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I actually came up with this system as I was creating my comic strip (and was looking for a better way to do it). It includes BOTH a PowerPoint template PLUS a PhotoShop template! Q Q UALITY Professional quality is the goal, so the KIT must be capable P P ORTABLE When the KIT is portable, it's faster for traveling (& setting up) A A FFORDABLE If you can't get the KIT none of these other things are important! C C OMMON The KIT needs to be easy to find (new or used) to replace if lost/stolen E E ASY-TO-USE If the KIT is easy to use (even under stress) you can survive! IF IT'S NOT Q-P-A-C-E IT'S NOT IN THE KIT PLANS MINIMAL KIT BASIC KIT ADVANCED KIT ABOVE: I love to help people (from beginners to "old" photographers alike) discover that filmmaking can be easy, and my 1 tip "Always shoot with (at least) two cameras" is the most important thing that makes video production easier... QUALITY THE GEAR MUST BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PRO CONTENT I never want the term "low-budget" to mean the quality is going to be bad. So, getting good quality is a non-negotiable aspect of my KIT PLANS . If the gear can't produce professional quality, there isn't a reason to brag about producing on a low budget! PORTABLE THE KIT SHOULD BE COMPACT (TO TRAVEL OR MOVE QUICKLY) What do I consider portable? To me, it means I can travel with the KIT by airplane. This means it will fit in 3 pieces of luggage: 1 LARGE piece (checked luggage) 1 MEDIUM piece (overhead carry-on) and 1 SMALL backpack (stored under seat on the airplane). AFFORDABLE NOTHING ELSE MATTERS, IF YOU CAN'T BUY THE GEAR If you can't get the gear, you can't do much else. So, it's important to be able to afford the KIT PLANS . With all of the good budget filmmaking LIGHTS, CAMERAS and AUDIO gear out there nowadays, I do think it's possible (it just requires good SETTINGS). COMMON GEAR NEEDS TO BE EASY TO SOURCE (NEW OR USED) If you ever need to replace items that are lost or stolen, you not only need to have enough money to buy the KIT but the products also need to be commonly available (easy to find in your local new or used market). EASY-TO-USE IT MUST BE EASY TO USE, EVEN UNDER STRESS! There are several reasons I think this is important. The first is simply that it makes it much more fun. The second, is that if you make your methods (HOW-TOs) simple enough to do under stressful conditions, they will be super easy to do when you're NOT under stress. Additionally, simple processes are much easier to teach your team. QUALITY PORTABLE AFFORDABLE COMMON EASY-TO- USE

With all of the A.I. development going on, there is certainly enough "FAKE" content being put out there. So not only did we decide to never use (generative) A.I. when creating images, but also to use realistic-looking LENS-SENSOR SPECIFIC CAMERA SETTINGS (& LUTs) that help make it easier for the cameras to render scenes accurately (with very little post-processing). REAL PEOPLE Cinematic-Style Environmental Portraits. 5 Video Portraits (OUTDOOR) Cinematic environmental portraits pulled from video footage filmed outdoors (at one location). Read More 1 hr 165 US dollars $165 SCHEDULE 5 Video Portraits (INDOOR) Cinematic environmental portraits pulled from video footage filmed indoors (uses movie lights). Read More 1 hr 175 US dollars $175 SCHEDULE 10 Video Portraits (OUTDOOR & INDOOR) Cinematic environmental portraits, pulled from video filmed both indoors & out (2 locations total). Read More 2 hr 285 US dollars $285 SCHEDULE

Okay, the Zoom H1essential is now my #1 budget recommendation for an audio recorder. I used to recommend the original H1 (even when the H1n became available) but the 32-bit float feature of the H1e made it an easy decision. One underrated thing I like about the H1essential is the NUMERICAL headphone out level (perfect for a passthrough!) AUDIO Zoom H1e (Remember, these settings are specific to this audio recorder, paired to each microphone listed below.) The Zoom H1essential is now my #1 budget recommendation for an audio recorder. I used to recommend the original H1 (even when the H1n became available) but the 32-bit float feature of the H1e made it an easy decision. One underrated thing I like about the H1essential is the NUMERICAL headphone out level (perfect for a passthrough!) (BUILT-IN MIC) COMICA RODE SARAMONIC SENNHEISER SHURE ZOOM OTHER (BUILT-IN MIC) (Built-In Mic) Zoom H1n (XY Mics) COMICA Comica C omi ca VM20 (Shotgun) 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) Rode VideoMic Pro R (Not Recommended) Rode VideoMic Pro+ Rode VideoMicro (Not Recommended) SARAMONIC Saramonic S aramonic SR-M1W (for Blin k 500) Saramonic SR-VM4 Saramonic VMIC SENNHEISER Sennheiser Sennheiser Professional MKE 400 SHURE Shure Shure VP83 LensHopper ZOOM Zoom Zoom LMF-1 (Lavalier) Zoom LMF-2 (Lavalier) OTHER Other 7RYMS Lavalier (for iRAY DW30) JK MIC-J 017 (Lavalier) JK MIC-J 055 (Lavalier) Takstar SGC-598 (Shotgun) Takstar SGC-600 (Not Recommended) Xvive LV1 (Lavalier) Xvive LV2 (Lavalier) GAFFER TAPE SUPPLIED BY REMEMBER TO "REFRESH" PAGE TO SEE NEW DATA

For the money, I don't currently recommend this camera if you're just getting into budget filmmaking. I've been testing this in addition to the G7, GX85 and G85, and I would spend my money on a G85, GX85 (or even a G7) before buying a GH4. The GH4 screen is so inaccurate, you need an external monitor to use it (the GX85 and G85 are better, the G7 screen okay). You can get decent results from the GH4 (especially with my custom settings) but the lack of IBIS makes it a no-go for me. CAMERAS Panasonic FZ1000 You can't change the lens on the FZ1000, so it gets a whole page! I'm now convinced the FZ1000 is a decent (budget) filmmaking tool. After over 2 years of testing, I figured out how to make it produce a "non-digital" image (using custom camera settings) which are on my website. It's a great tool to buy before buying an expensive TELE lens, especially if you're mostly using it OUTDOORS. The small 1" sensor is okay in LOW LIGHT, but it's not the best. SETTINGS GEAR BLOG TIPS TEST FOOTAGE TEST #1 TEST #2 TEST #3 SETTINGS Settings BARE Panasonic FZ1000 #ad ND8 (GOBE) Panasonic FZ1000 #ad RAYNOX DCR-150 Panasonic FZ1000 #ad GEAR Gear ND8 Filter (Gobe) #ad Raynox DCR-150 (MACRO) #ad Leather Camera Case #ad Camera Rig (Option 1) #ad Camera Rig (Option 2) #ad Camera Rig (Option 3) #ad BLOG Blog Is the FZ1000 Good for (Budget) Filmmaking? Food Photography with the FZ1000 (& App) TIPS Tips Buy It Used (In Good Condition) Don't Use In Low Light (ISO 800 max.) Use an ND8 Filter (OUTDOORS) Use My Custom Settings (without a filter) Use My Custom Settings (with a filter) Use a Camera Cage (for VIDEO) Use a Heavy Monopod (to "fly") The Panasonic Image App Is Fun (INDOORS) The Built-In Lens Is Great (Leica) It's NOT Good for Macro (Get a Raynox DCR-150 ) #ad REMEMBER TO "REFRESH" PAGE TO SEE NEW DATA

[TESTING...] Any links below are affiliate links. [UNFILTERED] Tamron 70-300 4-5.6 LD Di + HELICOID (Macro Helicoid Adapter) Panasonic GX85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -3 CONTRAST +3 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE -0 COLOR Standard HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT RADIUS THRESHOLD Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE LENS @MID-ZOOM LENS @FULL TELE REAL RATINGS After testing each lens-sensor combo, I like to know if the rendering is going to look realistic SOOC (S traight O ut o f C amera) or if it will need a LUT (to match the shots to other lenses and cameras). CONTRAST ? IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: [TESTING...] 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.

[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! 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.

My #1 AUDIO tip for budget filmmaking AUDIO is to "always back up your audio (passthrough)" one of the most important things is to have an audio recorder that is small and light enough to sit on top of the camera (or cage). So, while there are other good audio recorders out there, these are my favorite (budget) options for backing up your audio, with this system. REAL AUDIO Mic-Specific Settings for Synchronous Audio. The Custom Settings Method Zoom H1essential Zoom H1n Zoom H1 Zoom F1 Zoom F2 Budget Filmmaking AUDIO Zoom H1essential Okay, the Zoom H1essential is now my #1 budget recommendation for an audio recorder. I used to recommend the original H1 (even when the H1n became available) but the 32-bit float feature of the H1e made it an easy decision. One underrated thing I like about the H1essential is the NUMERICAL headphone out level (perfect for a passthrough!) SEE SETTINGS AMAZON* #ad EBAY* #ad OFFER UP* *The Amazon, Ebay buttons are affiliate links (#ad) but the OFFER UP link just initiates a used item search. Budget Filmmaking AUDIO Zoom H1n I actually like the older H1 (because of the numerical gain and the "lock" switch) but this recorder is small and lightweight and can be a good tool as well. Most of the time I use this as a "passthrough" to back up audio coming from an external microphone (on the way to the camera) but its stereo mics can be good for capturing "ambient" nat. sound (just make sure to use a furry windscreen). This version doesn't have a "LOCK" feature (as version 1 does) so I would so don't leave the recorder in someone's pocket, where the REC. LEVEL dial could get moved. SEE SETTINGS AMAZON* #ad EBAY* #ad OFFER UP* *The Amazon, Ebay buttons are affiliate links (#ad) but the OFFER UP link just initiates a used item search. Budget Filmmaking AUDIO Zoom H1 This is the first audio recorder I would buy. Not only does it provide a good learning experience (as opposed to getting into a 32-bit float recorder right away) but it also has a lot of features that make it a great tool to keep on hand, even when you grow out of it. The features I really like are the numerical gain control (more precise than a turn dial) single button start and stop, as well as it being small and lightweight (good to mount on a camera cage without adding much weight). SEE SETTINGS AMAZON* #ad EBAY* #ad OFFER UP* *The Amazon, Ebay buttons are affiliate links (#ad) but the OFFER UP link just initiates a used item search. Budget Filmmaking AUDIO Zoom F1 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. P.S. The battery door is a pain. SEE SETTINGS AMAZON* #ad EBAY* #ad OFFER UP* *The Amazon, Ebay buttons are affiliate links (#ad) but the OFFER UP link just initiates a used item search. Budget Filmmaking AUDIO Zoom F2 Okay, so I just got this little audio recorder (and have big plans for it). The first thing I'll say about this recorder, is that even though it records a 32-bit float file, it does NOT use dual A/D converters to capture as high of a "dynamic range" as say the Zoom F3 or F6. Having said this, I've still got a few experiments to try because I believe this thing could have a real impact on my audio workflow. (More to come on this, but you can listen to my podcast about this for a teaser.) SEE SETTINGS AMAZON* #ad EBAY* #ad OFFER UP* *The Amazon, Ebay buttons are affiliate links (#ad) but the OFFER UP link just initiates a used item search.

Putting an action camera (like a GoPro) on top of your "real" camera is a really easy way to get a #2 shot. I think the HERO 4 Silver is a good deal if you don't need stabilization (which you don't need as much when it's mounted to the top of your camera). The 8 might be the best overall #2 budget filmmaking camera. CAMERAS Action Cameras Putting a GoPro on top of your "real" camera is a really easy way to get a #2 shot. I think the HERO 4 Silver is a good deal if you don't need stabilization (which you don't need as much when it's mounted to the top of your camera). The 8 might be the best overall #2 budget filmmaking camera. GoPro HERO4 GoPro HERO5 GoPro HERO6 GoPro HERO7 GoPro HERO8 GoPro HERO9 GoPro HERO10 OTHER HERO4 GoPro HERO4 SETTINGS GoPro HERO4 Silver +HOUSING GoPro HERO4 Black (No Screen) HERO5 GoPro HERO5 GoPro HERO5 Silver GoPro HERO5 Black HERO6 GoPro HERO6 GoPro HERO6 Silver GoPro HERO6 Black HERO7 GoPro HERO7 GoPro HERO7 Silver SETTINGS GoPro HERO7 Black HERO8 GoPro HERO8 GoPro HERO8 Silver GoPro HERO8 Black HERO9 GoPro HERO9 GoPro HERO9 Silver GoPro HERO9 Black HERO10 GoPro HERO10 GoPro HERO10 Silver GoPro HERO10 Black OTHER Other Other Action Cameras *To preserve a reality-based look, I shoot with the "Linear" FOV (Field of View) but these settings work in other FOV modes as well. REMEMBER TO "REFRESH" PAGE TO SEE NEW DATA

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. FILTER LENS SENSOR MODE NOTES FILTER: None Promaster 70-300 4-5.6 LD Panasonic G95 Natural Ok, so I'm getting used to doing tests on the G95...and this was only my 3rd test, but I'm already seeing the potential of this sensor. First of all (and I say this a lot) I have to say that image this sensor produces is MUCH different than the G85 (and GX85) and I'm getting close to saying it really is better...but the approach to the custom settings is a lot different (will explain more in later, in a BLOG post). So then, the CUSTOM SETTINGS specifically for this lens are working pretty well, and creates an image that is not perfect SOOC, but it is a really good starting point, to add a mild finishing LUT later. I've been noticing that G95 lets you push the HIGHLIGHT SHADOW curve a lot farther than the G85, without it looking wierd (the G85 goes into that fake HDR look a lot of the time, when you push it beyond -3+3 in the curves). FILTER: None (Bare) Nikon 50 1.8 D Panasonic G95 Natural These are initial settings for use in my product studio (it's for eBay products on a white background) and so I'm not going to say these settings are good for everything, yet. Also, note that these settings are specific to using a very old Vivitar 2X MACRO teleconverter (Nikon F, AI vintage). STUDIO FLASH NOTES: To trigger the studio flash, we're firing a little flash from the hot shoe (pointing to the side) and using 1/160 shutter speed (to sync with flash) and using ISO 200 and an aperture value of f/8 (and the aperture is manually controlled on the lens barrel). FILTER: None (BARE) Minolta MD 28-70 3.5-4.8 Panasonic G85 Natural These CUSTOM SETTINGS actually produce an image that is good almost SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) and yet with a bit more CONTRAST than is REAL...but it might actually work well when uploading to YouTube (which seems to change things a little). One thing that is interesting, is this lens has so much CONTRAST it's pretty impressive but not realistic...These settings correct for that, and the result is a pretty good image, but the lens is not very sharp, and so I added SHARPNESS to make it look more realistic (and did other things too). It also has an interesting HIGHLIGHT SHADOW curve applied, and it was difficult to figure it out to start with. In the end, I may not keep this lens, but it's not because of the image quality, but because I've been figuring out that, if I'm buying full frame lenses (like this one) to potentially be used both on full frame AND Micro Four Thirds, then it really needs to start at around 24mm (or wider) to be good tool for me. FILTER: CPL (PolarPro) Rokinon Tilt-Shift 24 3.5 Panasonic G85 Natural Wow. I'll write more about this later, but this is the second Rokinon prime lens that turned out super good when using the Panasonic G85 sensor (the other was the Rokinon Cine 85 T1.5). For some reason, they just have enough, but not too much SHARPNESS, and the CONTRAST is very manageable. I'll have to say, I just tested the same lens on a full-frame Nikon Z5 v1, and that camera cannot handle the level of contrast this lens has...but I am really starting to appreciate the custom settings of these LUMIX cameras, even these older ones that don't have real-time LUT capability. FILTER: CPL (PolarPro) Sigma 17-35 2.8-4 EX Panasonic G85 Natural FILTER: None Sigma 17-35 2.8-4 EX Panasonic G85 Natural 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. FILTER: None (Bare) Nikon 50 1.8 D Panasonic G85 Natural These are initial settings for use in my product studio (it's for eBay products on a white background) and so I'm not going to say these settings are good for everything, yet. Also, note that these settings are specific to using a very old Vivitar 2X MACRO teleconverter (Nikon F, AI vintage). STUDIO FLASH NOTES: To trigger the studio flash, we're firing a little flash from the hot shoe (pointing to the side) and using 1/160 shutter speed (to sync with flash) and using ISO 400 and an aperture value of f/11 (and the aperture is manually controlled on the lens barrel). FILTER: None Minolta AF 50 1.7 Panasonic GH5 Natural -1 HUE Wow. With these CUSTOM SETTINGS, the image gets one of the highest "Real Ratings" I've ever given to a lens-sensor combination! The ONLY thing that is off is that there is TOO MUCH RED in the image (but the GH5 is pretty consistently off in that area, so I'm fixing it with a LUT). FILTER: None Sigma 17-35 2.8-4 EX Panasonic GH5 Natural -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.) FILTER: None (BARE) Tamron 10-24 3.5-4.5 LD Panasonic GH5 Natural -1 HUE (was -0 but need -1 because there is the characteristic GH5 too much magenta (in shadows) stuff going on) FOR STILLS (SOOC Real Estate): Tamron 10-24 3.5-4.5 LD Panasonic GH5 NATURAL -4+2+4+1-1 HS -3+3 (and UNSHARP MASK at 22 2.2 2) FILTER: None (BARE) Sigma 18-50 2.8 EX Panasonic GH5 Natural -1 HUE FILTER: None (BARE) Koah 50 1.4 Panasonic GH5 Natural NOTE: Use -1 HUE. I think the final settings look good at most aperture values (and that's not easy)! It's interesting that it's actually sharper at f/2.8 than it is at f/8. At f/1.4 it's softer, but it looks really good, and that is where I think I would shoot (on this 2x crop, M43 sensor size) for video portraits, to have the right amount of background blur, etc. I also really like the amount of NOISE that is left in the image, as it kind of looks like film grain! ALWAYS CHECK THE "USED" MARKET!

My #1 AUDIO tip for budget filmmaking AUDIO is to "always back up your audio (passthrough)" one of the most important things is to have an audio recorder that is small and light enough to sit on top of the camera (or cage). So, while there are other good audio recorders out there, these are my favorite (budget) options for backing up your audio, with this system. Budget Filmmaking WIRELESS AUDIO MY CUSTOM SETTINGS Wireless Audio (Recorders) I had high hopes for this section of my website (and I was looking forward to using a lot of my mics wirelessly) and while it is turning out to be a good idea, it's only because it lists all of the mics that have problems (with RFI) when connected to these devices. Budget Filmmaking WIRELESS AUDIO 7RYMS iRAY DW30 I now only recommend wireless systems that offer on-board recording (like this one) because of the unreliable nature of some frequencies. This is one of the few wireless systems that does this, and yet it may be one of the least talked about (but it's becoming popular). I'm still testing but so far it's working pretty good (and it's a lot less expensive than the DJI and Rode options.) MY SETTINGS AMAZON* #ad EBAY* #ad OFFER UP* *Most of these are product-specific affiliate links, but EBAY and OFFER UP simply initiate a "search". ALWAYS CHECK THE "USED" MARKET!

This lens has so much SHARPNESS and CONTRAST and it creates shadows that are so deep, it is difficult to get this to look realistic (with this sensor)! In some ways this is amazing, but in other ways it makes it a challenge to work with. To get the image to look realistic I am using the maximum HIGHLIGHT SHADOW compensation you can (bringing the HIGHLIGHTS down to -5 and the SHADOWS up to +5) and then I'm having to leave the CONTRAST at -0 (which I normally bring down a bit). I do think there is another good thing about the amount of SHARPNESS and CONTRAST this lens has, and that is it should work well with the Vivitar 2x MACRO teleconverter which will reduce those attributes a bit. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Minolta MD 50 1.7 ADAPTER: Minolta MD to M43 Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" -0 CONTRAST -3 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE +2 COLOR -5+5 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW OFF iDYNAMIC OFF iRESOLUTION 16-255 LUMINANCE LEVEL Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT NONE RADIUS NONE THRESHOLD NONE 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 A 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: This lens has so much SHARPNESS and CONTRAST and it creates shadows that are so deep, it is difficult to get this to look realistic (with this sensor)! In some ways this is amazing, but in other ways it makes it a challenge to work with. To get the image to look realistic I am using the maximum HIGHLIGHT SHADOW compensation you can (bringing the HIGHLIGHTS down to -5 and the SHADOWS up to +5) and then I'm having to leave the CONTRAST at -0 (which I normally bring down a bit). I do think there is another good thing about the amount of SHARPNESS and CONTRAST this lens has, and that is it should work well with the Vivitar 2x MACRO teleconverter which will reduce those attributes 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.