Overall, this microphone sounds pretty good (i.e. it sounds natural and "REAL") and this is with the included (stock) FOAM windscreen. However, what is really interesting is that this microphone does not sound good with the Comica...(furry lavalier windscreen). That's interesting because most of the lav microphones I've tested sound BETTER with that furry windscreen. (This microphone doesn't seem to benefit from a reduction of reverb when used INDOORS, as a lot of the other microphones seemed to. This means both that this microphone is not a good choice for me to use OUTDOORS (with the Comica furry). Also, it means, even if I did find another lavalier furry windscreen, this one will be slower to use because I can't just leave a furry windscreen on all the time (I prefer to use lav mics that sound better with a furry windscreen (both indoors and out). The good news is that they did a really good job making this microphone sound natural with the included (stock) FOAM windscreen, which I can't say is the case for a lot of other lavalier mics (the ones I've tested of course). "LAV" Proximity [7 inches / 17.78 cm] Zoom H1n [NO AUX. BOOST] 7RYMS Lavalier (for iRAY DW30) WINDSCREEN: Foam (Stock) 96k 24-bit 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: January 4, 2023 at 5:58:58 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: Overall, this microphone sounds pretty good (i.e. it sounds natural and "REAL") and this is with the included (stock) FOAM windscreen. However, what is really interesting is that this microphone does not sound good with the Comica...(furry lavalier windscreen). That's interesting because most of the lav microphones I've tested sound BETTER with that furry windscreen. (This microphone doesn't seem to benefit from a reduction of reverb when used INDOORS, as a lot of the other microphones seemed to. This means both that this microphone is not a good choice for me to use OUTDOORS (with the Comica furry). Also, it means, even if I did find another lavalier furry windscreen, this one will be slower to use because I can't just leave a furry windscreen on all the time (I prefer to use lav mics that sound better with a furry windscreen (both indoors and out). The good news is that they did a really good job making this microphone sound natural with the included (stock) FOAM windscreen, which I can't say is the case for a lot of other lavalier mics (the ones I've tested of course). 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.

[Note: This also is using an M42 screw mount to Nikon F adapter, in addition to the Nikon F to M43 SHIFT adapter noted.] I will have to admit this lens has a lot of character but it, like so many of these vintage lenses, is inconsistent in terms of how it renders light. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Pentax Super-Takumar 50 1.4 ii ADAPTER: M42-M43 (MACRO) Panasonic GX85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -4 SHARPNESS +4 NOISE +3 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: [Note: This also is using an M42 screw mount to Nikon F adapter, in addition to the Nikon F to M43 SHIFT adapter noted.] I will have to admit this lens has a lot of character but it, like so many of these vintage lenses, is inconsistent in terms of how it renders light. 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.

WOW! So far, -0-0-0-0 is working GREAT! Take a little color out with LUT. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Nikon 18-55 VR ADAPTER: Nikon F/G to M43 (SHIFT) Panasonic GH4 CineLike D "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -0 SHARPNESS -0 NOISE -0 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: WOW! So far, -0-0-0-0 is working GREAT! Take a little color out with LUT. 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 preliminary test came up with a pretty convenient 5.5 MIC. BOOST & 5.5 REC. GAIN setting (easy to remember) but I'm considering not having this microphone on my website, because it cannot be used with an AUX. Amplifier (doing so can really make the microphone more useful, but this one does not work when attached to the AUX. AMP.) "CLOSE" Proximity [3.5 inches / 8.89 cm] Zoom H1n (NO AUX. Amplifier) Deity V-Mic D3 Pro + Foam (Stock) WAV 24-bit/96kHz REC. SETTINGS Off REC. LOWCUT Off REC. LIMITER 5.5 REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS AUX. BASS AUX. HIGH-LOW AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS Off MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS 5.5 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: March 10, 2022 at 3:17:13 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: The preliminary test came up with a pretty convenient 5.5 MIC. BOOST & 5.5 REC. GAIN setting (easy to remember) but I'm considering not having this microphone on my website, because it cannot be used with an AUX. Amplifier (doing so can really make the microphone more useful, but this one does not work when attached to the AUX. AMP.) 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.

Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Quantaray 70-300 4-5.6 LD ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic G7 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -1 SHARPNESS +1 NOISE +4 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 DEFAULT Quantaray 70-300 4-5.6 LD Panasonic G7 NATURAL -0-0-0-0 HS -0+0 CUSTOM Quantaray 70-300 4-5.6 LD Panasonic G7 NATURAL -1+1+4-1 HS -2+2 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 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 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.

Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: CPL (PolarPro) Sigma 17-35 2.8-4 EX ADAPTER: Nikon F/G-M43 Panasonic G85 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -4 SHARPNESS -0 NOISE +2 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 IS THE CONTRAST "REAL"? SHARPNESS IS THE SHARPNESS "REAL"? NOISE IS THE NOISE "REAL"? COLOR IS THE COLOR "REAL"? *Click here to learn more about "REAL" Ratings . These ratings are AFTER my custom settings are applied (most combos don't look real good with default settings). NOTES: The 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: Strange thing I discovered here. I tried turning the RECEIVER on, and then off, and then there was less RFI from the TRANSMITTER (so the recording sounded cleaner than before. This is strange, because when I just turn on the TRANSMITTER (without turning on the RECEIVER) it has that slight RFI throughout the recording, but it seems to go away after turning the RECEIVER on and back off. This is still not user-friendly, so I'm not going to add this back to my list of recommended mics for this (wireless system) recorder...but at least I know there is a workaround. The other issue is that this mic has a locking plug, so I also wouldn't really recommend it for that reason, but it might be useable in a "pinch". WARNING: This combination does not work (too much RFI). The RFI is from the transmitter/recorder itself (whether or not the RECEIVER is on) so there's no hope for this mic/audio recorder combination. I also did the test with the receiver ON, and the RFI is even worse (and it's constant, no matter what the distance). I'm going to have to remove this mic from the list of mics I can use with this transmitter/recorder). "LAV" Proximity [7 inches / 17.78 cm] 7RYMS iRAY DW30 (Recorder) [NO AUX. BOOST] Comica CVM-M-O1 (Lavalier) WINDSCREEN: FOAM + FURRY (Comica CVM-MF1) 48k 24-bit REC. SETTINGS N/A 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 BAD LESS THAN 1.1ft / 0.34m N/A BETWEEN 1.1ft / 0.34m -2.2ft / 0.67m N/A BETWEEN 2.2ft / 0.67m -3.3ft / 1m BETWEEN 3.3ft / 1m -4.4ft / 1.34m Published: February 23, 2023 at 4:02:20 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: UPDATE: Strange thing I discovered here. I tried turning the RECEIVER on, and then off, and then there was less RFI from the TRANSMITTER (so the recording sounded cleaner than before. This is strange, because when I just turn on the TRANSMITTER (without turning on the RECEIVER) it has that slight RFI throughout the recording, but it seems to go away after turning the RECEIVER on and back off. This is still not user-friendly, so I'm not going to add this back to my list of recommended mics for this (wireless system) recorder...but at least I know there is a workaround. The other issue is that this mic has a locking plug, so I also wouldn't really recommend it for that reason, but it might be useable in a "pinch". WARNING: This combination does not work (too much RFI). The RFI is from the transmitter/recorder itself (whether or not the RECEIVER is on) so there's no hope for this mic/audio recorder combination. I also did the test with the receiver ON, and the RFI is even worse (and it's constant, no matter what the distance). I'm going to have to remove this mic from the list of mics I can use with this transmitter/recorder). 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.

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. "BOOM" Proximity [35 inches / 88.8 cm] Zoom H1 AUX: Neoteck NTK059 Saramonic SR-VM4 + Foam (Stock) WAV 24-bit/96kHz REC. SETTINGS OFF REC. LOWCUT OFF REC. LIMITER 37 REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS OFF AUX. BASS LOW AUX. HIGH-LOW @FULL 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 11:59:50 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.

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. I still need to do the VLOG EQ (which has the furry). "BOOM" Proximity [35 inches / 88.8 cm] Zoom H1 Deity V-Mic D3 Pro + Foam (Stock) 96k 24-bit REC. SETTINGS Off REC. LOWCUT Off REC. LIMITER 6.3 REC. LEVEL AUX. SETTINGS AUX. BASS AUX. HIGH-LOW AUX. OUTPUT MIC. SETTINGS Off MIC. LOWCUT N/A MIC. HIGH PASS 63 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: March 10, 2022 at 3:17:19 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 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. I still need to do the VLOG EQ (which has the furry). 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.

I’ve been working on getting my FZ1000 to look realistic, using SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) settings, and I’m pretty happy with what these settings now (and it’s REALLY EASY TO REMEMBER). These settings are mostly for 4K PHOTO mode use, so I'm also doing this so I can either use 4K PHOTO mode to grab stills, or to shoot video and be able to use it without doing color grading (though it may need a little sharpness adding in Davinci Resolve, my video editing software of choice…also super good for color grading). Note that the smaller sensor on this camera produces a little bit more NOISE than I would consider perfect, but it's not bad if you look at it as kind of an organic "film look". IMPORTANT NOTE: One setting that you have to be careful to not forget, is to set the "Luminance Level" to 0-255 (not the default setting of 16-255). The easy way to set it to 0-255, is simply to switch to 4K PHOTO mode (which will default to 0-255). You can set it without doing that, but it's a lot more difficult (I don't remember the exact sequence). I should also say, I've found ISO 200 to create the most real-looking image on this camera (maybe it's the "native ISO"?) So, if you can use ISO 200, I do recommend it even over 125 and 160, even though they're lower. The image degrades noticeably above ISO 400, and I sometimes go up to ISO 800 when needed, but be aware that it's going to look like it has more "film grain" (which isn't always bad, but it won't match your other footage, if the other footage was shot at a lower ISO). Another thing to note, is this camera doesn't work with a VND (variable ND) and so if you need to use a ND filter outdoors (to follow the 180-degree shutter rule, which I sometimes do not) the only option is using a straight ND filter (ND8 has been the best strength in my experience). This is both interesting and somewhat distressing, and the inclusion of internal ND filters in the FZ2500 seems like an admission of this issue. What happens is, at the longer telephoto focal lengths, using a VND filter makes the image look really bad; so bad, you would have to try it yourself to believe it! It's interesting that a similar thing happens with a lot of the 70-300 lenses I've tested (also at and near the long end of the zoom range). My theory is it has something to do with the enormous amount of space between the optics when the lens is in the extended telephoto position. Any links below are affiliate links. FILTER: None Leica 25-400 2.8-4.0 ADAPTER: None (Integrated Lens) Panasonic FZ1000 Natural "PHOTO STYLE" LENS-SENSOR LUT CONTRAST -3 SHARPNESS -3 NOISE +3 SATURATION -3 HIGHLIGHT SHADOW -3+3 iDYNAMIC OFF LUMINANCE LEVEL 0-255 Unsharp Mask* ADOBE POST-PRODUCTION AMOUNT 33 RADIUS 2.0 THRESHOLD 1 Blur / Sharpen DAVINCI RESOLVE POST-PRODUCTION LENS @FULL WIDE .47 LENS @MID-ZOOM .46 LENS @FULL TELE .43 DEFAULT Panasonic FZ1000 NATURAL -0-0-0-0 HS -0-0 UNFILTERED P1250598 CUSTOM Panasonic FZ1000 NATURAL -3-3+3-3 HS -3+3 UNFILTERED P1250597 CLICK FOR ADDITIONAL SHOTS 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 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: I’ve been working on getting my FZ1000 to look realistic, using SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) settings, and I’m pretty happy with what these settings now (and it’s REALLY EASY TO REMEMBER). These settings are mostly for 4K PHOTO mode use, so I'm also doing this so I can either use 4K PHOTO mode to grab stills, or to shoot video and be able to use it without doing color grading (though it may need a little sharpness adding in Davinci Resolve, my video editing software of choice…also super good for color grading). Note that the smaller sensor on this camera produces a little bit more NOISE than I would consider perfect, but it's not bad if you look at it as kind of an organic "film look". IMPORTANT NOTE: One setting that you have to be careful to not forget, is to set the "Luminance Level" to 0-255 (not the default setting of 16-255). The easy way to set it to 0-255, is simply to switch to 4K PHOTO mode (which will default to 0-255). You can set it without doing that, but it's a lot more difficult (I don't remember the exact sequence). I should also say, I've found ISO 200 to create the most real-looking image on this camera (maybe it's the "native ISO"?) So, if you can use ISO 200, I do recommend it even over 125 and 160, even though they're lower. The image degrades noticeably above ISO 400, and I sometimes go up to ISO 800 when needed, but be aware that it's going to look like it has more "film grain" (which isn't always bad, but it won't match your other footage, if the other footage was shot at a lower ISO). Another thing to note, is this camera doesn't work with a VND (variable ND) and so if you need to use a ND filter outdoors (to follow the 180-degree shutter rule, which I sometimes do not) the only option is using a straight ND filter (ND8 has been the best strength in my experience). This is both interesting and somewhat distressing, and the inclusion of internal ND filters in the FZ2500 seems like an admission of this issue. What happens is, at the longer telephoto focal lengths, using a VND filter makes the image look really bad; so bad, you would have to try it yourself to believe it! It's interesting that a similar thing happens with a lot of the 70-300 lenses I've tested (also at and near the long end of the zoom range). My theory is it has something to do with the enormous amount of space between the optics when the lens is in the extended telephoto position. 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.

REAL REVIEWS Long-term reviews of budget photo & video gear. KIT PLAN RECOMMENDATION: [NOT IN KIT] Zoom F1 This image is 100% REAL, and no A.I. (or Photoshop compositing) were used to make it, and I know because I took it myself. Quality? LIGHT USE OK Yes MEDIUM USE OK ? HEAVY USE OK ? Portable? POCKET Yes CAMERA BAG Yes BACKPACK Yes Affordable? AVERAGE NEW PRICE $ 169.97 *Indicates SALE price. Amazon AFFILIATE LINK AVERAGE USED PRICE $ 87.50** **Indicates BUY NOW price. Ebay AFFILIATE LINK Common? ON AMAZON Yes ON EBAY Yes Easy To Use? SKILL LEVEL DIFFICULT These reviews are just my opinion and are focused on my Q.P.A.C.E. packing method, so they're not comprehensive. I wrote these mostly to help me remember what items worked for my KIT PLANS (and which didn't). If I said anything negative I apologize, as these products still may work well for you in your situation, but they were not Q.P.A.C.E (Quality, Portable, Affordable, Common, Easy-to-Use) enough for my budget filmmaking KIT PLANS .