🍁A Real World Comparison Of Sony's Film Simulation Recipes | Best Sony Picture Profiles Part II
There is an Updated version to this article. Check it out here.
Tested all Sony film simulations on the new a6700. The results are amazing. What do you think? Which are the best Sony Picture Profiles?
Fall is coming and all the colors are about to take a dramatic shift. As the greens are turning amber or yellow, nature is slowly drifting into a deep slumber as the winter comes. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to take the last test of the year and see what could be improved. I've re-tested all film simulations with the Sony a6700, capturing a landscape full of diverse colors, to showcase a real life comparison between all film simulations. So you can choose the best picture profiles to play around with.
I was a bit anxious about the results since Sony's color science has changed rapidly even from the a7s III ahead, and I didn't know exactly how much I had to adjust the recipes to the newest cameras, but in the end, only a couple recipes needed slight modifications to look good on to the newest and improved Sony color science, and the results are nothing but amazing!
Some Film simulations required slight adjustments, but most of them looked good as they were. You can find the new PDF on the website store :D
Overall I would say the Sony a6700 sensor is warmer and less saturated than older models, focusing on colors of yellow-green-cyan. Reds, yellows, and blues are highly improved compared to older models, rendering pleasing colors in any direction you choose to go.
If you own multiple Sony cameras and don't know how to color-match them all, I made a short article explaining how to color-match older and newer Sony camera models.
This was shot on 7th of September. The leafs have a touch of rustiness, and overall the nature is rather dusty and dry.
So without further ado, let's see the results. At the time of publishing this article, there are a total of 51 Sony film recipes.
Best Sony Picture Profiles - a real-life comparison of the updated simulations
Sony a6700 - with Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 and 7Artisan Black mist Filter
Sony Standard Creative Style\Look with AWB: White priority
Slight mistake, forgot to take a shot with the standard Sony colors at the beginning, and took it last, so you'll notice lighting differences between Sony Standard & Vektro 100 Film simulation. Sorry for that!
Even with the newer Sony model, we can see skin tones, greens and yellows are all too similar in hue, shifting towards amber, lacking color contrast. This will be fixed by using the film simulations, separating the greens from the yellows and the reds. In most cases, Greens will be shifted toward Teal while yellows and reds will be closer to amber.
Please remember we are limited by the tools existent in the camera. For more refined color adjustments check the store presets.
Vektro 100 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Senova Light Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Fuji 400H Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Evpro+ Sony Film Simulation Recipe
For more shots of the EvPro+, check out this article.
Ektar 100 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
You'll get beautiful, natural-looking skin tones with buttery smooth gradations between midtones and shadows when using the Kodak Ektar 100 recipe.
Kodak Portra 800 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Kodak Gold Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Kodak Gold - an old time classic. This Sony Picture Profile works in any context. With pleasant, golden tones, the Kodak Gold recipe is the perfect choice for portraits or strolls around the city!
Blue Velvet | Cinestill 50D Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Sony Eterna - Low Fidelity Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Cinestill 800T Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Fuji Eterna Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Classic Chrome Sony Film Simulation Recipe
See how it compares to the Fuji film simulation!
Kodachrome 64 V1 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
See more JPEGs of the Kodachrome v1 recipe!
Kodachrome 64 V2 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Softer tonalities, golden skin tones and a deep velvet blue cast over the image - the Kodachrome 64 v2.
Leicachrome 64 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Kodak Ultra Max 400 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Kodak Portra 400 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Astia Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Classic Negative Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Sony vs Fuji Classic Neg & more samples of the recipe.
JPEGs with the Classic Negative in nature, autumn landscape.
Fuji Fortia 50 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Want to see more samples. Check out this article!
Oktar Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Zero Mute Sony Film Simulation Recipe
CineChrome Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Kodak Portra 160 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
ProColor Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Ektachrome Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Delta 3200 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
T-Max Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Kosmo Pan Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Chroma Fade Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Kodak Tri-X 1600 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Kodak Tri-X 400 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
MidRed Infra Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Acros X Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Acros XY Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Acros XR Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Acros XG Sony Film Simulation Recipe
DreamNeg Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Afga Precisa Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Velvia Pro Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Redscale Ultra Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Zetra 100 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Rose Spectra XT Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Provia RX Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Classic Cinema Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Kodak Color Plus 200 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
NeoMax Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Nostalgic Neg
Cinestill X Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Asteroid City Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Ilford HP5 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
Use the Film Presets for a quick and easy workflow
If you also want to shoot RAW and get the look of the in-camera film emulation - for a professional project for example, I've also updated the film presets for Lightroom and Capture One. All you have to do is select the preset and choose the film emulation you shot with and your RAW files will mimic the in-camera look. No tedious color grading required.
Worth mentioning these recipes were calibrated on the a6700, and like any presets otherwise, might render different colors on different cameras, and that is because each camera has its own color science. Most differences will be seen when using these film presets with older cameras. That is perfectly normal as Sony kept improving the color science throughout the years. It is not possible for a preset to analyze each individual camera color science and match it to another's camera. That has to be done manually, which in most cases is not a big deal. These presets were created to closely match the a6700 raw files to the in camera film simulation. This camera model shares virtually the same color science as other newly release models, like the a7C II, a7CR, ZV-E10, A7RV, a9, a1 and so on. The ones which will be seeing most differences, are the older Sony models. a7III, a7C, a7SIII etc.
Tip - for a more refined image, play around with the variants of each film emulation. They will you get you as close as possible to the film stock it replicates.
P.S - these are not LUTs, but presets - Meaning they pack the power to adjust multiple parameters for a truly seamless, film-like final image. And by playing around with the variants, you'll get a more refined look.
Shoot More. Edit Less
Hope this comparison helps you understand the differences between all Film Recipes!
Use this guide in tandem with the official Sony Film Simulation Chart to pinpoint the perfect look for your project. Whether you're after the moody tones of Tri-X or the vibrant punch of Velvia, you'll know exactly which Sony Picture Profile to reach for.
Download both the comparison and the Chart as a PDF Document.
You can get access and explore all recipes by following the link below.
Here is a playlist with short videos showcasing the basic workflow
Check it out!