” Lenses are supposed to produce a sharper/better image when stopped down from their widest aperture”
Actually it’s the exact opposite. you never want to go f/22 because you’ll lose a huge amount of detail due to the diffraction limit.
In any case, a neutral density filter with a polerizer will enable both a large aperture and high dyanamic range by cutting the glare out and disabling diffraction.
The ISO will add grain so don’t crank it over 800.
If you’re shooting a low fps, the shutter becomes the highest priority. usually double the framerate.
Just as in professional filmmaking, the control over light is what makes you either a professional or an ameteur.
if you’re interested in getting a lot of things in focus, go for the hyperfocal distance
instead of the smallest aperture your camera supports. This will teach you to be a better photographer.
here’s more.
https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm
https://technicolorsoftware.hostzi.com/