accurate headphones) because good settings can't fix bad audio. Also, these settings will not establish the exact level you'll need for every scene, but the goal is to provide a good starting point that will become clean, after adjusting in post. Additionally, these "custom settings" are used to make the Microphone-Specific EQ files work (as they won't work as intended if any of they aren't used). The EQ files were created to correct any imperfections of the microphone and/or wind protection (FOAM and/or FURRY) and were made in Audacity (the free audio editor) to make them as affordable & universal as possible.