For this camera (Panasonic G85) or on ANY Micro Four Thirds sensor camera, I don't really like this focal length for a MACRO lens, and I am starting to lean towards either a 40 or 60mm MACRO lens, or even a 50mm with a HELICOID adapter. The working distance of 85mm on this lens sometimes seems too close or too far away (based on where I can stand) at times. Also, I am getting to the point where I really appreciate making things look REAL, so this focal length of 85mm is introducing too much telephoto compression to look realistic, especially when used for MACRO images (where you are closer to the subject, etc.) Additionally, while the bokeh (out of focus background) is smooth, there is not quite enough blur, even wide open...but that is only f/3.5 so you can see what I mean (and an f/2.8 is where I want to be on M43 sensors when I want to create enough background blur). Lastly, there is not enough SHARPNESS in this lens (even with the compensation set to MAX +5) to work on this sensor (which means that this sensor does not have enough resolution to make the limited sharpness of this lens look realistic). Therefore, I don't think this lens is a good fit for this camera (Panasonic G85)...and maybe not for this M43 size of sensor overall (though the G9 or GH5 or other higher-megapixel M43 sensors might be okay, but I won't say until I test those). Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Nikon 85 3.5 DX VR ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -0 SHARPNESS +5 NOISE -0 SATURATION -1 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 C 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: For this camera (Panasonic G85) or on ANY Micro Four Thirds sensor camera, I don't really like this focal length for a MACRO lens, and I am starting to lean towards either a 40 or 60mm MACRO lens, or even a 50mm with a HELICOID adapter. The working distance of 85mm on this lens sometimes seems too close or too far away (based on where I can stand) at times. Also, I am getting to the point where I really appreciate making things look REAL, so this focal length of 85mm is introducing too much telephoto compression to look realistic, especially when used for MACRO images (where you are closer to the subject, etc.) Additionally, while the bokeh (out of focus background) is smooth, there is not quite enough blur, even wide open...but that is only f/3.5 so you can see what I mean (and an f/2.8 is where I want to be on M43 sensors when I want to create enough background blur). Lastly, there is not enough SHARPNESS in this lens (even with the compensation set to MAX +5) to work on this sensor (which means that this sensor does not have enough resolution to make the limited sharpness of this lens look realistic). Therefore, I don't think this lens is a good fit for this camera (Panasonic G85)...and maybe not for this M43 size of sensor overall (though the G9 or GH5 or other higher-megapixel M43 sensors might be okay, but I won't say until I test those). 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.

[TESTING...] Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Sigma 18-35 1.8 ADAPTER: Viltrox NF-M43x (.71x) Panasonic GH4 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -5 SHARPNESS -4 NOISE +5 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 ? 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.

RFI WARNING: The Zoom H1 (v1) has noticeable RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) when used at less than 5 FEET from an iPhone 13 Pro max. This is a major limitation, especially for LAV use, because if the recorder is in the pocket of a groom, and they have an iPhone somewhere in their coat, this is going to cause RFI. "CLOSE" Proximity [3.5 inches / 8.89 cm] Zoom H1 (NO AUX. Amplifier) Saramonic SR-VM4 + Foam (Stock) WAV 24-bit/96kHz REC. SETTINGS OFF REC. LOWCUT OFF REC. LIMITER 20 REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS AUX. BASS AUX. HIGH-LOW AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS ON 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 4, 2022 at 11:58:17 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: RFI WARNING: The Zoom H1 (v1) has noticeable RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) when used at less than 5 FEET from an iPhone 13 Pro max. This is a major limitation, especially for LAV use, because if the recorder is in the pocket of a groom, and they have an iPhone somewhere in their coat, this is going to cause RFI. 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.

Something most people don't tell you about LUTS & camera settings is they need to be specific to each sensor-lens combination. Therefore, state the exact camera and lens combination used to create each LUT. ACTION CAMERAS (MOSTLY GOPRO RIGHT NOW) BRIDGE CAMERAS (1" SENSOR ONLY) MICRO FOUR THIRDS (2X CROP) SUPER 35/APS-C (1.5/1.6X CROP) FULL FRAME (NO CROP) ALWAYS CHECK THE "USED" MARKET!

While these settings create A GOOD STARTING POINT, they do need a LUT (on my website) to perfect the shots. What I did with the settings was I added +3 SHADOWS (by creating a custom curve within the "Highlight Shadow" menu) and this is very important, in addition to the adjustments to the "Photo Style" settings (adjustments to CONTRAST, SHARPNESS, NOISE and COLOR). Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Sigma 18-35 1.8 ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic GX85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -3 SHARPNESS -3 NOISE +2 SATURATION -0 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -0+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 ? IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: While these settings create A GOOD STARTING POINT, they do need a LUT (on my website) to perfect the shots. What I did with the settings was I added +3 SHADOWS (by creating a custom curve within the "Highlight Shadow" menu) and this is very important, in addition to the adjustments to the "Photo Style" settings (adjustments to CONTRAST, SHARPNESS, NOISE and COLOR). 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.

These days, you can certainly get good quality from budget gear...as long as you' have the right KIT, the right METHODS and the right SETTINGS. These 3 plans all follow my #1 tip that makes budget filmmaking easier ("Always Shoot with 2 Cameras"). The kits are focused on making sure you can capture "3 Simple Shots" and use custom settings (for CAMERAS and AUDIO) to keep the quality up (so you shoot and edit fast). MINIMAL KIT BASIC KIT ADVANCED KIT These days, you can certainly get good quality from budget gear...as long as you' have the right KIT PLAN , the right METHODS and the right SETTINGS. These 3 plans all follow my #1 tip that makes budget filmmaking easier ("Always Shoot with 2 Cameras" ). The kits are focused on making sure you can capture "3 Simple Shots " and use custom settings (for CAMERAS and AUDIO ) to keep the quality up (so you shoot and edit fast). My "Minimal Kit " is the easiest (and least expensive) the "Basic Kit " is more expensive (and takes more practice) and the "Advanced Kit " is a few steps above those.

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 25, 2022 at 5:18:30 PM 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.

The rubber "ZEN" coating is now so sticky I can't use the push-pull zoom/focus! (It got worse after I cleaned it, note to self.) I did finish my testing, but it doesn't zoom anymore, so it's no longer useable! Other than that, this lens is sort of impressive optically, and I stopped testing some of my other old Sigma AF lenses of a slightly newer vintage (mid-1990s) because they weren't good enough optically, but THIS one is a little bit older, and I'm impressed. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Sigma 75-300 4-5.6 DL ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -2 SHARPNESS +1 NOISE +3 SATURATION -0 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 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: The rubber "ZEN" coating is now so sticky I can't use the push-pull zoom/focus! (It got worse after I cleaned it, note to self.) I did finish my testing, but it doesn't zoom anymore, so it's no longer useable! Other than that, this lens is sort of impressive optically, and I stopped testing some of my other old Sigma AF lenses of a slightly newer vintage (mid-1990s) because they weren't good enough optically, but THIS one is a little bit older, and I'm impressed. 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.

Still testing, but I need to mention that when this test was started, I was using the same settings as the Koah 35 1.2, and it worked pretty well (it would be nice to be able to use both, with the same SETTINGS and LUT) but this lens has a little bit more contrast than the other, so to match the output of these two, I'm lowering the contrast just a little (-1) on this lens. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Koah 50 1.4 ADAPTER: None (Native Mount) Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -1 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 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: Still testing, but I need to mention that when this test was started, I was using the same settings as the Koah 35 1.2, and it worked pretty well (it would be nice to be able to use both, with the same SETTINGS and LUT) but this lens has a little bit more contrast than the other, so to match the output of these two, I'm lowering the contrast just a little (-1) on this 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.

(v2) This test is revised (from the original which didn't use Highlight Shadow compensation) and while it's a lot BETTER, I still don't really like this lens, because the color (and contrast) fall apart in non-standard, high contrast light. (When I say I "don't like" it, I'm comparing it to the other lenses I've tested, many of which are vintage lenses.) I think this could benefit from a diffusion filter, because it lacks "micro contrast"...but I will need to test it in the future. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Panasonic 25 1.7 ADAPTER: None (Native Mount) Panasonic GX85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -1 SHARPNESS -2 NOISE +5 SATURATION -2 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 C IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS B IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE D 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: (v2) This test is revised (from the original which didn't use Highlight Shadow compensation) and while it's a lot BETTER, I still don't really like this lens, because the color (and contrast) fall apart in non-standard, high contrast light. (When I say I "don't like" it, I'm comparing it to the other lenses I've tested, many of which are vintage lenses.) I think this could benefit from a diffusion filter, because it lacks "micro contrast"...but I will need to test it in the future. 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.

Boat dock with sunset reflection on water ©2022 SilverLight Photo Co. The above content is 100% REAL (and no A.I. or Photoshop tricks were used to make it). Waterfront Boat Dock at Sunset < All Scenes Behind-the-Scenes SUPPORT US TO GET FULL BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCESS (& PRODUCTION DETAILS) GET ACCESS GENERAL NOTES (Parking, etc.) This was one of the lens-sensor tests that surprised me most, because Micro Four Thirds cameras (such as this Panasonic GX85) aren't usually good at low light! I started by shooting with my custom, lens-sensor specific IN-CAMERA settings and then finalized the image with the custom LUT. To my surprise, it rendered both the subtle color gradients of the fading sunset AND the delicate blue tones of twilight really well. I'm so glad it worked! *As A.I. (artificial intelligence) started sneaking into the photo & video production industries, I decided to go for 100% realism in my work. What this means for me, is to shoot for realistic-looking photos and video content. My approach includes using custom, lens-sensor specific CAMERA SETTINGS (and sometimes lens-sensor LUTs when needed). I never use A.I. to generate images, and I don't do tricks using Photoshop. There are adjustments I make to produce more accurate PRINTS but my goal is to limit editing as much as possible.