LensNode by Node Mill – Vintage Lens Emulation Plugin for DaVinci Resolve Available in Early Access

Node Mill’s new LensNode plugin for DaVinci Resolve affords a robust and technically superior strategy to digitally emulate actual lens traits in publish. With data-driven profiles of classic and trendy glass, it brings the nuanced optical imperfections of traditional lenses to modern workflows – with out the price or complexity of sourcing uncommon cine lenses.Whereas there are many movie emulation and diffusion-style plugins available on the market, LensNode from Node Mill units itself aside by replicating the look of precise lenses – not movie shares or basic softness, however pixel-accurate optical behaviors derived from measured knowledge. Developed over the previous 12 months by Australian filmmakers Elliott Nieves and Jarrad Russell, LensNode is now out there in Early Entry for DaVinci Resolve on macOS and Home windows.Actual lens knowledge, actual optical behaviorAt the core of LensNode is a library of lens profiles based mostly on detailed picture captures in a wide range of lighting circumstances. These are usually not approximations or simulations tuned by eye—they’re constructed from optical measurements of actual lenses. Customers can apply these profiles to their footage and even combine traits from totally different lenses, creating “not possible” glass combos.Need the distinctive distortion of a LOMO Illumina S35, the chromatic aberration of a Cooke S4, and the bloom of a 14mm Cooke prime, all with the colour solid of a Voigtländer Nokton? LensNode makes that not solely doable however simply adjustable by way of an intuitive OpenFX interface inside Resolve’s coloration web page.Emulations of assorted lens characteristicsEach lens profile contains emulation of:Comatic aberration (coma): Probably the most crucial but difficult-to-replicate lens behaviors, particularly in classic optics. LensNode handles the form, hue, and directional bias with precision.Lens distortion: Utilized mechanically and scalable, correct to real-world geometry shifts.Chromatic aberration: Simulates coloration fringing on account of lens factor development, with a clean falloff towards the body edges.Bloom: Captured at 14-bit precision, the plugin’s exponential bloom rendering rivals high-end diffusion filters.Bokeh blur: Consists of not simply form replication, however convolution with optionally available rotation to simulate swirly bokeh—even on lenses that didn’t initially have it.Vignette and coloration solid: Taken immediately from the actual lens, these profiles embrace delicate hue shifts towards the sides of body.Fringing: A high-contrast fringe impact that may differ in hue, saturation, and lightness throughout the body—one other key part in mimicking traditional lens texture.Varied lens traits could be blended and matched utilizing the LensNode plugin. Picture credit score: Node MillACES-ready, GPU-accelerated, and animation-friendlyLensNode was designed from the bottom up for skilled use. Inner linear processing with ACES compatibilityensures that it performs properly with color-managed pipelines, digital camera log footage, and excessive bit depth renders. Each parameter is animatable, permitting for time-varying lens results—ideally suited for stylized sequences or simulating lens imperfections throughout digital zooms or reframes.The plugin is absolutely GPU-accelerated and contains optimization settings for sooner playback on higher-resolution timelines. Nonetheless, real-time efficiency will differ relying in your system. On a well-equipped Home windows PC with an RTX 3080 GPU, customers have reported real-time playback in 8K timelines with a number of nodes utilized.LensNode is a drag-and droppable plugin and goes on a clip utilizing an OpenFX node. You begin by choosing the lens and the enter coloration area and are capable of dial within the results you want by way of some sliders. Picture credit score: Node MillLimitations and roadmapCurrently, LensNode is on the market just for DaVinci Resolve on macOS (14+ with Metallic 3.0+) and Home windows 10+. There isn’t any assist for Linux, and the plugin doesn’t but work with different NLEs or photograph modifying platforms like Premiere Professional, Ultimate Reduce Professional, Seize One, or Lightroom. The builders are open to future growth however are prioritizing stability and efficiency inside Resolve first .Additionally essential to notice: LensNode doesn’t supply a free trial. As an Early Entry product, it’s being offered at a reduced worth of $99 USD (this isn’t an affiliate hyperlink). The license is perpetual, contains two seats (Mac and Home windows), and grants free updates till model 1.0 is launched (anticipated mid-2025), plus a further 12 months of updates afterward. Early adopters additionally acquire entry to a personal group Discord for suggestions and have requests.Constructed-in flexibility and inventive explorationLensNode features a world “Overdrive” slider to magnify any chosen lens impact—helpful for stylized music movies or dream sequences. Every parameter could be adjusted individually and animated over time. Results like coma and bloom scale appropriately throughout resolutions and could be masked utilizing Energy Home windows. This makes the plugin ideally suited not only for aesthetic grading but additionally for optical continuity in VFX work.The present lens library is increasing, with Node Mill dedicated to profiling extra skilled cine lenses and sought-after classic glass. The plugin helps stacking, permitting for layered lens behaviors and nuanced picture remedies.At first look, LensNode appears to make a big step ahead in post-production realism by letting filmmakers recreate particular optical signatures of traditional and uncommon lenses – digitally and affordably. For professionals trying to inject their footage with character with out the constraints of classic {hardware}, this plugin may be the following must-have Resolve instrument.Have you ever examined LensNode or in contrast it with optical filters or movie emulation plugins? What classic lenses would you like to see added subsequent? Let’s focus on beneath.