SFM Render Settings - An Analysis

Depth of Field. Motion Blur. Use Camera Settings. 8 Samples. 64 Samples. 1024 Samples.

If you've exported much of anything out of Source Filmmaker, then you are surely aware of these settings. But what do they do? Bigger numbers make your picture look better. But they also make your render take longer. What is the exact relationship? What are the best settings?

These are the questions I've set out to test in rigor, and these are my conclusions. Be prepared for lots of numbers, lots of pictures, some charts and graphs, and a whole helping of analysis and opinions.