HendrikvdV wrote:Do you still use this plugin or are there better methods? If I can get the same results with DaVinci Resolve Studio then I should just work on my skills.
I still use it and it's a standard part of my everyday setup.
The things you mention are exactly why I shoot without diffusion filters. The effect is fixed and difficult to remove or change. Shoot tests would be an option, but I don’t have these filters and renting is very limited.
I think you could safely invest in a Tiffen Black ProMist filter, like a 1/8, and use it on damn near everything. They're not expensive -- maybe $50-$60 -- and I see them used all the time. I think it's rare you'd need the 1/4 (twice as strong), but you never know. I know quite a few people who use ProMist filters to "take the edge off" digital cameras. (Alexa cameras kind of come with some very, very mild diffusion built in.)
The DP's normal excuse for shooting with filters is, "now I know they can't undo my decision in post," and I understand that. If you're shooting very set, predictable situations, like interviews, I think a 1/8 ProMist is pretty easy. There are different kinds of diffusion out there, like GlimmerGlass and Schneider Hollywood Black Magic filters, and they provide a range of effects. Scatter can mimic some of these to a point.