Promised a different article showcasing the second version of Kodachrome 64 film simulation, so here you have it. The gold edition. The original Kodachrome 64 recipe provides a punchy look, leaning a bit on the blue side.
I am quite very excited to showcase this film simulation, and that is because I am in love with the images coming out of my camera when using this film recipe.
The Kodachrome 64 V2 is a variation of the Kodachrome 64 V1, but with softer tonalities, golden skin tones and a deep velvet blue cast over the image.
You can check out the article on Kodachrome 64 V1 right >Here<
Later in this article, I will showcase a straight comparison between Sony Standard colors, and both versions of Kodachrome 64 film recipes.
Honestly, both versions are really good, and it's really hard to choose my favorite, but somehow I tend to fall on the second version, and that is because I have a weakness for the magical blues of the skies and the velvet cast over the whole image in combination with the golden skin tones. All with super soft subdued tonalities and film-like contrast.
It works wonders.
The skies are the perfect shade of blue, not too magenta and not too much on the teal side, right in between. I simply love it.
It evokes a feeling of nostalgia, of purity and innocence.
The Kodachrome 64 V2 while being high on contrast, proves to have excellent dynamic range, being able to keep details in both shadow and highlights, even in the toughest conditions.
Check it out!
Kodachrome 64 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
The Yellow Green cast seen on her face is from the green tent next to us, not to be confused with a color problem from the film simulation. In the following pictures the cast is always going to appear on the side of the tent.
I love the subtle Magenta hues in her face from the photo bellow.
Magenta cast which was also present in the original Kodachrome 64 film roll. Obviously it's not going to be a 100% match only using the in camera tools, but it's coming close.
Real Kodachrome 64 Photo - Source: Shorpy
Kodachrome 64 Sony Film Simulation Recipe
At this time of the year (August) all the trees and foliage are turning Olive in color, instead of being lush green, but the Kodachrome 64 film simulation does a great job at shifting the greens towards teal, keeping them lush and fresh looking.
The skies are gorgeous.
Accurate to real life, not Teal nor Magenta,
sensibly balanced in the middle.
You might need to tweak the color filter settings to get a perfect match as in the samples below. Slightly shift the color filter point by 0.25 stops until you hit the right spot to refine the recipe for your own camera.
Besides nature shots, I've also taken a couple snaps in the city exposing a range of colors.
Busy busy busy.
Kodachrome 64 Film Simulation Recipe 4000K
In cloudy conditions, the profile will have a stronger magenta cast.
Kodachrome 64 Film Simulation Recipe 4000K
Kodachrome 64 Film Simulation Recipe 4000K
Skin tones are shifted towards Orange and more saturated than in real life.
Kodachrome 64 Film Simulation Recipe 5000K
The skies have quite a magical note to them.
This recipe was designed to be used with a Floating Kelvin Value. Meaning you can push it in 2 directions, for cold tones or warm tones, and the hard limits are between 3900K and 5000K, pushing the colors depending on your taste.
Kodachrome 64 v2 Film Simulation Recipe 3900K
Kodachrome 64 v2 Film Simulation Recipe 4600K
Let me explain the concept of Floating Kelvin Value. The original Kodachrome 64 recipe gave various results, either filled with a strong blue cast, like the first images in this article, or with a more balanced Blue cast and Golden skin tones, like in the second image.
To cover the needs of each user, I've prepared a Temperature Window in which you can play around to get the results you want. So basically, you can use the same film recipe and get different results. Start from 3900K for a cold tonality and up to 5000K to emphasize more on the golden skin tones. You can decide which is best for you :D
Ok. How does this picture profile compare to Sony's standard color, or even better, to the Kodachrome 64 V1?
Let's see the comparison
Sony Standard vs Kodachrome 64 V1 vs Kodachrome 64 V2
Skin tone test
You can notice how Standard Sony colors are very dull straight out of camera, lacking color contrast. Kodachrome 64 recipe V1 is a punchy film simulation, with deep, rich tones. Overall it has accurate colors just a bit on the blue side, while V2 is much softer on contrast, more saturated colors focusing on a complementary Gold - Velvet color palette. V2 has more of a vintage nostalgic feeling to it, while the Kodachrome 64 V1 has a bold and defined character.
Both versions of Kodachrome 64 film look start from a high point of saturation, but can be easily adjusted to the need of the individual user only in a matter of seconds. So no biggie.
Each Sony camera has a slightly different color science, so adjustments might be needed to get the same results.
Each of these Film recipes is customizable and only requires the 'know how', which you can easily get from my videos.
The following video is one of the most in-depth tutorials on Sony's picture profiles, and I made it, so anyone can customize and create their own film simulations for Sony cameras. I highly recommend it. Check it out!