Looking at some test footage and the work of others, I think in the short term m I will be concentrating on Natural and Cine-V for my film making.

If I use a LOG style, then post processing becomes the norm. This exposes my newbie frailties and makes my work flow slower than I need just for socials. Sure, if I am making a project film for myself, then a LOG format (Cine-D) is probably safer/smarter, but for run and gun stuff, Natural looks more than adequate. Cine-V offers a cinematic variant.

Natural is very popular with plenty of serious shooters. Undoubtedly more can be extracted from more LOG like styles (Cine-D, HLG, V-Log L), but for my modest needs, I will take a still shooters “jpegs are fine if you do them well” pathway. Video is much more methodical and hands on for me anyway so white balance, focus, exposure etc need to be far more pre-meditated, reducing the habit of shooting fast and loose and rely on RAW to fix misses.

The most common setting used is Sharpness at -5. This seems pretty universal except with a few younger shooters, who keep sharpness up, some to +0 on occasion. I am going to shoot my basic 1080p You-tube stock settings set at -3, so there is a slightly “poppy” post processed feel to my footage, but drop it to -5 for my more serious 4k stuff (it can apparently take a dialled down LUT).

Contrast is less cut and dried. Opinions range from -5 to +0, so for my stock work -3 and my 4k, -5.

Noise Reduction is a tough one. Most shooters leave it alone, but some reduce it for an even further un-sharpened, organic look. I will go +0 for my base, -3 for most 4k, but back to +0 for one 4k custom setting, used specifically for low light work. Natural apparently handles low better than most LOG styles.

Saturation will be treated like Contrast. For stock shooting +0, for my 4k reduced by -2.

So;

• C-0 or Creative Movie and C-1 x3 VFR 50/150. -3/-3/+0/+0 for basic 1080p stock . A little extra pop can be added painlessly, but this will suit shoot and drop jobs.

• C-2 25p, C3/1 50p. -5/-5/-3/-2 for my own or better work 4k. More processing room and even LUT’s can be used.

• C-3/2 -5/-5/+0/+0 as a special low light setting in 4k.

Finally Cine-V.

Cine-V appeals simply as a place to dump all of my moody cinematographer vibes.

• C-3/3. 4K/25p with -5 Sharpness, -5 Contrast, -3 NR and -2 Saturation.

If I had a GH5, I would also likely reduce Hue to -2 cooler. This is just for me and will likely be used exclusively with the ancient “cool” accented 25mm Pen half frame lens, and in winter….on gloomy days…at dusk…in a bleak mood ;). Character, character, character.