Node Mill profiles vintage cine and photo lenses by capturing their optical characteristics under controlled conditions, then encodes those traits—coma, bloom, distortion, chromatic aberration, bokeh shape, vignette, color cast, fringing—into pixel‑accurate OpenFX presets. This goes beyond generic film or diffusion emulation; it reproduces measured distortions and hue shifts, not just a soft blur.
Mix‑and‑Match and “Overdrive” Controls
LensNode provides standalone controls for each optical effect and allows users to combine traits from different lenses in one chain—like Canon FD geometry with Helios coma and Voigtländer color cast. A global “Overdrive” slider exaggerates effects for stylized looks, all animatable via DaVinci Resolve’s timeline.
Swirly Bokeh + Depth‑Aware Application
The plugin models individual lens bokeh and allows rotation before convolution. It supports swirly bokeh even for lenses without it originally. LensNode can also use depth maps as input, and includes a built-in lens profile blur map captured from focus chart measurements—addressing edge blur and focus fall‑off dynamically.
High‑Performance GPU + ACES‑Friendly
LensNode runs fully GPU‑accelerated with optimization options for high‑res footage. Reports indicate real‑time playback at 8K on an NVIDIA RTX 3080 with multiple nodes applied. Its linear‑space processing supports ACES pipelines, camera‑log inputs, and high‑bit‑depth deliverables.
Platform Support and Licensing
LensNode is currently available for DaVinci Resolve 18.6+ on macOS 14+ (Metal 3 support) and Windows 10/11 (CUDA GPU required). Linux and other editing platforms are not supported yet.
Early Access licenses cost USD 99—perpetual with two seats (macOS + Windows), free updates through version 1.0 (expected mid‑2025), plus one year of further updates. No trial exists during Early Access. Purchasing and license management is handled via LemonSqueezy.
Lens Library Today — and Roadmap
As of April 2025, the profile library includes lenses such as the Asahi Super Takumar 20 mm f/4.5, Voigtländer Nokton 40 mm f/1.4, Canon nFD 50 mm f/1.4, Helios 44‑2 58 mm f/2.0, and five focal lengths of LOMO Illumina MK1 S35 (with full‑frame variants). More cine glass, including Cooke S4, is planned soon.
Technical and Production Considerations
LensNode may appear more subtle at 4K compared to 1080p, due to resolution scaling behavior. Its developers note optimal quality when applied at full 4K resolution and recommend adding LensNode at final stages. Occasional crashes have been reported—responsible GPU configuration (for example, macOS Metal mode) and early Access debugging are advised.
Final Assessment for Pros
LensNode offers a novel, data‑driven means of introducing vintage lens signatures into post, with granular control, GPU acceleration, and sophisticated optical profiling. It suits projects needing optical matching without vintage glass, stylized video work, VFX lens continuity, or experimental grading. But performance varies, and it is not a substitute for physical lens behavior in all cases. Production users should test LensNode under realistic timelines and processing environments before full integration. Its Early Access status calls for caution in critical pipeline deployment.
