This recorder has the perfect form factor for mounting to the top of a camera cage (or just on your camera) to allow me to do my #1 tip for audio recording: "Always back up your audio (using a passthrough)." While I would prefer a more detailed numerical gain steps (0-100 vs. LOW, HIGH, etc.) It also has the advantage that it can take Zoom's add-on modules (yet it does not come with built-in stereo mics, so the modular mics are the only way to add them). AUDIO Zoom F1 (Remember, these settings are specific to this audio recorder, paired to each microphone listed below.) This recorder has the perfect form factor for mounting to the top of a camera cage, so I can use my #1 tip for audio recording: "Always back up your audio (using a passthrough)." I would prefer more numerical gain steps (0-100) vs. the LOW, MID, HIGH increments. It doesn't include built-in stereo mics (like the H1, H1n) but Zoom does offer a variety of add-on mics. (ADD-ON MICS) COMICA RODE SARAMONIC SENNHEISER SHURE ZOOM OTHER (ADD-ON MICS) (A dd-On Mics) Zoom XYH-5 (XY Mic) Zoom XYH-6 (XY Mic) Zoom MSH-6 (Mid-Side Mic) Zoom SGH-6 (Shotgun Mic) Zoom SSH-6 (Stereo Shotgun Mic) COMICA Comica CLOS E VLOG BOOM C o m ica VM2 0 Comica VM30 (Wireless Shotgun) Comica VM40 ( Wireless Shotgun) Comica CVM-M-O1 (Lavalier) RODE Rode Rode Lavalier ii Rode Lavalier Go (Not Reco mmended) Rode VideoMic (Not Recommended) Rode VideoMic Pro (Not Recommended) CLOSE VLOG BOOM Rode VideoMic Pro R Rode VideoMic Pro+ Rode VideoMicro (Not Recommended) SARAMONIC Saramonic LAV Saramonic SR-M1W (for Blin k 500) CL OSE VLOG BOOM Saramonic SR-VM4 Saramonic VMIC SENNHEISER Sennheiser Sennheiser Professional MKE 400 SHURE Shure CL OSE VLOG BOOM Shure VP83 LensHopper ZOOM Zoom Zoom LMF-1 (Lavalier) Zoom LMF-2 (Lavalier) OTHER Other LAV 7RYMS Lavalier (for iRAY DW30) LAV JK MIC-J 017 (Lavalier) CLOSE VLOG BOOM Takstar SGC-598 CLOS E VLOG BOOM Takstar SGC-600 Xvive LV1 (Lavalier) Xvive LV2 (Lavalier) GAFFER TAPE SUPPLIED BY REMEMBER TO "REFRESH" PAGE TO SEE NEW DATA

Still testing, but this lens-sensor combination could use a FILTER (to diffuse it, even if it's just a UV filter, ND or VND that might work)...but the lens needs more SHARPNESS so the filter would need to mostly bloom the light, versus reducing the sharpness. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Sigma 17-35 2.8-4 EX ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -0 SHARPNESS -2 NOISE +3 SATURATION -0 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -4+3 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 16-255 Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT 13 RADIUS 1.3 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 B IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS C 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: Still testing, but this lens-sensor combination could use a FILTER (to diffuse it, even if it's just a UV filter, ND or VND that might work)...but the lens needs more SHARPNESS so the filter would need to mostly bloom the light, versus reducing the sharpness. 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.

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. FILTER: None Panasonic 14-42 ii ADAPTER: None (Native Mount) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -1 SHARPNESS -4 NOISE +4 SATURATION -0 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -2+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 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. 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.

Since this website is all about saving money by getting the film look with cheap filmmaking cameras (even though I "always shoot with 2 cameras") my memes mostly focus on the low budget filmmaking culture...as well as a few "former photographer" jokes. REAL VIDEOS A few of our 100% REAL (no-A.I.) videos! REAL Places REAL Places Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing Birds Singing Without Music, 8 Hour Bird Sounds Relaxation, Soothing Nature Sounds, Birds Chirping 08:01:23 Play Video Now Playing The sensor size mistake you’re likely making. 12:47 Play Video Now Playing GH5 Video Mistakes // Don't Make THESE Mistakes with your Panasonic GH5 When You Make Videos 10:46 Play Video Now Playing The KEY to Successful Exposure Blending For Stunning Interior Photography 22:56 Play Video Now Playing The REACH MYTH: what actually gives you more detail. 13:39 Play Video Now Playing 24mm F3.5 Tilt Shift Lens 15:03 Play Video GAFFER TAPE SUPPLIED BY

SUMMARY: I will need to create a custom EQ for this combination (it needs more BASS/LOWS because of the use of the MIC. LOWCUT and REC. LOWCUT) but I think it's going to sound really good with EQ (it's got a lot of depth to the recording, and I don't think the EQ is going to be super complex). At this ("VLOG") proximity, this microphone still sounds pretty good, even though it doesn't reject all of the sound from the sides, and certainly doesn't from the back. I think this is okay for vlogging though, as I do want a little bit of ambient audio in a vlogging scenario. I'm using both the FOAM + FURRY here because that's the way the FURRY was designed (it doesn't work by itself). One interesting thing about this microphone/audio recorder combination, is that the following proximities work really well: 1. "CLOSE" = MIC. BOOST @1 2. "VLOG" = MIC. BOOST @2 3. "BOOM" = MIC. BOOST @3 4. "BOOM" (OPTION 2) = MIC. BOOST @4 (for 4 feet) Isn't that funny! After doing a lot of tests, that is actually what I consider the "sweet spot" for this combination! RFI NOTES: In regard to RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) this mic showed the typical "BAD" performance when held within a few inches of an iPhone (13 Pro Max) but is safe to use at a distance of 3 feet. "VLOG" Proximity [22 inches / 55.5 cm] Zoom F2 (NO AUX. Amplifier) Comica CVM-VM20 (Shotgun) Windscreen: FOAM + FURRY (Stock) 32-Bit Float REC. SETTINGS ON 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 150 Hz MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS 2 MIC. BOOST (RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE OKAY LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m BAD 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: January 22, 2023 at 5:35:19 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 B DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? MIDS B DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? HIGHS/TREBLE B DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? NOTES: SUMMARY: I will need to create a custom EQ for this combination (it needs more BASS/LOWS because of the use of the MIC. LOWCUT and REC. LOWCUT) but I think it's going to sound really good with EQ (it's got a lot of depth to the recording, and I don't think the EQ is going to be super complex). At this ("VLOG") proximity, this microphone still sounds pretty good, even though it doesn't reject all of the sound from the sides, and certainly doesn't from the back. I think this is okay for vlogging though, as I do want a little bit of ambient audio in a vlogging scenario. I'm using both the FOAM + FURRY here because that's the way the FURRY was designed (it doesn't work by itself). One interesting thing about this microphone/audio recorder combination, is that the following proximities work really well: 1. "CLOSE" = MIC. BOOST @1 2. "VLOG" = MIC. BOOST @2 3. "BOOM" = MIC. BOOST @3 4. "BOOM" (OPTION 2) = MIC. BOOST @4 (for 4 feet) Isn't that funny! After doing a lot of tests, that is actually what I consider the "sweet spot" for this combination! RFI NOTES: In regard to RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) this mic showed the typical "BAD" performance when held within a few inches of an iPhone (13 Pro Max) but is safe to use at a distance of 3 feet. 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.

[Vintage lens, and the condition may vary.] This is the "push pull" type of lens, and so I was initially not too excited to test, or recommend it, but this copy didn't have any issues with zoom creep (even when I was pointing the camera upward at birds!) Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Nikon 80-200 4 AIS ADAPTER: Viltrox NF-M43x (.71x) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -1 SHARPNESS -3 NOISE +2 SATURATION +1 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -2+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 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: [Vintage lens, and the condition may vary.] This is the "push pull" type of lens, and so I was initially not too excited to test, or recommend it, but this copy didn't have any issues with zoom creep (even when I was pointing the camera upward at birds!) 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.

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. FILTER: None Vivitar Series 1 70-210 3.5 ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic GX85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -0 SHARPNESS -1 NOISE +1 SATURATION -0 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 A IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS B 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: 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! 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.

MIC. SPECIFIC: One little thing to note, is that in low light (learned this while vlogging after dark) I can't read the MIC. BOOST (mic gain) dial very well (because the paint is a red color) so if you need to see the MIC. BOOST setting in low light, I recommend painting over it with a lighter color, but be careful to not change the position of the mark of course. REGARDING MIC. LOWCUT: When testing this mic on another audio recorder, using the MIC. LOWCUT (either setting) sounded really bad (not natural at all) yet, when using both the FOAM + FURRY (that are included with the mic) the MIC. LOWCUT setting of 150Hz sounds good (it sounds natural and "REAL" as I say). Another weird thing is that the REC. LOWCUT (the one on the audio recorder) didn't sound good with this mic/audio recorder combination (but it sounded better than the MIC. LOWCUT on a different recorder). Anyways, it is really good this higher lowcut setting (150 vs 75) sounds natural, as the shock mount that comes with this mic isn't very effective, and the extra lowcut really helps (which is the main reason why lowcut filters are included on mics anyway). Also, the fact that it sounds more natural with the FOAM + FURRY is great, because this means you can just leave the FURRY on all of the time (INDOORS & OUTDOORS!) AUDIO RECORDER SPECIFIC: An important note specific to this audio recorder, is that the "HI-" REC. LEVEL setting sounds "cleaner" to me (less self-noise) than the next lower setting "MID+". It doesn't seem like it should, because it's a higher gain setting, but that is how it's sounding to me (it's kind of like how the self-noise on the Zoom H1 v1 is lower at a REC. LEVEL of 37 than it is at 36!). Also, because the Zoom F1 doesn't have a lot of options for REC. LEVEL steps (not "numerical" as the Zoom H1) I suggest keeping the REC. LEVEL set to "HI-" on the audio recorder, and then just tweaking the gain (when needed) by adjusting gain dial on the microphone (which is pretty nice because you can set it anywhere between 0-10 with stepless adjustments). "VLOG" Proximity [22 inches / 55.5 cm] Zoom F1 (NO AUX. Amplifier) Comica CVM-VM20 (Shotgun) Windscreen: FOAM + FURRY (Stock) 96k 24-bit REC. SETTINGS OFF REC. LOWCUT OFF REC. LIMITER "HI" REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS N/A AUX. BASS N/A AUX. HIGH-LOW N/A AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS 150 Hz MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS 6.5 MIC. BOOST (RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE BAD LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m BAD 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 8, 2023 at 6:27:59 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: MIC. SPECIFIC: One little thing to note, is that in low light (learned this while vlogging after dark) I can't read the MIC. BOOST (mic gain) dial very well (because the paint is a red color) so if you need to see the MIC. BOOST setting in low light, I recommend painting over it with a lighter color, but be careful to not change the position of the mark of course. REGARDING MIC. LOWCUT: When testing this mic on another audio recorder, using the MIC. LOWCUT (either setting) sounded really bad (not natural at all) yet, when using both the FOAM + FURRY (that are included with the mic) the MIC. LOWCUT setting of 150Hz sounds good (it sounds natural and "REAL" as I say). Another weird thing is that the REC. LOWCUT (the one on the audio recorder) didn't sound good with this mic/audio recorder combination (but it sounded better than the MIC. LOWCUT on a different recorder). Anyways, it is really good this higher lowcut setting (150 vs 75) sounds natural, as the shock mount that comes with this mic isn't very effective, and the extra lowcut really helps (which is the main reason why lowcut filters are included on mics anyway). Also, the fact that it sounds more natural with the FOAM + FURRY is great, because this means you can just leave the FURRY on all of the time (INDOORS & OUTDOORS!) AUDIO RECORDER SPECIFIC: An important note specific to this audio recorder, is that the "HI-" REC. LEVEL setting sounds "cleaner" to me (less self-noise) than the next lower setting "MID+". It doesn't seem like it should, because it's a higher gain setting, but that is how it's sounding to me (it's kind of like how the self-noise on the Zoom H1 v1 is lower at a REC. LEVEL of 37 than it is at 36!). Also, because the Zoom F1 doesn't have a lot of options for REC. LEVEL steps (not "numerical" as the Zoom H1) I suggest keeping the REC. LEVEL set to "HI-" on the audio recorder, and then just tweaking the gain (when needed) by adjusting gain dial on the microphone (which is pretty nice because you can set it anywhere between 0-10 with stepless adjustments). 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.

Not sure if test for v2 was done. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Minolta AF 50 1.7 ii ADAPTER: Minolta AF (Sony A) to M43 Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -5 SHARPNESS -4 NOISE +5 SATURATION -0 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: Not sure if test for v2 was done. 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.

SPECIFIC TO THIS AUDIO RECORDER: When used at the "HI" REC. LEVEL, this mic sounds pretty good, and captures an original file that is at a good level (doesn't require much of a boost in post). This is good because this is NOT a 32-bit float recorder, and it can be difficult to match to the output level of certain microphones because it has a very few REC. LEVEL increments. With non-32-bit float, you need to make sure the level is not too low when recording (I know, it's funny to have to remind myself of this; 32-bit float is starting to make me feel spoiled). Also specific to this microphone-audio recorder combination, I like that the headphone output is in stereo (both ears) because it isn't on the Zoom H1 and H1n and only shows up as mono on those (that is more difficult to monitor, because you only hear it in one ear). GENERAL NOTES (MIC-SPECIFIC): I've got quite a few notes about this mic (and most of them apply to any audio recorder). The first thing I'm noting, is that this mic does NOT sound good with the FURRY windscreen I've been testing recently (the Comica CVM-MF1). It does sound good (natural and "REAL") with the included stock FOAM windscreen. So, until I find a furry windscreen that matches this mic well, I cannot recommend this for OUTDOOR use (I'm looking into the white versions of the Ursa and Movo furry windscreens because the copy I have of this mic is white). Next, this microphone does NOT do a good job of reducing background noise. I know, it's an omnidirectional mic, but in comparison to a lot of the other lavaliers I've tested, it doesn't do well here. This can be used to your advantage in certain situations, however. One example might be if you're recording somebody like a comedian (or anyone speaking in front of a large crowd) as it may do a good job capturing a bit of the audience's reaction, etc. This can be helpful if you want to avoid combining multiple audio sources in post (i.e. one for the crowd noise, one for presenter). "LAV" Proximity [7 inches / 17.78 cm] Zoom F1 [NO AUX. BOOST] Saramonic SR-M1W (for Blink 500) WINDSCREEN: Stock (Foam) 96k 24bit REC. SETTINGS OFF REC. LOWCUT OFF REC. LIMITER "HI" 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 GOOD LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m JUST OKAY 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: January 4, 2023 at 5:20:49 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 B DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? MIDS A DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? HIGHS/TREBLE B DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? NOTES: SPECIFIC TO THIS AUDIO RECORDER: When used at the "HI" REC. LEVEL, this mic sounds pretty good, and captures an original file that is at a good level (doesn't require much of a boost in post). This is good because this is NOT a 32-bit float recorder, and it can be difficult to match to the output level of certain microphones because it has a very few REC. LEVEL increments. With non-32-bit float, you need to make sure the level is not too low when recording (I know, it's funny to have to remind myself of this; 32-bit float is starting to make me feel spoiled). Also specific to this microphone-audio recorder combination, I like that the headphone output is in stereo (both ears) because it isn't on the Zoom H1 and H1n and only shows up as mono on those (that is more difficult to monitor, because you only hear it in one ear). GENERAL NOTES (MIC-SPECIFIC): I've got quite a few notes about this mic (and most of them apply to any audio recorder). The first thing I'm noting, is that this mic does NOT sound good with the FURRY windscreen I've been testing recently (the Comica CVM-MF1). It does sound good (natural and "REAL") with the included stock FOAM windscreen. So, until I find a furry windscreen that matches this mic well, I cannot recommend this for OUTDOOR use (I'm looking into the white versions of the Ursa and Movo furry windscreens because the copy I have of this mic is white). Next, this microphone does NOT do a good job of reducing background noise. I know, it's an omnidirectional mic, but in comparison to a lot of the other lavaliers I've tested, it doesn't do well here. This can be used to your advantage in certain situations, however. One example might be if you're recording somebody like a comedian (or anyone speaking in front of a large crowd) as it may do a good job capturing a bit of the audience's reaction, etc. This can be helpful if you want to avoid combining multiple audio sources in post (i.e. one for the crowd noise, one for presenter). 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.

This is a decent lens-sensor combo, but the propensity of this sensor to oversaturate color (in combination with a lens that's not super balanced or accurate to begin with) makes color accuracy a difficult task, which makes it tough to match other lenses/sensors to. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Nikon 18-70 ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic G7 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -1 SHARPNESS -0 NOISE +4 SATURATION -1 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -1+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 B 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: This is a decent lens-sensor combo, but the propensity of this sensor to oversaturate color (in combination with a lens that's not super balanced or accurate to begin with) makes color accuracy a difficult task, which makes it tough to match other lenses/sensors to. 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.