Kodak CineStill BwXX - A Sony Black and White Picture Profile
- Veres Deni Alex
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
One of my favorite black-and-white film recipes, aside from X-Tarr—which is arguably the deepest film simulation you’ll find across any camera brand, even deeper than Fuji—is the CineStill BwXX.
Many people don’t realize just how powerful Sony’s Picture Profile menu can be, especially when it comes to crafting black-and-white film recipes. In fact, Sony truly outshines Fuji with its Color Depth options - and that's what allows us to create complex black-and-white simulations.
The Power of Sony's Picture Profiles
CineStill BwXX and X-Tarr are my go-to black-and-white film simulations. There’s really nothing else that comes close to these two, especially when compared to what I can achieve with my Fujifilm X-T5 camera. The reason? Sony’s extensive Picture Profile menu.
While Fuji can only adjust slightly deeper on red, green, and blue channels, Sony allows for brightness and darkness adjustments across every color channel—red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow. This flexibility helps enhance skin tones or draw attention to specific elements in your images, like the richness of a sky. That opens the door to better skin tones, richer skies, and more control over what pops in your image.
This kind of flexibility is key when you want to get those deep, film-like colors in-camera without running into digital artefacts like color clipping. With the right adjustments in the Picture Profile menu, you can create striking contrasts and nuanced shades that make your JPEG recipes come alive.
Your Black-and-White Vision
When it comes to creating your black-and-white images using these simulations, it’s all about experimentation.
The CineStill BwXX recipe is particularly effective for capturing dramatic scenes with rich textures and tones. By fine-tuning the color depth and contrast settings within the Picture Profile menu, you can achieve a look that feels moody and film like. For example, if you’re shooting a moody street scene at dusk, you might want to deepen the blacks while maintaining some detail in the highlights.
This is where Sony’s flexibility shines—by adjusting the black level and gamma settings, you can create an image that has a beautiful range of tones without sacrificing detail.
CineStill BwXX Sample Images
Why Choose Sony?
If you’re still on the fence about whether to invest time in mastering Sony’s Picture Profile options for black-and-white photography, let me assure you: it’s worth it!
The level of control you gain over your images is unparalleled. With features like adjustable gamma curves and customizable color depth settings at your fingertips, you have everything you need to create stunning black-and-white images that stand out.
So if you're thinking of switching from Sony to Fuji - try these recipes first. You might be surprised by how much creative control you already have—enough to push your style even further.
I’d love to hear from all of you about your experiences with black-and-white film recipes! What’s your favorite? Have you tried any unique combinations using Sony’s Picture Profile menu?
Sharing your results and favorite recipes with the community helps everyone learn and get inspired. Whether you’re using CineStill BwXX or trying out something totally different, your input really does make a difference.
Have any cool JPEGs taken with Sony film simulations? Submit them on Reddit & enter the chance to win a Sony RX100 VI!
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