top of page
FILTER | LENS | SENSOR | MODE | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 sync with the studio flash, we're using 1/160 shutter speed, and then ISO 400 and f/11 (aperture manually controlled on the lens). |
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! |
FILTER: None (BARE) | Koah 35 1.2 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | NOTE: Use -1 HUE.
So...you COULD use the same exact settings as the Koah 50 1.4 (same company/manufacturer, etc.) and it is almost perfect, and I would do that if you need to change lenses, and are in a hurry (I might actually make a LUT that can be used for BOTH). However, to get the very best SOOC settings, I am adding a little more NOISE REDUCTION to the in-camera settings for the 35 1.2 version. This lens is one of the best f/1.2 lenses I've tested by the way...though every lens I have tested has been a low-budget lens, so that's not saying much (the others were a Canon FL 58 1.2, and a Porst 50 1.2). |
FILTER: None (BARE) | Nikon 50 1.8 D | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | Not sure if I should be testing this (because if I drop it, the IBIS sensor could hit the speedbooster optic...like happened on my G85, which scratched sensor)! |
FILTER: None (BARE) | Nikon 50 1.8 D | Panasonic GH5 | It needs -1 HUE.
STUDIO Settings:
WHITE BALANCE: Flash
SHUTTER: 1/160
CONTRAST: +3
SHARPNESS: +1
NOISE: +4
COLOR: -0
HUE: -0
HIGHLIGHT SHADOW: -2+3 | |
FILTER: None (BARE) | Nikon 50 1.8 D | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | Still testing, but I think I like where these settings are, so far! |
FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 | Panasonic 25 1.7 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | Okay, this test is with the Tiffen BPM18 (Black Pro Mist 1/8) and I am super excited about the results. It's WAY better than using either the BPM14 or the UNFILTERED (BARE) settings. This is still going to need a LUT (to add COLOR, CONTRAST and a HUE shift, which I prefer to in the LUT, not with in-camera settings) but these CUSTOM SETTINGS get this to a really good starting point. Why are the results so much better with the BMP18 (instead of the 1/4 or UNFILTERED)? The first things is the 1/8 strength Tiffen Black Pro Mist pre-treats and diffuses the light enough to be able to use a less dramatic HIGHLIGHT SHADOW (-3+3) which always is going to look more realistic than pushing them further (we had to go up to -5+4 on the UNFILTERED/BARE settings to control the dynamic range). |
FILTER: None | Panasonic 14-45 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | |
FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/4 | Panasonic 25 1.7 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | Using same SETTINGS for this Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/4 version (as with the BARE, no filter version) to make production easier. They WILL HAVE DIFFERENT LUTS though, as this filter reduces CONTRAST and COLOR, and the post-production SHARPENING will be different as well (because filter reduces the SHARPNESS). Interesting side note is that I was considering adding more COLOR to this version of the settings, but starting with less COLOR is actually better to hide the digital noise artifacts, yet if you wanted the two shots (filter/non-filter) to MATCH, then I would increase the COLOR to +3 (when using this Tiffen BPM14 filter).
NOTES FROM UNFILTERED/BARE VERSION:
I've been learning that, specifically with the GH5, a lot of the OEM Panasonic lenses still have too much SHARPNESS and too much CONTRAST so to correct for this (while using the NATURAL profile) I'm not only tuning those settings but also need pretty extreme HIGHLIGHT SHADOW compensation...and that ends up adding more MAGENTA to the color cast (and adds other color noise too, but the overall color cast leans towards MAGENTA). Therefore, this is going to need a LUT to correct for this, for sure! |
FILTER: None (BARE) | Panasonic 25 1.7 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | Still testing...but I'm learning that, specifically with the GH5, a lot of the OEM Panasonic lenses still have too much SHARPNESS and too much CONTRAST so to correct for this (while using the NATURAL profile) I'm not only tuning those settings but also need pretty extreme HIGHLIGHT SHADOW compensation...and that ends up adding more MAGENTA to the color cast (and adds other color noise too, but the overall color cast leans towards MAGENTA). Therefore, this is going to need a LUT to correct for this, for sure! |
FILTER: None (BARE) | Panasonic 14-42 iii | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | It needs a LUT, but the results (before making the LUT) are so bad in so many ways, I'm not sure this lens is even worth using. It might be surprising to some for me to say that part of the problem (not all) is this lens has too much SHARPNESS for this sensor (GH5)...but it doesn't stop there (there are lots of ugly things about this lens, such as ugly, ugly bokeh/background blur and other weird optical expressions). |
FILTER: None (BARE) | Quantaray 70-300 4-5.6 LD | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | I'm still getting used to how much SHARPNESS the Panasonic GH5 has (compared to the G85 and GX85)...it's making some lenses (like this one) not work as well as some less sharp lenses (not all, of course). The reason is that I am having to both turn the SHARPNESS all of the way down, and the NOISE REDUCTION all of the way up to get the image to not be too sharp! It's getting to the point where I am going to have to start using diffusion filters, and that's not the first thing I would choose to do. I think we can work with the image these CUSTOM SETTINGS is putting out, but it would still be better if it had less SHARPNESS. The other thing too much SHARPNESS does is it makes the NOISE stand out more, so this image does have a lot of grain...if you like that (kind of looks like film, LOL). |
FILTER: None | Raynox DCR-150 MACRO | Panasonic FZ1000 | Natural | I'm starting out testing this Raynox DCR-150 MACRO adapter (on the Panasonic FZ1000) using the same CUSTOM SETTINGS as I do for just the (built-in) lens on the camera. So far, it looks really good (though it could use some adjustments to be closer to perfect SOOC). The good thing about keeping the settings the same, is you don't have to switch between 2 sets of settings (when removing the Raynox macro adapter)...
IMPORTANT: If you publish your videos to YouTube, use the below settings (for Davinci Resolve) to make it look REAL (YouTube strips out CONTRAST AND COLOR as of the date of this note).
YouTube SHADOW DIP (for Davinci Resolve):
This helps make SHADOWS more accurate on YouTube:
1. Create a new node
2. Go to Primaries
3. Enter -12.30 for Shad (Shadow)
YouTube COLOR BUMP (for Davinci Resolve):
This helps make COLOR more accurate on YouTube:
1. Create a new node
2. Go to Sat vs. Sat. (In Curves)
3. Drag shadows (left) dot to 1.23
4. Drag highlights (right) dot to 1.23
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).
SHARPENING SETTINGS (Davinci Resolve):
@Full "WIDE" = .47
@Mid "TIGHT" = .46
@Full "TELE" = .43
I should also note that I've found ISO 200 to create the most real-looking image (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, etc.) Also, the image degrades noticeably above ISO 400, though 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). |
Nikon 17-35 2.8 D | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | Still testing, and on this camera (GH5) it has way too much SHARPNESS, CONTRAST and NOISE (and the COLOR is bad in part due to the extreme HIGHLIGHT SHADOW curves applied). | |
FILTER: None | Vivitar Series 1 70-300 4.5-5.6 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Okay, this lens is good. Now, to be sure you have the right lens (when you use these settings) the version I tested was the WHITE version (well, off-white because the lens is old) but the exterior is white with black rubber areas (focus and zoom rings). So then, let me continue by saying WOW, it's a pretty good lens! I was actually not expecting much, because I had just finished testing another budget white lens from this same vintage (a 1990s 100-400 from Promaster) which was not good. As a side note, there seem to be a lot of good lenses in the 70-300 focal length range, but every vintage 100-300 and 100-400 has been REALLY bad. I've heard the Panasonic 100-400 (by Leica) is really good (not affordable enough for me to test at this time) and the footage I've seen from the Panasonic 100-300 looks good too...but for the older lenses, I only trust the 70-300 focal length now (but only from the early AF generation/80s & 90s and on, but not older). I putting NONE in the post-production sharpening settings because I don't think it needs any (which is good)! |
FILTER: None | Vivitar Series 1 70-300 4.5-5.6 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | This is going to need a LUT (does not look REAL SOOC) but these CUSTOM SETTINGS bring it to a good starting point (without these settings, this lens-sensor combination isn't rendering a realistic image). I just finished testing this lens on the LUMIX G85 (and the settings for SOOC were GREAT) so it is always interesting to realize it is the COMBINATION of BOTH the LENS AND SENSOR! |
FILTER: None (BARE) | Tamron 28-300 3.5-6.3 LD | Panasonic G85 | Natural | This lens is SO bad on this camera (the Panasonic G85) as there are so many optical problems...plus the lack of ability to render enough resolution...it almost looks like it is shooting in standard definition on one of those really old camcorders! I have never seen a lens render an image so poorly (on this camera). |
FILTER: None | Minolta MD 50 1.7 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | ...I reduced the NOISE REDUCTION to retain some of the grain (kind of looks like film grain) as it didn't look as cinematic without it (and the SHARPNESS was all of the way up and it needed some more SHARPNESS). |
FILTER: None | Minolta MD 50 1.7 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | 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. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 30 1.4 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | I know I say this a lot (when I test lenses on a second camera) but I was really surprised by how different the results are on this camera (GH5) compared to the last camera I had tested (the Panasonic G85). The main thing is while the SHARPNESS of this lens so great that it was difficult to get the Panasonic G85 to look good with it without using a diffusion filter (the Tiffen BPM14 worked the best on the G85) I was able to get this image to look good on the Panasonic GH5 without the diffusion filter! The reason I am surprised is the GH5 sensor renders more SHARPNESS than the G85, but what it came down to was the fact that the GH5 could handle turning the SHARPNESS all of the way down to -5 and still hold up. In fact, it still had so much SHARPNESS left I had to turn up the NOISE reduction to +5, to reduce the SHARPNESS even more. |
FILTER - Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 | Panasonic 45-200 4-5.6 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | This test, with the Tiffen BPM18 (Black Pro Mist 1/8) has the best results (for this lens-sensor combination) and it's the only one I would use (if you have or can get this filter). Notice these custom settings have the SHARPNESS turned down all of the way, and it still has a good amount of SHARPNESS to it (enough to boost in post-production to the perfect level, which I hope to figure out, and publish with these settings). |
FILTER - Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/4 | Panasonic 45-200 4-5.6 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | It is going to need a LUT, but these custom settings are making it look pretty realistic in a lot of ways (it has potential). This test is with a Tiffen BPM14 (Black Pro Mist 1/4) which I am trying because the SHARPNESS of this lens is more of an issue on the GH5 than it was on the G85 (which has a lower-megapixel sensor). So now, even with the diffusion, there is still too much SHARPNESS, but I am leaving the settings where they are, because the overall rendering is as realistic as I can get it SOOC (then the LUT will need to darken the shadows and add COLOR back in). |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 45-200 4-5.6 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | This lens-sensor combination is going to need a LUT to finish it, for sure. It's interesting, because I just finished a test of this same lens on the Panasonic G85, and it is so amazing how different these two sensors are! The GH5 has more SHARPNESS for sure and on the Panasonic GH5 this lens could use a diffusion filter (such as the Tiffen BPM or GG) not only to reduce the SHARPNESS, but also to preserve the highlight detail. I hope to publish more tests (with those FILTERS) when I can get to it. |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 45-200 4-5.6 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | These final settings actually have a little bit more SHARPNESS than you many want if you normally add that in post-production, but when I reduced the SHARPNESS, it lifted the shadows too much (reduces the CONTRAST, etc.) Then, I put the SHARPNESS back (where it was) and tried to add a bit of NOISE REDUCTION (to reduce the sharpness, and the NOISE) in a more subtle way...but it messed up the image (reduced the CONTRAST and COLOR too much, making it look less realistic). So, It's always fun to see how little changes can sometimes do big things. I'm pretty happy with these final custom settings now. |
Minolta AF 35-70 4 MACRO | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | The first thing you will see (when you zoom in on the images this combination creates) is the image has a lot of NOISE...and you may be wondering how NOISE is a result of a lens-sensor combination, but when you compare it to other lenses (with similar SETTINGS) you know what I mean. It's kind of like it's how the light hits the sensor, after going through a certain lens, that makes all of the difference. I was able to get this lens to work okay on a lower-megapixel sensor (the Panasonic G85) but on this denser sensor (no rhyme intended:-) it's not working...so I cannot recommend this lens (for the Panasonic GH5). There is a bit of a FILM LOOK to the noise though, so if you are going for that, this might be a lens to try. One quick word about the MACRO feature of this lens...it's not easy to use, because of the tiny manual focusing ring (they thought AF was they only thing that people would ever use). The image quality of the lens is pretty good at the MACRO setting though, but even on a Micro Four Thirds (2x crop sensor) the close focus is not close enough (to make small things like bugs look good...or gross, whichever applies). | |
[UNFILTERED] | Minolta AF 35-70 4 MACRO | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Still testing...so far this lens-sensor combination isn't too bad. It's not REAL-looking COLOR, but it has a sort of vintage film look, which reminds me of how the old Takumar 50 1.4 looked, which a lot of people like! The adapter I am using may not be allowing me to infinity focus at 70mm, but still testing... |
[UNFILTERED] | 7artisans 35 1.4 ii | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Difficult lens to get to render a scene accurately (my goal) but with these CUSTOM SETTINGS it looks decent enough. You'll have to increase the SHARPNESS in post-production though, and I will try to get those settings figured out as soon as I have time. |
FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/4 | Panasonic 25 1.7 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Okay, I like this. Starting out, this was a lot different than figuring out the settings for this same combination with the BPM18 (Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8) but after a few hours of work, I am liking the results.
This will need a LUT for sure, but I think the settings are a good starting point. |
FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 | Panasonic 25 1.7 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Almost done testing this one...I may need less COLOR (but that is because of the issue with VLC displaying more color on a MacBook Air, I sure wish companies would prioritize color ACCURACY. Same issue with Nvidia updating their display driver on my Dell XPS17). |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 17-35 2.8 D | Panasonic G85 | Natural | This lens is legendary, and I have been wanting to test it for a while. I did rent it many, many years ago (when using a Panasonic G5) but I did not know about custom (lens-sensor specific) camera settings.
This combination is going to need a LUT to finalize, for sure. |
[UNFILTERED] | Tamron 10-24 3.5-4.5 LD | Panasonic G85 | Natural | There is not much SHARPNESS in this lens to start with, so on this sensor I have to add some in the settings, and it will certainly need some post-production SHARPNESS added as well. It will also need more COLOR, but after working with this a bit I think it is at what I consider a good place for footage you are capturing to start (though I prefer settings be so good they can be used SOOC, of course). I started out with custom settings that had a little bit too much COLOR, but I had to tone it down as it is a strange lens to find a good place to set the COLOR settings to, as the COLOR is not very accurate (which makes even the white balance hard to figure out). |
[UNFILTERED] | Rokinon Cine 85 T1.5 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Wow...this works, without many corrections (on the G85 sensor). This is probably the 3rd easiest lens-sensor combo I've ever calibrated on the Panasonic G85 (the others were the vintage Vivitar 70-210 3.5, and the Nikon AF-D 50 1.4, both of which could be used, in the NATURAL picture profile, with no settings adjustments). To me, success is when the final image looks REAL, and with these settings, this lens makes a really good image on this camera. All I had to do was add a bit of NOISE REDUCTION (to help highlight rolloff, not for noise issues) and then to add a very slight HIGHLIGHT SHADOW correction, but you could go without it (if you want a slightly more contrasty shot than the scene really was). The only issue might be that it needs a little bit more SHARPNESS added during post-production, but I think these settings are a pretty good starting point. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 85 3.5 DX VR | Panasonic G85 | Natural | 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). |
[UNFILTERED] | Promaster 100-400 4.5-6.7 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | I don't know what to say about this lens yet. On this M43 camera (the Panasonic G85) the focal length has enough reach to pretty much take care of any TELE shots you would ever want to get (with a few exceptions) but the combination of the low optical quality of this lens and the sort of lower pixel count of this sensor (16MP) produces an image that is probably not good enough for professional use. The obvious yet expensive alternative is the (native mount) Leica 100-400...but that's about $1000 US used, and this lens was $30 US.
So, for the price I'm not saying this isn't a good tool to have around (though it's much bigger than a 70-300 as far as portability goes). It does really make me appreciate how much better the similarly-priced 70-300 lenses (also from the 1990s) are than this 100-400. Many of the 70-300 lenses I've tested produce professional results (see the lens notes) and they're just much better optically (probably because of the shorter zoom range) and certainly easier to fit into a camera bag.
So, I probably will not recommend this inexpensive 100-400mm lens, unless you really need that extra telephoto reach. My custom, lens-sensor settings do improve the SOOC image (Straight Out Of Camera) but the final result is still not too good. Again, this really makes me go towards those 70-300 lenses I've tested, especially the ones with 1:2 MACRO. |
[UNFILTERED] | Koah 50 1.4 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Still testing, but using the same settings as the Koah 35 1.2 is working pretty well. |
[UNFILTERED] | Koah 35 1.2 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | If you have never heard of Koah Artisan Series lenses (I know I had not) then you are might be pleasantly surprised. If you have heard of them, you may know they were created/distributed by Focus Camera.com (one of the New York photography stores) and that they are super affordable. However, I was not expecting much when I ordered this lens, not only because of the price, but because it was an f/1.2 lens (and every affordable f/1.2 lens I've tried...made me want to buy a 1.4 instead, because they were not any good at 1.2). Yet, I went ahead with the purchase not only because of the the f/1.2, but also because it was the focal length I needed (35mm) but the part that made me not expect much was the 1.2...but I was surprised.
I started by testing the lens on a bright, sunny day (a good test for controlling dynamic range) and I began experimenting with the (in-camera) tonal curves using the HIGHLIGHT SHADOW menu (Panasonic G85). It didn't feel as difficult to correct as a lot of the other lenses I have worked with and I got custom settings dialed in pretty quickly. I actually had to ADD SHARPNESS (I usually remove some) as well as do other things in the (Natural) photo style/picture profile. I usually do about 10 tests before I get the settings right, but not for this one. The lens was amazingly consistent at almost all aperture values, and even at f/1.2, which was what surprised me. At f/1.2 it was certainly softer, but it did not show a lot of distracting red and blue color fringing that I've seen in a lot of other low-light primes (even f/1.4 lenses).
I like the results with these custom settings enough to say I am going to keep this lens, and I am certainly going to recommend it to people. It creates sort of a vintage feel, but it still realistic, even if that sounds like a contradiction. I will also say that these settings provide a little bit too much COLOR, but overall (with these settings) this is looking REALLY good for a budget f/1.2 lens. |
FILTER Tiffen BPM18 | Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | Using same settings for FILTER version (as BARE version) with a Tiffen BPM18 (Black Pro Mist 1/8). |
FILTER Tiffen BPM14 | Sigma 30 1.4 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | WOW. I did not expect to get results that were as good as this (because this lens WITHOUT the Tiffen BPM14 did not work very well with this camera sensor). So, the custom settings I ended up using include a really strange HIGHLIGHT SHADOW curve (see settings) in conjunction with just a few small adjustments to the picture profile settings (see settings also). What I am really liking is how the combination of this filter and these settings is not only producing a pretty REAL looking image, but is also a little bit filmic too (with a little bit more SATURATION than one might want). Plus, it works pretty well in both INDOOR and OUTDOOR situations (with both low and high amounts of light...from shade to sun, etc.)
P.S. I tried testing this combo with the BPM18 (1/8th strength Black Pro Mist) and it did not work as well (for a number of reasons)... |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 30 1.4 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | So far, I cannot recommend this lens WITHOUT adding a Tiffen BPM14 (Black Pro Mist 1/4)...
It is true that this lens has a lot of SHARPNESS and CONTRAST, but when used with this sensor (the Panasonic G85) it does not render a realistic scene. The corrections I am applying (to the NATURAL profile) include an interesting Highlight Shadow curve, but the shadows are still being rendered too dark, but it's the best I can do without making it obvious there was a curve applied. The result is still not as realistic as I would like, and this means it will be difficult to match the shots from this lens to a lot of the other lenses I use (and therefore the imperfect "Real Rating"). All of this makes me understand why people tend to use diffusion filters (such as the Tiffen Black Pro Mist series) on this lens...which explains why the person I bought it from INCLUDED one with it! I hope to test it with that filter, next.
I will say that overall this lens is a very consistent performer as it was difficult to see the difference in quality at different aperture values (unlike like many vintage lenses). The downside of this is that it does lack what some call CHARACTER which is typical of Sigma lenses of this type, but adding the HIGHLIGHT SHADOW compensation does kind of add a bit more character to it (and if you've used the in-camera curves, you know what I mean).
Also, a lot of people talk about how the skintones on this camera are too RED, and they certainly are with this lens too...but keep in mind it is the combo of BOTH the lens and sensor that render colors a certain way (I might actually go back to trying an old Minolta MD 50 1.7 with this sensor again, as that has a GREEN bias, which may compensate for this issue). |
FILTER: None (BARE) | Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | Updating...(was at -3 CONTRAST, and a number of tests are showing that is not good)... |
(Template) | Panasonic GH5 | Natural | ||
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 18-35 1.8 | Panasonic G7 | Natural | TESTING. |
[UNFILTERED] | Promaster 70-300 4-5.6 | Panasonic G7 | Natural | This lens is a 1990s vintage "TELE" kit lens (for Nikon mount). One interesting thing is it seems to be exactly the same as the Quantaray (of this same focal length). I started the test using the exact same custom settings, and the resulting images look almost identical. Also, both lenses have a 1:2 MACRO spec in the same exact focal length range (the macro lock engages between 180-300mm on both lenses). |
[UNFILTERED] | Quantaray 70-300 4-5.6 LD | Panasonic G7 | Natural | |
[UNFILTERED] | TTArtisan 35 1.4 | Panasonic G7 | Natural |
FINAL NOTE:
I don't recommend this lens for professional work. At first, I was guessing the f/1/.4 maximum aperture and the fact that it's a prime lens would make this lens a good option (at the low price it comes in at). However, after testing it and working with custom settings for a few days, I can say I do NOT recommend this lens, as it has a number of different optical problems that make it very difficult to capture a realistic, professional-looking image. I could go into more detail, but of the 50+ lenses I've tested, it is one of the top 5 worst (and I would never take it on a professional shoot...which is the requirement for each of the lens-sensor settings recommendations on this website). |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 D | Panasonic G7 | Natural |
Wow...the final results on this lens-sensor (and speed booster) combo are great! All of the properties of contrast, sharpness, noise and color all look REALLY good (even though they're not perfectly realistic). Since the color from this camera is almost always more saturated than my other cameras (currently testing GH4, G85, GX85) I knew it would be a bit on the vivid side and turning it down any more can leave too much work for the LUT to do accurately (in post-production). Another thing I'm considering, is that while the Panasonic G7 seems to produce a lot of color saturation, it may be good to leave my settings a bit on the colorful side if you're going to upload straight to YouTube. However, most of the time I would have to run these through Davinci Resolve (to assemble multiple clips) anyway, so I could easily just add a LUT (or my "YouTube color bump" settings) to deal with the color saturation. |
FILTER: None | Leica 25-400 2.8-4.0 | Panasonic FZ1000 | Natural | IMPORTANT: One thing to note about the camera is that it really needs an ND filter when used OUTDOORS...but for some strange optical reason, it doesn't work with a VND (variable ND). It's interesting and somewhat distressing, but at the longer telephoto focal lengths a VND filter makes the image look so bad, you would have to try it yourself to believe it! It's even more 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 solution I've found is to use a straight ND filter, and ND8 has been the best strength.
TIP: If you publish your videos to YouTube, use the below settings (for Davinci Resolve) to make it look REAL (YouTube strips out CONTRAST AND COLOR as of the date of this note).
YouTube SHADOW DIP (for Davinci Resolve):
This helps make SHADOWS more accurate on YouTube:
1. Create a new node
2. Go to Primaries
3. Enter -12.30 for Shad (Shadow)
YouTube COLOR BUMP (for Davinci Resolve):
This helps make COLOR more accurate on YouTube:
1. Create a new node
2. Go to Sat vs. Sat. (In Curves)
3. Drag shadows (left) dot to 1.23
4. Drag highlights (right) dot to 1.23
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).
SHARPENING SETTINGS (Davinci Resolve):
@Full "WIDE" = .47
@Mid "TIGHT" = .46
@Full "TELE" = .43
I should also note that I've found ISO 200 to create the most real-looking image (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, etc.) Also, the image degrades noticeably above ISO 400, though 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). |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 12-32 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
IMPORTANT NOTE: I may go back to figure out the custom settings for this lens, but I don't recommend this combination FOR VIDEO use because the GX85 body does not have a manual focus dial, or an autofocus/manual focus switch (like the GX9) so you can quickly turn off AF. The reason you need this for video use, is that the AF is not reliable so it will "hunt" if you leave it on while recording. For instance, if you're in a documentary/interview/talking head situation it may switch from foreground focus to focus on the background, and that can ruin an interview (because you can't just make a person say something over, etc.) The workaround is to set the focus (on a person's nearest eye, typically) and then turn off AF. However, to do this on the GX85, you have to use the menu system instead of a physical switch (as on GX9). This takes too long and doesn't work in real situations. So, because the lens doesn't have a manual focus dial (or an on/off switch, I don't recommend this specific (lens-sensor) combination for video/filmmaking use (it's decent for still photography). |
FILTER: Tiffen Warm Soft FX 2 | Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic G85 | Natural |
IMPORTANT: This test is being done for a friend, for still photography use only (and I don't recommend it for video use). |
FILTER: Tiffen Ultra Contrast 1 | Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic G85 | Natural |
NEW NOTES:
...
(BELOW IS FROM TIFFEN BPM18):
(These new settings are for using the lens with the Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8.) I started this test because I wasn't able to get this lens-sensor combo (or with G85) to work very well UNFILTERED (see my older notes below). So, while testing I noticed a number of interesting things, including that this filter (with the specific settings I use) is reducing the compression artifacts that were occurring in video (when using it UNFILTERED). Also, no surprise, but using this filter makes this lens more prone to flare (need a lens hood or matte box) and though this can reduce the contrast in certain lighting situations (i.e. pointing toward a light source) the flare doesn't look that bad. So, while I didn't like the results of this lens UNFILTERED, I now feel pretty good about using it with these settings (which include the Tiffen BPM18/Black Pro Mist 1/8).
OLDER NOTES (from UNFILTERED test):
When I started this test, I was surprised, as I had heard so many people say good things about this lens, but when compared with a lot of the vintage lenses I've been testing, this thing isn't very good...so let me explain. When I started this test (at -0-0-0-0 using the Natural profile) what immediately jumped out at me were the outlines on the edges of objects, which I'm pretty sure is due to over-sharpening...yet at the same time, the image was soft and needed sharpening! This is a problem, because to remove the outlines on the edges of things, you have to REDUCE the SHARPENING...but doing that will mean the image needs even MORE sharpening during post production, so I may have to see how far I can take the sharpening in post production (using Davinci Resolve). |
[UNFILTERED] | Novoflex 105 4 AUTO BELLOWS | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
DAMAGE WARNING:
The copy of this lens I tested had fungus on the inside of the second element. So, these settings may not work on your copy of the lens (unless your fungus is identical...but does that ever happen?) Even with the fungus, I can see this lens had (even in a clean state) trouble with chromatic aberration, though it's not too extreme, and mainly shows up as RED and YELLOW fringing (and not the super-distracting, yet 3-D looking blue and red of some other lenses). |
[UNFILTERED] | Novoflex 105 4 AUTO BELLOWS | Panasonic G85 | Natural |
DAMAGE WARNING:
The copy of this lens I tested had fungus on the inside of the second element. So, these settings may not work on your copy of the lens (unless your fungus is identical...but does that ever happen?) Even with the fungus, I can see this lens had (even in a clean state) trouble with chromatic aberration, though it's not too extreme, and mainly shows up as RED and YELLOW fringing (and not the super-distracting, yet 3-D looking blue and red of some other lenses). |
[UNFILTERED] | Minolta MD 50 1.7 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | (Sold GH4, so only did a preliminary test...if you try, let me know what you think!) |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 35 1.8 G DX | Panasonic GH4 | Natural |
I don't like this lens-sensor combination. I am using the Viltrox NF-M43x (Nikon mount) speed booster for this test (and that is part of it) but this booster looks really good on other lenses, so I wouldn't blame it on that. It just always comes down to the combination of all the things put together, kind of a synergy if you will...and this combo looks BAD (not good). So, while I think my custom settings do help create a file that is an okay starting point, the image it produces is very un-inspiring, and I hope to make the images into something better with a custom LUT (but I really don't even want to work with this lens!)... |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 35 1.8 G DX | Panasonic G7 | Natural |
POST-PRODUCTION NOTES:
This lens-sensor combination will need some post-production work (these are my recommendations):
1. Add SHARPNESS (in Davinci Resolve)
2. Create/add a LUT (see notes above)
3. Add my "YouTube COLOR Bump" (if you're uploading to YouTube) |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 35 1.8 G DX | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
OVERVIEW:
This lens, similar to its brother the Nikon 50 1.8G, is not easy to work with on this sensor (the Panasonic G85). When I started the test (at -0-0-0-0, HS -0-0) it had the same deep shadows that the 50mm had, and the same weird color rendering. I think these final settings make this into a lens that is a decent tool, but it will need both sharpening and color added in post-production (to look "REAL"). I might be able to correct some of the strange tonal range problems with the LUT, and I it's easy to boost the SATURATION of the color, but I don't know if I will ever get the color HUE to look accurate. This color issue is hard to describe, but it renders colors with a deeper tone than they really are, and some may like this, but my goal is realism (so this is not one of my favorite lenses).
POST-PRODUCTION NOTES:
This lens-sensor combination will need some post-production work (these are my recommendations):
1. Add SHARPNESS (in Davinci Resolve)
2. Create/add a LUT (see notes above)
3. Add my "YouTube COLOR Bump" (if you're uploading to YouTube) |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 35 1.8 G DX | Panasonic G85 | Natural |
OVERVIEW:
This lens, similar to its brother the Nikon 50 1.8G, is not easy to work with on this sensor (the Panasonic G85). When I started the test (at -0-0-0-0, HS -0-0) it had the same deep shadows that the 50mm had, and the same weird color rendering. I think these final settings make this into a lens that is a decent tool, but it will need both sharpening and color added in post-production (to look "REAL"). I might be able to correct some of the strange tonal range problems with the LUT, and I it's easy to boost the SATURATION of the color, but I don't know if I will ever get the color HUE to look accurate. This color issue is hard to describe, but it renders colors with a deeper tone than they really are, and some may like this, but my goal is realism (so this is not one of my favorite lenses).
POST-PRODUCTION NOTES:
This lens-sensor combination will need some post-production work (these are my recommendations):
1. Add SHARPNESS (in Davinci Resolve)
2. Create/add a LUT (see notes above)
3. Add my "YouTube COLOR Bump" (if you're uploading to YouTube) |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 80-200 2.8 D | Panasonic G7 | Natural |
(NOTES FROM BOOSTED TEST):
This lens is too sharp for this sensor, as with the SHARPNESS turned all of the way down (to -5) plus the NOISE REDUCTION turned all of the way UP (to +5, which I do to reduce sharpness even more when needed) the image still has a lot of aliasing. This sensor also renders more compression-related artifacts when a lens is too sharp (which adding NR can help with) but since we've maxed out those 2 settings, we're left with a lens-sensor combo that is bound to be a problem in certain lighting situations. This used to be a top-of-the-line telephoto zoom (it was the first AF 80-200 2.8 Nikon produced) and the build quality is excellent. However, the "focus breathing" is not good for video (image changes size as you focus, etc.) and lenses such as the Promaster 70-300 I've been using, are MUCH better for video (even though the aperture is not constant, but with this breathing, you can't zoom while shooting ANYWAY!) it's also heavy and slow to operate. It's slow because of the push-pull zoom, and because of the focus (there is a focus limiting feature that helps with that). Optically, it's a great lens, and though each lens-sensor combo usually needs some work to look its best. NOTE: With a non-optical adapter, I set the contrast to -2 (instead of -1). |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar Series 1 70-210 2.8-4 | Panasonic G85 | Natural |
CAMERA-SPECIFIC NOTES:
If you need to upload the video footage to YouTube SOOC, use +2 on the in-camera SHARPNESS.
If you're planning on adding sharpening in post-production, then use +1 on the in-camera SHARPNESS.
CAMERA-SPECIFIC NOTES:
After first testing this lens on the Panasonic GH4 (and writing most of the notes in the "LENS-SPECIFIC NOTES" section below) I was amazed at how much better this lens looked on the Panasonic G85 sensor! I was able to cover up that "glowy, purple fringing" easier, and it was much easier to make the color turn out looking "REAL" (the NATURAL profile in the GH4 is not super neutral, but the CINELIKE D is a lot worse). I like using this lens on the G85, and I highly recommend it...though it still does have some "character" (the purple glows are still there, somewhere).
LENS-SPECIFIC NOTES:
I will say this lens has really nice bokeh (out of focus areas) yet the glowy, purple fringing (or chromatic aberration) is very noticeable on light-colored subjects, and it shows up as mystery purple patches all over. If you WANT that effect, this is a good lens for that, but 'm trying to find lenses that retain what I call a "sense of reality" so this one isn't high on my list. In terms of overall usefulness, the push-pull zoom is surprisingly easy to use even for video, as it sort of sticks in whatever position you set it because it has an angular groove in the motion travel that keeps it from slipping too much. The copy I have was a little bit loose, but that made it fast to focus or zoom with (which I liked). I'm not going to comment much on the corrections I performed, because the lens differs so much from one aperture value and focal length to another. Let's just say "It has character" and is full of lots of surprises. In comparison to the older Vivitar Series 1 70-210 f/3.5, I prefer the optics of the older one, but the ergonomics (zoom and focus feel) of this newer one are better. |
[UNFILTERED] | Minolta AF 50 1.7 ii | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Not sure if test for v2 was done. |
[UNFILTERED] | Kiron 28-85 2.8-3.8 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
UPDATE:
I'm happy with the how my final Highlight Shadow compensation worked, but the notes below about lack of realism still apply.
If your goals for a lens-sensor combination include either realism or accuracy, this combination isn't good. If you're going for a vintage look however, this might be worth a try. I do add the word "might" though, as what I'm struggling with is the overall CONTRAST of the lens (it's good, it's a bit too much FOR THIS SENSOR, resulting in too wide of a dynamic range being covered; more than this sensor can handle). I'm still experimenting with Highlight Shadow compensation to see if I can remedy this, but so far doing this undercuts certain other positive traits of the lens in the process (it tones down the pretty red and blue fringing/chromatic aberrations). |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar Series 1 70-210 3.5 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | 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! |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar Series 1 70-210 2.8-4 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural |
I will say this lens has really nice bokeh (out of focus areas) yet the glowy, purple fringing (or chromatic aberration) is very noticeable on light-colored subjects, and it shows up as mystery purple patches all over. If you WANT that effect, this is a good lens for that, but 'm trying to find lenses that retain what I call a "sense of reality" so this one isn't high on my list. In terms of overall usefulness, the push-pull zoom is surprisingly easy to use even for video, as it sort of sticks in whatever position you set it because it has an angular groove in the motion travel that keeps it from slipping too much. The copy I have was a little bit loose, but that made it fast to focus or zoom with (which I liked). I'm not going to comment much on the corrections I performed, because the lens differs so much from one aperture value and focal length to another. Let's just say "It has character" and is full of lots of surprises. In comparison to the older Vivitar Series 1 70-210 f/3.5, I prefer the optics of the older one, but the ergonomics (zoom and focus feel) of this newer one are better. |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar Series 1 70-210 3.5 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural |
BELOW IS REVIEW ON OTHER CAMERA
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! |
[UNFILTERED] | Quantaray 70-300 4-5.6 LD | Panasonic G85 | Natural |
(I will be doing 2 different tests here: One for sports action (stills) for printing to an 8x10 printer, and the second is my normal test for video purposes...starting to test now.)
PHOTO Settings:
(More SHARPNESS is needed the printing process reduces the apparent sharpness due to the substrate, inks, etc.)
TEST #1 = NATURAL -0+2+3-1 HS -2+2 (Needs more SHARPNESS, more NR, more COLOR)
TEST #2 = NATURAL -0+4+5-0 HS -2+2 (Not sure yet)
TEST #3 = NATURAL +4+5+4+1 HS -2+3
TEST #4 = NATURAL +4+4+4-1 HS -2+3 (FINAL)
VIDEO Settings:
|
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 75-300 4-5.6 DL | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
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. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 75-300 4-5.6 DL | Panasonic G85 | Natural |
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. |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon FDn 50 1.4 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
WARNING: This lens doesn't focus to infinity with this adapter!
CONCLUSION:
Due to the fact this specific lens doesn't focus to infinity when used on this speedbooster, I'm going to use this INDOORS at for the TIGHT interview shot. These custom settings also work OUTDOORS, but its usefulness is very limited because you can't focus to infinity (i.e. you can't focus on distant objects...hence, this is truly a tool for blurring the background, etc.)
ATEM Mini NOTES:
The ATEM Mini seems to increase the CONTRAST, so I may need to reduce this when using the ATEM Mini. |
[UNFILTERED] | Pentax Super-Takumar 50 1.4 ii | Panasonic GH4 | Natural |
CONCLUSION:
Overall, I don't like this lens-sensor combination. WITHOUT this speedbooster, this lens both has a lot of character AND a lot of integrity, but WITH this (Pixco) speedbooster, it feels like one of the cheap vintage lenses that nobody likes. I do like this speedbooster on other lenses though, so it's just this lens-sensor combination that is uninspiring.
ORIGINAL NOTES:
So, after testing the original (non-BOOSTED) settings with the speedbooster ON, I can certainly say that they DO NOT WORK, so I'm starting this test from scratch. (Sometimes starting with the non-BOOST settings works, but in this case, it isn't working too well).
NON-BOOST NOTES:
This was a VERY difficult lens to come up with the set of recommended settings for. My goal is simply to make it easy to get the best original capture as possible (at all aperture settings) and that was difficult because of how inconsistent this lens is at different apertures (in terms of how it renders light, etc.) |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar 50 1.8 M42 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | OVERVIEW:
My first impression of this lens-sensor combination wasn't too good, but after getting these custom settings worked out, there are some good things to say about it. Overall, it's got a lot of character, and the strange thing is that it renders the image MUCH differently at different F-stops (in more ways than depth of field and sharpness). It's hard to put in words, but it just kind of makes the image look like it's from different film stocks at different aperture values. This made it difficult to decide on one set of settings, but what I'm using is working pretty well (see the above settings).
WIERD NOTES:
There's a lot of "weird notes" for this lens-sensor combination, because it behaves so differently than most of the other lenses I've tested. One thing is that it gets MORE contrasty at f/2.8 and LESS at 5.6 or f/8 (most lenses become more contrasty as they stop down). As normal, the SHARPNESS increases as it gets closer to f/8, but I find it weird that the CONTRAST is greater at 2.8. In general, I like using this combination (this lens + PIXCO speedbooster) at f/2.8, as it has just the right amount of bokeh, as well as good sharpness, and contrast as mentioned. Also, focus pulling is really nice at f/2.8, with a short focus throw, and infinity focus being pretty much right on (in my experience). The sharpness isn't good enough below f/2.8 either, so needless to say, I use it at f/2.8 almost all of the time.
SHARPENING SETTINGS:
This is a very difficult lens to give SHARPENING settings for because the sharpness changes so much at different aperture values! However, I'll start working on figuring this out after I've gathered enough footage to run it through tests (in Davinci).
FIRST IMPRESSION (OLD NOTES):
The #1 thing I'm starting to notice with this focal reducer/speedbooster, is that it causes a big flare ball (not hair ball) in the middle of the frame, no matter what lens is used. I tried shielding the lens (I put my hand about 6 inches in FRONT of the lens, and slightly above) and it removed the flare, but it's pretty bad without this. The only solution would be to use a BIG French flag above the lens. The lens flare does the normal bad things to the lens really bad flare does (reduces the contrast and color saturation) and in this case, it almost totally destroys the image. So, for now I'm not going to recommend this lens-sensor +BOOST (speedbooster) combination (and I might look into some other speedbooster brands for M42).
|
FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 | Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural |
UPDATE:
I changed the Highlight Shadow settings (from -3+3) to -2+2 and now it has the same HS settings as the UNFILTERED version. This is interesting as it means that, while the LUT will still need to be different for this version (which is using the Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8) because of tonal range, but what's interesting is the SHARPNESS settings are the only difference (2 points less when using this filter). I know, it would be nice if this pattern was the same for ALL lens-sensor combinations (and I could just apply that logic, and not have to TEST each one) but I know better than to do that by now, LOL!
I came back to this test after some time, and I think the old settings looked okay SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) but I think the image would fall apart if any post sharpening was to be added, so I increased the NR (Noise Reduction) to tone down sharpness. This helps to get the image to a better starting point (before adding a bit of sharpening in post). I also increased the COLOR setting by 1 (because adding NR reduced the color saturation too). I need to test the post-production sharpening settings in Davinci Resolve (I will publish them below). |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural |
Wow. These settings are working really well SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) but are not what I expected at all. I will still make a LUT, but the video from these settings alone looks great. On the first day of testing, I wasn't enjoying myself and didn't know if there was hope for this lens-sensor combo. So, I switched over to the tests using a diffusion filter (Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8) because things weren't working. Strange enough, the place where I left off was a GREAT place to start with the filter on (I used the same settings) and I got the test WITH the filter done first. Then, when I returned to finish these UNFILTERED tests, I finally got these to look good too, but the settings are way different than the ones for when you're using a Tiffen BPM18.
The filtered and UNFILTERED versions will need different LUTs and SHARPENING settings for post-production for sure, but I'm pretty happy with how good of a "starting point" these two sets of settings are providing. Check my YouTube channel for some of the tests. |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon FDn 50 1.8 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural |
THE SHORT STORY:
I'm super happy with the results coming from these settings (the lens-sensor combo, including the Pixco speed booster)! What was super surprising was that these settings not only look good on the final files, but they also look good on the Panasonic GH4 flip-out screen (while you're shooting) and that doesn't always happen (it's a really good thing!)
THE LONG STORY:
I just tested this lens-sensor combination on a Panasonic GX85, so I had some expectations for this test...but I must say that it turned out a lot better than I expected! Not only does this turn the very affordable Canon FDn 50 1.8 into a great low light tool (a 35mm 1.2) but it renders quite a filmic look on this GH4 (a super affordable camera nowadays)! I say it looks a lot like film because it's doing a really good job controlling the highlight rolloff, midtones and shadow detail, and it even renders a sort of film grain look by having a bit of digital noise (but it's not too much that it's distracting). The NOISE REDUCTION settings are what I'm using to control how the "film grain" look is rendering, and the final settings I'm using are a result of a lot of back-and-forth trial and error, so I'll have to say that it's important to use these specific settings (try it and I think you'll like it).
In regard to the optical quality of this speed booster, it has flaws and imperfections, but I think what's really important is how the image it renders looks, etc. It has issues with lens flare which some people actually like, and has other issues that could normally be considered a negative (such as sharpness reduction, etc.) that are working well with this lens-sensor combination.
In the end, I think using this Pixco speed booster with this Canon FDn 50 1.8 is a very cost-effective way to turn this 50 1.8 into a 35mm F/1.2 low light tool. The aperture control is stepless (i.e. de-clicked) though it does have a couple places it seems to catch slightly.
GH4 NOTE:
One problem with the GH4 is that the sensor seems to render too much BLUE. So, the workaround I use is to shoot in "Cloudy" white balance when it's sunny outside. My "REAL" ratings rate "COLOR" as being pretty accurate, but it's when using this workaround. |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon FDn 50 1.8 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
IMPORTANT:
After having a camera's sensor get scratched (after dropping it with a speedbooster on) I don't recommend using speedboosters anymore on cameras with sensors that have IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization). The reason is that the optic sticks into the lens mount (more than an OEM lens) and if the camera is dropped, the extra force and motion of the IBIS sensor can cause the two to collide (thus scratching the sensor).
This is not only a review of this vintage lens, but also a review of the Pixco focal reducer (specific to this camera) and so far, I like it! This speed booster is inexpensive, and though it DOES create lens flare, it doesn't look too bad, and can be controlled (with a lens shade) if needed. This lens-sensor combination (of the Lumix GX85, the Canon FDn 50 1.8 + Pixco speed booster) is a pretty good way to get an F/1.2 lens, for a low price. What's really weird about this lens-sensor combination is that, even with a LOT of NR (Noise Reduction) added, it is still producing a lot of NOISE. You might wonder how a specific lens could produce MORE noise than another lens (with the same SENSOR) but I think it comes down to what was done to the light before it reaches the sensor, and then the interaction of the sensor and the light affects how the sensor displays things. It sounds really simple, but each lens-sensor relationship is a little different. So, because the digital noise is not going away, what I'm attempting to do is to make it look like film grain (as much as I can). |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 14-42 ii | Panasonic G85 | Natural | 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. |
FILTER: Gobe ND8 | Leica 25-400 2.8-4.0 | Panasonic FZ1000 | Natural | IMPORTANT: One thing to note about the camera is that it really needs an ND filter when used OUTDOORS...but for some strange optical reason, it doesn't work with a VND (variable ND). It's interesting and somewhat distressing, but at the longer telephoto focal lengths a VND filter makes the image look so bad, you would have to try it yourself to believe it! It's even more 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 solution I've found is to use a straight ND filter, and ND8 has been the best strength.
TIP: If you publish your videos to YouTube, use the below settings (for Davinci Resolve) to make it look REAL (YouTube strips out CONTRAST AND COLOR as of the date of this note).
YouTube SHADOW DIP (for Davinci Resolve):
This helps make SHADOWS more accurate on YouTube:
1. Create a new node
2. Go to Primaries
3. Enter -12.30 for Shad (Shadow)
YouTube COLOR BUMP (for Davinci Resolve):
This helps make COLOR more accurate on YouTube:
1. Create a new node
2. Go to Sat vs. Sat. (In Curves)
3. Drag shadows (left) dot to 1.23
4. Drag highlights (right) dot to 1.23
UPDATE 2:
Now testing with Gobe ND8...and it's again interesting how it really changes things. The first thing I'm trying to fix is that the ND8 filter punches the shadows in (at any exposure) and is making them relatively darker than they should be (though this can be a good thing, if you're uploading directly to YouTube with the current compression scheme they have). Still working on these settings...
UPDATE: 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".
(FIRST) NOTE:
This current test is for when you're NOT using a filter. The settings I had posted before were for using a B+W F-PRO UV filter, and I really prefer the tests with that filter (settings still available by searching on my website) but then it occurred to me today, that some people may not be able to easily get that filter. So far, this test is coming out worse, because using the filter was improving the micro contrast (it smoothed the highlight rolloff and did other good things). These settings are pretty good, but if you can get a B+W F-PRO UV filter, I think this camera works better with one.
SHARPENING SETTINGS (for Davinci Resolve):
@Full "WIDE" = .47 ?
@Mid "TIGHT" = .46 ?
@Full "TELE" = .43 ?
I should also note that I've found ISO 200 to create the most real-looking image (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, etc.) Also, the image degrades noticeably above ISO 400, though 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). |
[UNFILTERED] | Tamron 17-50 2.8 VC | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Need to add COLOR with a LUT but have to keep it low during capture to reduce both noise artifacts and the chromatic aberrations (light green blue and red fringing). I'm noticing those aberrations at the WIDE end (17mm or so) but it's pretty clean around 50mm in this respect. It's also sharper (too sharp) at the wide end, and less sharp (but just about right with these settings) at the long (50mm) end. |
FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 | Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | (These new settings are for using the lens with the Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8.) I started this test because I wasn't able to get this lens-sensor combo (or with G85) to work very well UNFILTERED (see my older notes below). So, while testing I noticed a number of interesting things, including that this filter (with the specific settings I use) is reducing the compression artifacts that were occurring in video (when using it UNFILTERED). Also, no surprise, but using this filter makes this lens more prone to flare (need a lens hood or matte box) and though this can reduce the contrast in certain lighting situations (i.e. pointing toward a light source) the flare doesn't look that bad. So, while I didn't like the results of this lens UNFILTERED, I now feel pretty good about using it with these settings (which include the Tiffen BPM18/Black Pro Mist 1/8).
OLDER NOTES (from UNFILTERED test):
When I started this test, I was surprised, as I had heard so many people say good things about this lens, but when compared with a lot of the vintage lenses I've been testing, this thing isn't very good...so let me explain. When I started this test (at -0-0-0-0 using the Natural profile) what immediately jumped out at me were the outlines on the edges of objects, which I'm pretty sure is due to over-sharpening...yet at the same time, the image was soft and needed sharpening! This is a problem, because to remove the outlines on the edges of things, you have to REDUCE the SHARPENING...but doing that will mean the image needs even MORE sharpening during post production, so I may have to see how far I can take the sharpening in post production (using Davinci Resolve).
IDEA: I may try decreasing the NR (Noise Reduction) by 1 (to +3) and increasing the SHARPNESS by 1 (to -4) to see if I can get a little bit more film grain look (the NR is wiping out all of the texture, and you could add it in post, but I prefer to save TIME). |
FILTER: Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8 | Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | (These new settings are for using the lens with the Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/8.) I started this test because I wasn't able to get this lens-sensor combo (or with G85) to work very well UNFILTERED (see my older notes below). So, while testing I noticed a number of interesting things, including that this filter (with the specific settings I use) is reducing the compression artifacts that were occurring in video (when using it UNFILTERED). Also, no surprise, but using this filter makes this lens more prone to flare (need a lens hood or matte box) and though this can reduce the contrast in certain lighting situations (i.e. pointing toward a light source) the flare doesn't look that bad. So, while I didn't like the results of this lens UNFILTERED, I now feel pretty good about using it with these settings with the Tiffen BPM18/Black Pro Mist 1/8!
OLDER NOTES (from UNFILTERED test):
When I started this test, I was surprised, as I had heard so many people say good things about this lens, but when compared with a lot of the vintage lenses I've been testing, this thing isn't very good...so let me explain. When I started this test (at -0-0-0-0 using the Natural profile) what immediately jumped out at me were the outlines on the edges of objects, which I'm pretty sure is due to over-sharpening...yet at the same time, the image was soft and needed sharpening! This is a problem, because to remove the outlines on the edges of things, you have to REDUCE the SHARPENING...but doing that will mean the image needs even MORE sharpening during post production, so I may have to see how far I can take the sharpening in post production (using Davinci Resolve). |
[UNFILTERED] | Kiron 28-85 2.8-3.8 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | While I'm still testing this lens-sensor combo, it looks pretty nice so far. Not only does it have a really nice vintage look, but it's also pretty accurate in terms of COLOR and CONTRAST. |
[UNFILTERED] | Kiron 28-85 2.8-3.8 | Panasonic G85 | Natural |
UPDATE:
I'm happy with the how my final Highlight Shadow compensation worked, but the notes below about lack of realism still apply.
If your goals for a lens-sensor combination include either realism or accuracy, this combination isn't good. If you're going for a vintage look however, this might be worth a try. I do add the word "might" though, as what I'm struggling with is the overall CONTRAST of the lens (it's good, it's a bit too much FOR THIS SENSOR, resulting in too wide of a dynamic range being covered; more than this sensor can handle). I'm still experimenting with Highlight Shadow compensation to see if I can remedy this, but so far doing this undercuts certain other positive traits of the lens in the process (it tones down the pretty red and blue fringing/chromatic aberrations). |
[UNFILTERED] | Kiron 28-85 2.8-3.8 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | [NOTE: The settings with the +BOOST (Viltrox NF-M43x) added are a LOT different (you might expect it to be predictable, but every optical situation is different) and needs custom settings.] This is a really amazing vintage lens! It is very vulnerable to lens flare (so if you want to control it, use lens shade, etc.) but it matches this sensor pretty well and it needed very few changes. The adjustments were important though, as it really helped adding a little CONTRAST, SHARPNESS and NOISE REDUCTION (each of them for controlling the micro-contrast and reducing the digital look of the image, etc.) While the final result is not perfectly "REAL" (especially the inaccurate color) I think it looks very "cinematic" and that a lot of people (who like the "film look") will really, REALLY like the image this lens-sensor combo creates. |
[UNFILTERED] | Tamron 17-50 2.8 VC | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | So far, I really like the type of lens flare this lens produces. I'm noticing chromatic aberration (red and blue fringing) at the WIDE end (17mm or so) but it's pretty clean around 50mm in this respect. It's also sharper (too sharp) at the wide end, and less sharp (but just about right with these settings) at the long (50mm) end. I would say this lens looks similar to the older Sigma (EX series) zoom lenses (in regard to the red & blue fringing) at the WIDE end, but a lot cleaner and more "REAL" looking at the long end. |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 25 1.7 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | (v3)
I revisited this UNFILTERED test after testing the settings with both the Tiffen BPM14 and BPM18 diffusion filters (spoiler alert: I like the results better on those two). So, I am realizing that without diffusion, this lens-sensor combination is always going to struggle with overexposed highlights, in high-contrast situations (bright, sunny days). With that in mind, I do think the settings are better than they were before (in v1, v2) but now I will certainly use one of those Tiffen filters (see the CUSTOM SETTINGS for each one of those).
(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. |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | The final settings here work pretty good, but this lens-sensor combination still has some issues...These include maybe the strangest Highlight Shadow settings I've ever used...and it still has too much contrast. When I started this test, I was surprised, as I had heard so many people say good things about this lens, but when compared with a lot of the vintage lenses I've been testing, this thing isn't very good...so let me explain. When I started this test (at -0-0-0-0 using the Natural profile) what immediately jumped out at me were the outlines on the edges of objects, which I'm pretty sure is due to over-sharpening...yet at the same time, the image was soft and needed sharpening! This is a problem, because to remove the outlines on the edges of things, you have to REDUCE the SHARPENING...but doing that will mean the image needs even MORE sharpening during post production, so I may have to see how far I can take the sharpening in post production (using Davinci Resolve). |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 12-60 3.5-5.6 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | The final settings here work pretty good, but this lens-sensor combination still has some issues...These include maybe the strangest Highlight Shadow settings I've ever used...and it still has too much contrast. When I started this test, I was surprised, as I had heard so many people say good things about this lens, but when compared with a lot of the vintage lenses I've been testing, this thing isn't very good...so let me explain. When I started this test (at -0-0-0-0 using the Natural profile) what immediately jumped out at me were the outlines on the edges of objects, which I'm pretty sure is due to over-sharpening...yet at the same time, the image was soft and needed sharpening! This is a problem, because to remove the outlines on the edges of things, you have to REDUCE the SHARPENING...but doing that will mean the image needs even MORE sharpening during post production, so I may have to see how far I can take the sharpening in post production (using Davinci Resolve). |
[UNFILTERED] | Tokina 12-24 4 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | (NOTE: Color should be reduced -1 if not uploading to YouTube...as I'm learning YouTube sucks the color, out of images. I'm planning on making LUTs that compensate for this, but this will work in the interim). Overall, I am liking the Tokina 11-16 2.8 a lot more, but this one is workable OUTDOORS if needed. INDOORS, you really need an F/2.8 + BOOST (speed booster) for it to gather enough light FOR THIS CAMERA. |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 14-42 ii | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | This latest test was in the NATURAL profile (first test was in CINELIKE D). I'm trying to get away from using CINELIKE D (when it's possible) because the colors don't look too "REAL". Also, I decided to use Highlight Shadow compensation instead of reducing the CONTRAST excessively, for a better image. This sensor produces a lot of noise and so I added a lot of NOISE REDUCTION as I usually do (for this sensor) but could not max it out because I needed to leave a little bit of definition in it's image. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 18-70 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | I think it may need a LUT, because I need to turn the color down to remove some fringing, but it's going to make the image have too much color overall. I'm going to need to experiment with this, but if you use the current SETTINGS and are making your own LUT, you might be okay (but if you're going for SOOC, these SETTINGS may not work without a LUT). Also, I had to push up the NOISE REDUCTION quite a bit, because this sensor produces a lot of noise, but the CONTRAST looks pretty good (and realistic) as a result of this, as NR tends to reduce not only the SHARPNESS but CONTRAST as well (which this lens needed). |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 18-70 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | This is a decent lens because it has enough sharpness to be able to turn NOISE REDUCTION up a bit (helpful with the small sensor) and still be sharp enough to look "REAL". It's also a nice lens because the contrast isn't so intense that I have to turn it way down (for this camera). I don't like the color, but I think this lens is just not very color accurate, and I noticed this when testing on other cameras (sensors) as well. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 18-70 | Panasonic G7 | Natural | 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. |
FILTER: B+W F-PRO UV | Promaster 70-300 4-5.6 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | I started this test using the settings from the Panasonic G85 + BOOST (Viltrox NF-M43x) and all I have had to change so far was to add 1 positive point to the CONTRAST (because the Viltrox focal reducer lowers the contrast a bit). |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar Series 1 70-210 3.5 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | 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! |
FILTER: Neewer MRC CPL | Sigma 18-50 2.8 EX | Panasonic G85 | Natural | (NOTE: Test turning OFF Highlight Shadow for HDR still photos.) (Also, these settings are for WITH the Neewer CP Circular Polarizer filter, and WITH the filter I think NOISE REDUCTION should be set to +4, but WITHOUT, I'd put the settings at +5 because there is too much SHARPNESS without the filter). I had never heard of this lens until recently when I saw it at a local camera store (for a good deal). I've tested the Sigma 17-50 2.8 EX and the Sigma 18-35 1.8 ART, but I didn't know this one even existed! It isn't as "good" as the 18-35 1.8 ART (in a technical sense) but WITH THE CUSTOM SETTINGS I think it's doing a good job (and that's WITH a CPL/circular polarizer attached!!) |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 80-200 4 AIS | Panasonic G85 | Natural | [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!) |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 80-200 4 AIS | Panasonic G7 | Natural | [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! |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 80-200 4 AIS | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | [Vintage lens, and the condition may vary.] 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 after figuring out these corrective settings, I'm kind of liking it! |
FILTER: Tiffen CP (Circular Polarizer) | Nikon 18-55 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | NOTE: This test was using a Tiffen CP (Circular Polarizer). Also note that this filter is prone to flare (so use lens shade when possible). |
FILTER: CPL (Neewer) | Sigma 18-50 2.8 EX | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
I'm really enjoying using this lens on a SHIFT adapter (on the Panasonic GX85. The shift adapter doesn't work on the G85 (because of the obstruction of the popup flash over the lens mount) so that's something to keep in mind. I had never heard of this lens until recently when I saw it at a local camera store (for a good deal). I've tested the Sigma 17-50 2.8 EX and the Sigma 18-35 1.8 ART, but I didn't know this one even existed! It isn't as "good" as the 18-35 1.8 ART (in a technical sense) but WITH THE CUSTOM SETTINGS I think it's doing a good job (and that's WITH a CPL/circular polarizer attached!!)
FILTER NOTE:
This test was with a Neewer CPL (Circular Polarizer) and while I think the filter is pretty good, Neewer has so many versions of their CPL that it's hard to say which one it is in writing. For this reason, I'm going to try to stick to filter brands that make it easy to identify exactly which filter it is. |
[UNFILTERED] | AUTO Mamiya-Sekor 55 1.4 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | |
[UNFILTERED] | AUTO Mamiya-Sekor 55 1.4 | Panasonic G7 | Natural | It's amazing that this lens-sensor combination is almost useable at -0-0-0-0 (default settings) but I worked with the settings further because it has a strange problem of rendering a lot of colorless black in the mid to shadow areas (I know, it seems like it would just be the shadows). I'm not completely happy with these settings, and I don't know if this lens is something I'd recommend. (It also has a sharp aperture coupler that has almost cut my hand a few times). |
[UNFILTERED] | AUTO Mamiya-Sekor 55 1.4 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | This lens started out looking pretty good, because it's a lower contrast lens that still has good sharpness. It had a bit too much CONTRAST, but after correction the details are rendering really well. I did reduce the SHARPNESS a bit, and now it looks more "REAL", less "digital" though it's as technically sharp as before correction. One of the big problems of this lens-sensor combination was that it revealed a lot of noise (which is typical with the GH4) but the lens had enough sharpness to start with that I could turn NR to +5 (pretty high) and it creates an image that is MUCH easier to work with in post (not the normal Swiss cheese you normally get from the GH4). |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 18-50 2.8 EX | Panasonic G7 | Natural | |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 18-50 2.8 EX | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | (For HDR, Turn Highlight Shadow OFF) |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 G | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | Strange, super sharp lens, but it also has a strong bias toward making the shadow regions stay dark (my final, corrected settings even include a -0+4 Highlight Shadow correction, something I have never done before. I will need to create a LUT to finish these settings, and I'm not looking forward to it, due to the complexity its issues)! |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 G | Panasonic G7 | Natural | While I still need to make a LUT (for final adjustments) these SETTINGS make this lens-sensor combination (including the Viltrox NF-M43x speed booster) produce very useable results. It could use a little sharpening and color added in post... |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 D | Panasonic G7 | Natural | Wow...the final results on this lens-sensor (and speed booster) combo are great! All of the properties of contrast, sharpness, noise and color all look REALLY good (even though they're not perfectly realistic). Since the color from this camera is almost always more saturated than my other cameras (currently testing GH4, G85, GX85) I knew it would be a bit on the vivid side, and turning it down any more can leave too much work for the LUT to do acurately (in post-production). |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 AIS | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | [TESTING...] |
[UNFILTERED] | Tokina 11-16 2.8 ii | Panasonic G7 | Natural | [TESTING...] |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 AIS | Panasonic G7 | Natural | This lens-sensor combo is a little bit contrasty when used in the middle apertures, but because this speed booster looks pretty good with this lens wide open (and at 1/2 click down) I chose to err on the side of too much contrast, so it can be more accurate when used wide open. Also, adding a filter (or not using a lens hood) can also reduce contrast... |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 D | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | I was going to add +1 more color, and if you want a little more "character" and a more film grain look to the noise, try that, but I am stopping here, and it needs a LUT to finalize it (add color and remove a bit of contrast). I tested this lens-sensor combo WITHOUT THE BOOST previously, and those settings were in CINELIKE D. I'm trying the NATURAL profile out this time because it works both for stills and video...Also, I just tested the same vintage 50 1.4 D, and that lens has much better bokeh than this one. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.4 D | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Wow! Except for adding the -2+2 "Highlight Shadow" compensation, this is looking pretty good at -0-0-0-0 in the Natural color profile! |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.4 D | Panasonic G7 | Natural | This is my 2nd test of this lens, the 1st was on the GH4, and it's interesting that I've been able to get a really accurate image without using a focal reducer, but when I tested WITH one, the image wasn't so good. So, should I even continue on to test this lens WITH the +BOOST next? Oh, the only thing that isn't getting a super good letter grade for being "REAL" is the NOISE; this lens-sensor combo has a bit too much digital noise (although it looks pretty close to film grain, which is okay). |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.4 D | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | The corrected (lens-sensor specific) settings get this lens pretty close to a perfect "REAL" rating (realistic/accurate contrast, sharpness and color). The only thing that's not real about this lens is the chromatic abberration (glow) at (the max) 1.4 aperture. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.4 D | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | Wow! Except for adding the -2+2 "Highlight Shadow" compensation, this is looking pretty good at -0-0-0-0 in the Natural color profile! |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 G | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | I think this could benefit from some kind of diffusion filter (test to come later) but for now it looks acceptable. The "REAL" ratings are going to be pretty low, but I think it's the best I can get it for now... |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 G | Panasonic G7 | ||
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 G | Panasonic GX85 | ||
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 G | Panasonic G85 | Natural | Strange, super sharp lens, but it also has a strong bias toward making the shadow regions stay dark (my final, corrected settings even include a -0+4 Highlight Shadow correction, something I have never done before. I will need to create a LUT to finish these settings, and I'm not looking forward to it, due to the complexity its issues)! |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar 50 1.8 M42 | Panasonic GX85 | Need to buy an M42 adapter. | |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar 50 1.8 M42 | Panasonic G7 | Need to buy an M42 adapter. | |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar 50 1.8 M42 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | I NEED TO TEST MORE (and I really need to be using a Pixco speed booster on Micro Four Thirds, because it's only an F/1.8) I was hoping this lens would share the settings of the Vivitar 135 2.8 M42 (that was in the camera case with it when I bought) but it doesn't (I may go with using Highlight Shadow adjustments because the CONTRAST is still too great, and the COLOR is not accurate). |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar 135 2.8 M42 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | REALLY needs a LUT to fine tune the image further. I think these SETTINGS are a good starting point, but it's going to need more contrast and less color to look "REAL" and the only clean way to do that is by adding a LUT (Coming Soon!) |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar 135 2.8 M42 | Panasonic G7 | Starting to test | |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar 135 2.8 M42 | Panasonic GX85 | Starting to test | |
[UNFILTERED] | Pentax Super-Takumar 50 1.4 ii | Panasonic G7 | Natural | I am amazed at how differently this sensor (camera) handles this lens (compared to the GH4). As I mentioned in other reviews of this lens, it is inconsistent in terms of how it renders light. It's really interesting how much I was able to push the COLOR with these settings, and while you could tone it down a bit, I did it to show what the lens is capable of. It's a very different type of color than newer lenses usually produce, but some tend to like the more vintage feel. If you want to start with less color, go +1 (not +2) but if you upload to YouTube, you may still need that extra color (as of 2022 anyway). |
[UNFILTERED] | Pentax Super-Takumar 50 1.4 ii | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | [Needs a "REAL" LUT to finish it.] This was a VERY difficult lens to come up with the set of recommended settings for. My goal is simply to make it easy to get the best original capture as possible (at all aperture settings) and that was difficult because of how inconsistent this lens is at different apertures (in terms of how it renders light, etc.) |
[UNFILTERED] | Pentax Super-Takumar 50 1.4 ii | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | [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. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 80-200 2.8 D | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | This used to be a top-of-the-line telephoto zoom (it was the first AF 80-200 2.8 Nikon produced) and the build quality is excellent. However, it's heavy and slow to operate. It's slow because of the push-pull zoom, and because of the focus (there is a focus limiting feature that helps with that). Optically, it's a great lens, and though each lens-sensor combo usually needs some work to look its best (this one did) I think these settings are rendering a pretty nice image, one that is "REAL" in almost every respect. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 80-200 2.8 D | Panasonic G7 | Natural | This lens is too sharp for this sensor, as with the SHARPNESS turned all of the way down (to -5) plus the NOISE REDUCTION turned all of the way UP (to +5, which I do to reduce sharpness even more when needed) the image still has a lot of aliasing. This sensor also renders more compression-related artifacts when a lens is too sharp (which adding NR can help with) but since we've maxed out those 2 settings, we're left with a lens-sensor combo that is bound to be a problem in certain lighting situations. This used to be a top-of-the-line telephoto zoom (it was the first AF 80-200 2.8 Nikon produced) and the build quality is excellent. However, the "focus breathing" is not good for video (image changes size as you focus, etc.) and lenses such as the Promaster 70-300 I've been using, are MUCH better for video (even though the aperture is not constant, but with this breathing, you can't zoom while shooting ANYWAY!) it's also heavy and slow to operate. It's slow because of the push-pull zoom, and because of the focus (there is a focus limiting feature that helps with that). Optically, it's a great lens, and though each lens-sensor combo usually needs some work to look its best. NOTE: With a non-optical adapter, I set the contrast to -2 (instead of -1). |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 80-200 2.8 D | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | This used to be a top-of-the-line telephoto zoom (it was the first AF 80-200 2.8 Nikon produced) and the build quality is excellent. However, it's not super good for video because the "focus breathing" is so bad (the image changes size as you focus, etc.). Lower cost 70-300 lenses such as the Promaster I've been using, are MUCH better for video, as some are even parfocal. (One thing to note about those, is that even though they don't have a constant aperture, you don't normally zoom while shooting.) This lens is also heavy and slow to operate. It's slow because of the push-pull zoom, and because of the focus (there is a focus limiting feature that helps with that). Optically, it's a great lens, and though each lens-sensor combo usually needs some work to look its best. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 80-200 2.8 D | Panasonic G85 | Natural | This used to be a top-of-the-line telephoto zoom (it was the first AF 80-200 2.8 Nikon produced) and the build quality is excellent. However, it's heavy and slow to operate. It's slow because of the push-pull zoom, and because of the focus (there is a focus limiting feature that helps with that). Optically, it's a great lens, and though each lens-sensor combo usually needs some work to look its best (this one did) I think these settings are rendering a pretty nice image, one that is "REAL" in almost every respect. |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon 50 1.8 ii | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | It works pretty well to just set the "Highlight Shadow" to -2, +2 and call it good, but I added NOISE REDUCTION to keep the sharpness (and contrast) looking more "REAL". As I mentioned in the other reviews of this lens, it has a pretty decent close focus distance, and while the manual focusing ring is very thin (probably too narrow for focus gears to be added) it's easy for me to use by hand. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 75-300 4.5-5.6 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | This lens is AMAZING...it delivers so much contrast and color that I had to tone those down (to get a "REAL" image) and the SHARPNESS is almost a perfect match for this sensor (not to sharp, etc.) though I had to use some NOISE REDUCTION to keep things looking real. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 75-300 4.5-5.6 | Panasonic G7 | Natural | This lens is AMAZING...it delivers so much contrast and color that I had to tone those down (to get a "REAL" image) and the SHARPNESS is almost a perfect match for this sensor (not to sharp, etc.) though I had to use some NOISE REDUCTION to keep things looking real. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 75-300 4.5-5.6 | Panasonic GH4 | CineLike D | This lens is AMAZING...it delivers so much contrast and color that I had to tone those down (to get a "REAL" image) and the SHARPNESS is almost a perfect match for this sensor (not to sharp, etc.) though I had to use some NOISE REDUCTION to keep things looking real. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 75-300 4.5-5.6 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | This lens is AMAZING...it delivers so much contrast and color that I had to tone those down (to get a "REAL" image) and the SHARPNESS is almost a perfect match for this sensor (not to sharp, etc.) though I had to use some NOISE REDUCTION to keep things looking real. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 75-300 4.5-5.6 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | This lens is AMAZING...it delivers so much contrast and color that I had to tone those down (to get a "REAL" image) and the SHARPNESS is almost a perfect match for this sensor (not to sharp, etc.) though I had to use some NOISE REDUCTION to keep things looking real. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 70-300 4-5.6 D | Panasonic G7 | Natural | [NEW] |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 70-300 4-5.6 D | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | [NEW] |
[UNFILTERED] | Pentax Super-Takumar 50 1.4 ii | Panasonic G85 | Natural | These settings are not as "REAL" as I would normally prefer, as the color is more saturated than normal, but I did this to capture the unique color this lens can render. It's also a bit light in the shadows, but this forces you to underexpose a little, which protects the highlights and just seems to bring out the magical properties of this lens. As I've said before about this lens, it has a lot of "character" and it can be inconsistent in terms of how it renders light (from aperture to aperture). |
FILTER: Promaster HGX UV | Canon 70-200 2.8 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | In the future I may try adding a Tiffen GlimmerGlass or Black Pro Mist filter to attempt to control the dynamic range, etc. |
[UNFILTERED] | Minolta MD 50 1.7 | Panasonic G7 | Natural | I had to resort to using the "Highlight Shadow" corrections (-2 Highlights, +2 Shadows) to make it work, because this is a very CONTRASTY lens, and it renders a very unique image (that is not "REAL" and therefore will not match my other lenses easily) before correction. This lens-sensor combination is rendering a lot more GREEN than it should, and therefore receives negative "REAL Ratings" because of it. |
[UNFILTERED] | Pentax Bellows-Takumar 100 4.0 SMC | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | [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 don't (normally) like to review lenses that are rare (because I want you all to be able to try them out) but since I found this for a good deal online at shopgoodwill.com, I thought I'd better test it. While it was difficult to figure out, I think it is looking pretty good with these custom settings. (The only thing that is off a bit is the color, and it's not bad, but is just not "REAL" and therefore won't match other lenses that get a better rating for that attribute, etc.) |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon FD 50 1.4 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | I feel like these settings are working okay for capturing what this lens is capable of, but as I mentioned in the GX85 review of this lens, the lens has optical imperfections (that give it an interesting character) but it's so inconsistent from one aperture value to the next (the contrast, sharpness and color intensity change quite a bit) that makes it difficult to come up with a single settings recommendation (as I can with most optics). |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon 50 1.8 ii | Panasonic G7 | Natural | Known as the "plastic fantastic" this lens is a decent optic, for a not much money. It has a good close focus distance, and though the focusing ring is very thin (probably too narrow for focus gears to be added) it's somewhat easy for me to use when focusing by hand. I don't think the color rendition of this lens is very accurate. |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon 50 1.8 ii | Panasonic GH4 | CineLike D | After getting these settings figured out, the lens is rendering a pretty realistic image, yet I will need a LUT to increase the contrast a bit. This lens has a pretty decent close focus distance. The manual focusing ring is very thin, and while it's easy for me to use by hand, it may be too narrow for focus gears to be added. |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon FDn 50 1.4 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | These CUSTOM SETTINGS will need a LUT to finalize the image (it needs more CONTRAST and COLOR saturation) but I feel like they are a good starting point. In the future, I may try to get this closer to SOOC, but I think these settings match the lens to get the most dynamic range out of this sensor (my goal). However, I think these settings still preserve and showcase the flaws so many people love about this lens (a diffused but sharp and dreamy rendering). Initially, I was disappointed in this lens because of how inconsistent the COLOR and SHARPNESS are when changing aperture values, and I had a difficult time figuring out a single set of settings that would work for it. |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon FD 50 1.4 | Panasonic G7 | Natural | This was my second test of this lens (the first was on the GH4) and while I was not impressed with this on the GH4, on the G7 I am starting to see why some people like this lens (and I suspect they're using it on sensors with a lot more sharpness, such as Sony full-frame sensors). It is still an inconsistent and difficult lens to work with though (as the optical properties change so much when varying the aperture). |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon FD 50 1.4 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | I've heard a lot about this lens, but after testing (this copy) I'm not too impressed. It looks "dreamy" (wide open of course) but even stopped down, it doesn't render a realistic-looking image, something that is central to my goal of Realism. |
FILTER: Promaster HGX UV | Canon 70-200 2.8 | Panasonic G7 | CineLike D | It looks pretty good, but there is still a little bit too much contrast, which makes it difficult to stay within the dynamic range capabilities of this camera. In the future I'd like to try a Tiffen GlimmerGlass or Tiffen Black ProMist to see if it will help. |
[UNFILTERED] | Kalimar 500 8 MIRROR [M42] | Panasonic G85 | Natural | This lens doesn't seem to have much hope. It just can't render a sharp image, and this is the second copy I've tested (first one had haze, but this one is clean). |
FILTER: Promaster HGX UV | Canon 70-200 2.8 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | Use -0 COLOR for sports photography shoot... |
FILTER: Promaster HGX UV | Canon 70-200 2.8 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | I don't like these results so far. When using this lens on a Canon DSLR, it always produced excellent results, but something about this lens-sensor combination (maybe the METABONES speedbooster) is making this look pretty bad (not realistic looking in a lot of ways). The SHARPNESS is good, but the CONTRAST and COLOR are strange. The CONTRAST makes it difficult to achieve realistic looking dynamic range, and the COLOR either looks fake when turned up, or drab when turned down. In the future I may try adding a Tiffen GlimmerGlass or Black Pro Mist filter to attempt to control the dynamic range, etc. |
FILTER: Promaster HGX UV | Canon 70-200 2.8 | Panasonic GH4 | CineLike D | I'm not really liking the results of these settings yet, but what's funny is I tried these settings (as of 2022-05-25) on the Panasonic G7 and they LOOK GREAT. On the GH4 there's still a little bit too much contrast, and it's difficult to maintain highlight detail in sunlit conditions. |
[UNFILTERED] | Canon 50 1.8 ii | Panasonic G85 | Natural | It works pretty well to just set the "Highlight Shadow" to -2, +2 and call it good, but I added NOISE REDUCTION to keep the sharpness (and contrast) looking more "REAL". As I mentioned in the other reviews of this lens, it has a pretty decent close focus distance, and while the manual focusing ring is very thin (probably too narrow for focus gears to be added) it's easy for me to use by hand. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 18-35 1.8 | Panasonic G7 | CineLike D | For some reason, this lens-sensor combination, while not a "PERFECT MATCH" works really well together. Normally, this has been a REALLY difficult lens to work with (on the GX85, G85 and GH4) but this camera just has the right properties (whatever they may be) that create a very accurate image with smooth gradations through the 11 steps of the Zone System. I don't like this lens for field use (because it's too big and heavy to carry around on my multi-camera rigs) but I think it can be a great lens for INDOOR, STATIC use (for low light reasons as well)! This test was done with a straight (non-optical) adapter, but I hope to test this with a speedbooster/focal reducer in the future. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 18-35 1.8 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | +3 SHADOWS (Highlight Shadow) |
Sigma 17-50 2.8 | ||||
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 17-50 2.8 | Panasonic G85 | NATURAL | The Panasonic G85 and GX85 tests almost always come out identical, but I tested this lens on the both just to make sure (again) and yep, they both work well with these settings (for this lens). Remember that it's always "lens-sensor specific" but because the G85 and GX85 keep coming out the same (test after test) I am going to start interpolating the results to either one (I'll explain more later). |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 17-50 2.8 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
WARNING: This test was using a Viltrox EF-M2ii focal reducer/speedbooster which (in conjunction with this old lens and the noisy, high-powered AF pulling too much power) resulted in damage to my Panasonic GX85 camera. The camera started glitching and freezing up during the test, then electronics of the camera stopped working within a couple of months.
NOTES:
I got this lens because having the constant f/2.8 aperture was appealing, but this lens has a lot of problems. This lens in particular had a lot of chromatic abberations (which showed up as red, blue and purple fringes) and the overall CONTRAST and COLOR rendering are really weird (the contrast is not smooth in the transitions from shadow to highlight, and with this sensor the COLOR is not only inaccurate but incomplete). This is also the second pro Sigma lens that needed a +3 SHADOWS correction (using Highlight Shadow) because the lens is too contrasty (which is a bad thing with this sensor). All I can say is that I struggled to make the lens render a REAL-looking image, which is my goal. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 17-50 2.8 | Panasonic G7 | CineLike D | This lens-sensor combination was difficult to work with because the contrast and sharpness of the lens is so strong (and the sharpness isn't very even in terms of smooth gradation from highlight to shadow noticeable in detailed areas). So, I had to be quite dramatic with the settings I chose, and resorted to using a +3 SHADOW (under Highlight Shadow) which I don't normally like doing. Overall, I don't really like the result because my goal is almost always to render a real-looking image, and I think this lens-sensor combination falls short in this area. P.S. The Canon mount Viltrox EF-M2ii froze the camera several times, and I like it even less than I did before (but I highly recommend the Nikon mount version of the Viltrox focal reducer for this camera (the Viltrox NF-M43x). |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 17-50 2.8 | Panasonic GH4 | CineLike D | INDOOR test using Metabones ULTRA .64x speed booster. |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 18-35 1.8 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | [TESTING...] |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 18-35 1.8 | Panasonic G7 | CineLike D | ...Still testing (not happy with settings yet). |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 18-35 1.8 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
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). |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 18-35 1.8 | Panasonic G85 | Natural | I wanted the Sigma 18-35 1.8 for quite a long time, but after testing it (this time with a speed booster, instead using the shift adapter). Even with the .71x speed booster/focal reducer, it isn't wide enough for a lot of situations, and because it doesn't need the 1.8 max. aperture OUTDOORS, I'm not sure I recommend this. It's also too big and heavy for my DUAL-CAMERA RIGS. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 18-55 | Panasonic G7 | CineLike D | Test looks decent (so far) but I need more sample footage to get a better feel for this lens-sensor combo. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 18-55 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural |
NOTE:
For use with ATEM Mini, I'm adjusting the settings slightly:
CONTRAST: -5
SHARPNESS: -5
NOISE: +3
COLOR: -0
HIGHLIGHT SHADOW: OFF |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 45-150 4-5.6 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | Initial tests good. Starting to test filters... |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 25 1.7 | Panasonic GH4 NO LUT | CineLike D | Test (v2) looks good (almost good enough with no LUT, but could use a bit more contrast for FINAL). |
[UNFILTERED] | Promaster 70-300 4-5.6 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | Initial test done, but need more footage... |
[UNFILTERED] | Minolta AF 50 1.7 ii | Panasonic GH4 | [NEW] | |
[UNFILTERED] | Minolta AF 50 1.7 | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | [TEST STARTED, but not complete] |
[UNFILTERED] | Tamron 70-300 4-5.6 LD Di | Panasonic G7 | Natural | [TESTING...] |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 14-42 ii | Panasonic GH4 | CineLike D | Test is done (but may need to use Highlight Shadow compensation instead of reducing CONTRAST, for a better image). LUT is needed either way. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 18-70 3.5-4.5 | Panasonic GX85 | [TESTING...] | |
[UNFILTERED] | Tamron 75-300 4-5.6 LD | Panasonic G7 | Natural | [NEW] |
[UNFILTERED] | Tamron 75-300 4-5.6 LD | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | Looks good so far... |
[UNFILTERED] | Sigma 70-300 4-5.6 D | Panasonic GH4 | CineLike D | Initial tests done. Need a LUT. |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 28-80 3.3-5.6 G (Silver) | Panasonic G7 | ||
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 28-80 3.3-5.6 G (Silver) | Panasonic GX85 | INDOOR test started...OUTDOOR needed. | |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 55-200 VR | Panasonic GH4 | CineLike D | Test looks GOOD! May need LUT... |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar 135 2.8 M42 | Panasonic G85 | Starting to test | |
[UNFILTERED] | Vivitar 50 1.8 M42 | Panasonic G85 | Need to buy an M42 adapter. | |
[UNFILTERED] | Panasonic 25 1.7 | Panasonic GH4 | CineLike D | Works good with LUT (but want to figure out settings that DO NOT require a LUT)... |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 D | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | Started test with macro helicoid adapter (no optic in adapter). |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 50 1.8 D | Panasonic G7 | Natural | [NEW] |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 70-300 4-5.6 D ED | Panasonic G7 | Natural | [TESTING...] |
[UNFILTERED] | Nikon 70-210 4 Series E | Panasonic GH4 | Natural | While these settings may be a good starting point if I add a LUT, they are not good SOOC (not enough CONTRAST, SHARPNESS, COLOR). I used to shoot this way a lot (because it's pretty easy to color grade) but now that I'm shooting for SOOC, these settings aren't good enough anymore (though they do help to avoid overexposure, etc.) |
[UNFILTERED] | Promaster 70-300 4-5.6 | Panasonic GX85 | Natural | [Needs a LUT to finalize, if I add this Highlight Shadow compensation. The highlights were a little bit too bright without the B+W F-PRO UV filter, so I'm trying to compensate with Shadow Highlight, to -1-0. This test used the settings from the Panasonic G85 + BOOST (Viltrox NF-M43x) and all I had to change was to add 1 positive point to the CONTRAST (because the Viltrox focal reducer lowers the contrast a bit). |
[UNFILTERED] | Promaster 70-300 4-5.6 | Panasonic G7 | Natural | [NEW] |
[UNFILTERED] | Tokina 11-16 2.8 ii | Panasonic G7 | Natural | This test has been a real struggle, because this lens isn't that sharp when used with this sensor (Panasonic G7). The reason is that it's from the time period when the Panasonic sensors still had anti-aliasing filters over them, and that makes them less sharp than those without them. One of the problems it causes is that I usually turn the SHARPNESS down, both to reduce the contrast to help smooth the transition from shadows to highlights, and to remove the look of digital aliasing (the pixels seen in angled lines). I also turn UP the NOISE REDUCTION to reduce the sharpness more yet doing this with this lens-sensor combination doesn't create a super sharp image. So, in the end what I had to do is to err on the side of having less sharpness VIA in-camera settings, and then recommending settings for sharpening in Davinci Resolve (in post-production). |
[UNFILTERED] | Minolta AF 50 1.7 | Panasonic G7 | Natural | Tests shot. Needs LUT |
[UNFILTERED] | Minolta AF 50 1.7 ii | Panasonic G7 | Natural | Tests shot. Needs LUT |
[UNFILTERED] | Tamron 75-300 4-5.6 LD | Panasonic GH4 | CineLike D | Test done, and the tones are good, color is a little inaccurate... |
bottom of page