New Film Simulation Update: Best Sony Picture Profiles

Veres Deni Alex
May 23
9 min read

Coming with a new update on the in-camera film simulation pack for Sony cameras.

You spoke, I listened: AWB Film Recipes

With this new iteration, I’ve added a few film recipes optimized for Auto White Balance, making things more convenient for those who prefer a quicker, no-fuss setup.

The community really enjoyed Reggie's Portra recipe on Sony cameras, especially for it's AWB option. And you asked for more, so I added a couple more recipes based on AWB for convenience. I am not a big fan of AWB for various reasons, but I can understand why sometimes it's more comfortable for quick snapping images.

One of my biggest issues with Auto White Balance is that it constantly recalculates the “best” values, so two shots taken just a second apart can look noticeably different—one cooler, one warmer. This gets frustrating, as I often find myself adjusting the Color Filter to add or remove warmth. It’s not a Sony issue; all cameras behave this way. For example, point your camera at a green wall, and it’ll compensate by adding magenta. Now point it at something predominantly magenta.

The result is inconsistent color across images, and me spending more time adjusting the recipe on the spot. That’s why I prefer using a custom white balance and fixed Color Filter settings, only adjusting them when the lighting changes significantly—like moving from indoors to outdoors, or day to night.

So for me in the end, fixed WB and Color Filter values is still more reliable and less time-consuming.

Condition for Free Updates

Just wanted to quickly clarify how updates for the digital products work!

All updates and shop news are sent out through the newsletter—it’s the easiest way to keep everyone in the loop. Because of new data privacy rules, I can only send updates to people who are actively subscribed with their email.

That means:

-If you’re subscribed, you’ll get all future updates automatically.

-If you unsubscribe, you’ll stop getting them.

-If you sign up after an update is sent, you won’t get that past update—only new ones going forward.

Right now, I’m not able to offer permanent download links or login-based access. I’d love to, but it's simply not an option right now.

I do my best to provide timely and helpful support, but sending out individual download links can be quite time-consuming, especially with multiple requests coming in daily. As the community grows and I invest time into other projects, it's simply not sustainable to handle each request manually. That’s why staying subscribed is the best way to get updates as they come out.

Thanks so much for understanding, and if you ever have questions, feel free to reach out—I’m always happy to help.

What are the updates?

In this latest iteration, the changes were minimal—mostly fine-tuning contrast and saturation in a few profiles. For example, Kodak Gold V2 now has improved dynamic range and slightly reduced saturation for a more balanced look. I’ve also introduced Kodachrome V4, inspired by Joel Meyerowitz’s iconic Kodachrome tones, along with two new Portra 400 variants: one with richer, peachy skin tones, and another featuring softer amber-yellows and more neutral saturation—both based on real-life film references. On top of that, I’ve added a few truly special simulations: Kodak Pro Image 100, Kodak Vision3 250D, a unique Orthocromatic black & white recipe, Reala Ace, Santa Color 100 and three new AWB-friendly versions for easier shooting in varied lighting.

After 3–4 years of fine-tuning, testing, and experimenting, I can confidently say these recipes have reached their final form. At this point, there’s very little room left for meaningful improvement. The bundle now includes 84 Sony Picture Profiles—more than enough to work with. Even I get overwhelmed choosing just one. That's why having the RAW presets is great — you can easily switch film simulations later if you change your mind.

Adding more would only dilute the uniqueness of each recipe and create unnecessary decision fatigue. That’s why future updates will only happen when I can create something truly unique, or when subtle but worthwhile refinements can be made.

That’s it! You now have everything you need to get stunning colors straight out of camera without editing.

A Quick Note on Color Perception

If you use the same recipe in different locations, you might notice the colors look different—and that’s totally normal.

For example, last update’s location gave each image a slight magenta tint, while the location from this year has more of a green-amber feel. A lot of it is simply the lighting and surrounding colors affecting how our eyes perceive hues.

Think of it like this: one set of photos was taken on a cool late autumn morning, and the other on a lush spring afternoon—the environment naturally impacts how we perceive hues, so these variations are completely normal. That’s just how light and color works.

Lens Choice Matters

The lens you use will significantly impact color rendering. Different lens manufacturers—Sony, Zeiss, Tamron, Sigma, Samyang, Viltrox—all interpret colors differently, sometimes leaning warmer, cooler, or introducing a green or magenta tint.

These color shifts will impact your final image when using film simulations, and you'll notice differences when switching between lenses from different brands.

This is important to know, because you might get different colors, and many times is due to the lens of choice, or the camera of choice.

But honestly, I don't bother a lot about this. I simply shift the color filter if I feel my image is greener than it should be, and vice versa is it's too magenta.

Each Camera has its own unique color science.

Different cameras will naturally produce different colors—that's just how it is with every brand.

Even Fujifilm has said it’s impossible to make newer cameras look exactly like the older ones—they just aim to maintain a similar mood and tone. So there is no point in perfection.

While creating these film recipes, I calibrated them using my Sony A6700 and Fujifilm X-T5. If you're using a different camera model, results may vary—sometimes subtly, sometimes more noticeably. For example, the colors from my X-T5 might look different on an X-S10 due to differences in sensors and image processing.

First off, all Sony cameras with the picture profile menu can use these film simulations, with the mention that colors might differ from model to model, depending on their release year gap.

These film simulations are primarily color-calibrated for the Sony a6700, and cameras released in the same year (like the a7CII, a7RV, and ZV-E1) will have similar color science, meaning no additional color matching is required.

However, older Sony models may require in-camera adjustments to get similar results due to differences in color science and image processing. If you're using an older camera, I’ve got guides to help with the in-camera color-matching process, so you can still get fantastic results.

Color Calibrating all your Sony cameras - an ultimate guide

Sony colors off? How to color match film simulations across Sony cameras

Color matching Sony cameras

It's simply impossible to match the colors across every single camera model out there. For example, Sony has around 38 different Alpha models—ranging from the A7, A7C, A7S, A7R, A9, A1, to the A6000 series—each with its own unique color science. Fujifilm’s lineup is roughly the same in terms of variety. With so many cameras, each with different color profiles, it’s simply not feasible to match every single model perfectly, especially as manufacturers continue to release new cameras.

This project is all about achieving great colors straight out of the camera and having fun with it—while minimizing the time spent in editing, or ideally, eliminating the need for it entirely.

Film Color Accuracy is Elusive (and that’s okay)

Whenever I emulate any specific film stock and create a film recipe for Sony cameras — I search for as many references as possible, to analyze and pinpoint the film’s most dominant characteristics. But time and time again, I’ve come across huge differences when comparing references. The same film can look so different. This is due to various factors like Film being a volatile medium—results can change based on exposure, heat, light, developing processes, and even how the film was stored. The scanning process also plays a massive role. Scanners interpret colors in different ways, and the same roll of film can look completely different depending on the scanner used. So it’s crucial to keep that in mind when comparing real film to film simulations.

It's worth noting that while I’ve done my best to recreate the look of each film as accurately as possible, results may still differ from your experience with the real thing. And of course, we’re limited by the in-camera tools—Sony offers more flexibility than Fuji, but there are still constraints.

When it comes to film simulations, it’s important to understand that with digital, perfectly matching the colors of a real film stock isn’t possible—and that’s normal! Even when using RAW presets or LUTs, we can only strive towards recreating a certain film stock, and that is because digital will never behave like film, so there always be some differences.

While I strive to recreate iconic looks, there are so many factors that influence how film colors appear in real life that it’s nearly impossible to capture every nuance in a simulation. From variations in film stocks to the way a particular roll was developed, the color we see in a photo can differ dramatically depending on all sorts of variables.

Creating in camera film simulations: The limitations

While some may believe creating film simulations is straightforward, I disagree. The in-camera options are far more limited compared to the tools available in software like Lightroom or Capture One, making it much harder to replicate a true film look.

To get as close as possible, I had to develop unconventional methods for manipulating colors. This was a slow, meticulous process that took me many years to explore and perfect. If there had been a quicker way, I would have taken it. The challenge was that nothing like this existed before, so I had to come up with new approaches to push the boundaries of what could be achieved.

While digital photography continues to improve, it will never fully replicate the organic nature of film. Post-processing can bring us close, but it’s never quite the same, not even with RAW files. This is why achieving an authentic film look in-camera is much harder, given the limited customization options.

Even Fuji, known for its film simulations, lacks essential tools like HSL adjustments, which could make a significant difference. Sony does offer more control through its Picture Profile menu, but even with these extra settings, in-camera tools remain restrictive. These limitations make it more challenging to replicate the true characteristics of specific film stocks. If you’re aiming for a general film-like aesthetic, however, precision might not be as critical.

Creating film recipes that genuinely resemble the original requires a solid understanding of color science and camera settings. Given the constraints of in-camera adjustments, I’ve found that combining Kelvin white balance with the Color Filter offers far more control than simply using Auto White Balance (AWB) with a Color Filter. This approach allows us to push the in-camera simulations further and achieve a more authentic look.

Basic Workflow - How to load and use Sony film simulations

Sony Film Simulation Recipes -PDF

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Film Presets for Lightroom - Sony Film Simulations

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All Sony film simulations compared on the Sony a6700

I laid down all the helpful links and details you need to know as an introduction, now let's check some real life references of these film simulations. Enjoy :]

Shot on Sony a6700 with Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8

Sony Standard Creative Look - 5500K