Cinematic LUTs for LUMIX Cameras (GH5, GH5S, S Series) for Weddings, Music Videos & Commercials 2020

If you shoot on LUMIX cameras and want to take your 'look' to the next level, achieving cinematic colour is vital. So are your camera settings.

I get a lot of questions on Instagram, YouTube & Facebook about how I achieve the 'look' that my work has. When I first started shooting video, I was sometimes left disappointed and frustrated with my results; comparing my footage to higher end 'cinematic' commercials and music videos and felt something was missing.

After years of learning, tweaking and adapting, I've finally found my 'look'. I'm super satisfied with my visuals, and with the help of the right lenses on my Lumix S Series cameras (S1 & S1H) I now feel I'm equipped with the tools I need to help me progress towards my ultimate goal of shooting commercials and music videos in the future. I've realised it's not about the latest and greatest camera but more the techniques, lighting, colour and lenses that make the biggest difference to my work.

The lenses I have in my bag currently (late 2020) are:

Sigma 35mm f/1.2, Sigma 50mm f/1.4, Sigma 85mm f/1.4, Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8, Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 (all L-Mount Art Series). I also have the 24-35mm f/2 EF Lens, adapted with the Sigma MC-21 EF to L Mount adapter.

Colour grading can take time to master, but hopefully by combining my cinematic LUTs with my LUMIX picture profile settings can help you create a similar look in your work which has helped me gain high end clients in wedding, commercial and music video markets.

Obtaining a 'look' similar to mine has become a streamlined process:

• Always shoot in 10-Bit
• Prime lenses preferred, shooting between f/1.2 - f/2.2
• Shutter angle of 180º
• 25fps or 50fps for slow motion (I'm in a PAL region)
• Shoot in a modified 'Natural' profile (see below)
• Apply my LUTs depending on the feel of the shoot

My LUMIX Picture Profile Settings

I love shooting using the ‘Natural’ picture profile on the S1 & S1H, as I find it has the perfect balance of pleasing skin tones, dynamic range & low light performance. This picture profile is also in the GH5, GH5S and BGH1. I've tweaked this Natural picture profile to reduce the saturation, sharpness and contrast so that I have greater flexibility in post production and that the image isn’t too sharp.

My settings are:

Saturation -3
Sharpness -3
Contrast -5

You can see more about my settings in the video below:

Applying LUTs

My LUTs are designed specifically for LUMIX cameras using the Natural profile as above, which I shoot all of my videos on. I always shoot on a gimbal (the DJI Ronin S or RS2) in 1080p & 4K/5.9K and applying my LUTs is always the first step of my edit process. You can apply LUTs in most desktop editing software.

Download LUMIX Cinematic LUTs

Shooting in V-Log

I struggled to get a nice looking image in V-Log. I found the footage quite noisy, too green and too red. I avoided shooting in log because I didn't truly understand how powerful the results could be, until I tried the Gamut.io V-Log Conversion LUT. With this powerful conversion LUT I'm finally getting the results I want, with accurate skin tones, protected highlights and great dynamic range. V-Log isn't perfect for all lighting conditions (it's not something I'd feel comfortable using in low light so much). What's great about this LUT is that it also comes with a monitoring version (.vlt) which you can load directly into your camera for easy monitoring. I then just apply my creative LUTs over the top and bang - awesome results just with way more dynamic range and a cinematic, natural look.

Own an S Series camera or GH5/GH5S? Check out their incredible V-Log Conversion LUT:

https://bit.ly/3M5LN0t

 (Affiliate Link)

My favourite LUT to use is 'After Rain'. It's quite moody, earthy but I like the drama it ads. If the skin tones are too green or orangey, I simply dial it down to suit my taste. I'm also a fan of stacking LUTs, so sometimes I'll layer 80% After Rain with 50% Ferris Wheel, if I'm aiming for a warmer tone, for example.

Check out my free 'Mother Earth' LUT below!

To download my FREE LUT for Lumix cameras, click here.