Picture Profiles are actually a video specific settings and outside of some very minor affects I don't think they have anything to do with stills. Sony's equivalent to Fuji presets is Creative Style, which offers less control and tuning than you see in the Picture Profile menus. To answer your fundamental question... yeah they're about the same. I honestly think that the whole complaining about Sony RAWs/colors is a bit of a farce at this point. Sony tuned their RAW files for the most accurate reproduction, the most neutral starting place for someone to edit from. Other companies seem to tune their color rendition and AWB algorithms to start a bit closer to what most photographers are going to edit for (warmer, a bit more saturated, color balance a bit shifted towards magenta from green). Setting a Creative Style can pretty much offset that and shift the Sony starting place closer to what you eventually want your final edit to look like. Answer from kowalski71 on reddit.com
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/sonyalpha › why doesn’t anyone use picture profiles for stills?
r/SonyAlpha on Reddit: Why doesn’t anyone use Picture Profiles for stills?
December 20, 2021 -

Let’s get it out of the way, “just shoot RAW!”

I do, I shoot raw+JPEG. But on my x-pro3 I never have to get into the raw files.

I’m coming from an X-Pro3 and I’m tempted by the Sony lens lineup, and if I made the jump it would be for an a7iii or a7riii.

Every thread about switching Sony to Fuji (even vice versa) comments on how superior the Fuji JPEG files are. Many people who go with Fuji do so in large part due to the JPEGs. People who go with Sony admit Fuji JPEGs are great, but decide to shoot Raw on Sony because of other strengths of the system.

As an outsider looking in, Sony Picture Profiles offer much more customizability than Fuji. Color depth shifts for RGBCMY specifically. Couple that with the various creative styles and the rest of the picture profile settings, it seems like one might be able to combine those with the color shift and mimic the Fuji simulations and more.

Does that just take too much effort and everyone just buys a Fuji because Fuji already did the work? The only evidence I’ve seen is somebody in 2016 attempting to mimic the Acros B&W simulation.

Or do the PP settings not have as much control over the color of the image as it seems?

Or is there something else fundamentally flawed about the Sony JPEGs that I don’t know about?

Top answer
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Picture Profiles are actually a video specific settings and outside of some very minor affects I don't think they have anything to do with stills. Sony's equivalent to Fuji presets is Creative Style, which offers less control and tuning than you see in the Picture Profile menus. To answer your fundamental question... yeah they're about the same. I honestly think that the whole complaining about Sony RAWs/colors is a bit of a farce at this point. Sony tuned their RAW files for the most accurate reproduction, the most neutral starting place for someone to edit from. Other companies seem to tune their color rendition and AWB algorithms to start a bit closer to what most photographers are going to edit for (warmer, a bit more saturated, color balance a bit shifted towards magenta from green). Setting a Creative Style can pretty much offset that and shift the Sony starting place closer to what you eventually want your final edit to look like.
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PP are normally used with video because for the most part it has to be compressed out of the camera - you can record RAW video to an external recorder, such as an Atomos Ninja, but the file sizes will be huge. So assuming you will be recording compressed video with a much lower bitrate than a raw recording would produce, PP give you options in terms of how to make the most of what will be preserved post-compression. If you're not going to edit your video, the standard profile is the best for using footage as-is - it will drop detail in the shadows as part of the compression, but the viewer won't be able to see much of a difference if you aren't going to edit/grade. If you are going to color-grade your video - particularly if it has big differences in exposure between light and dark areas - you may want a profile that preserves more dynamic range for bringing detail out of the shadows in post, such as one of the S-log variants or S-cinetone. The tradeoff here is that you're trading a bit of detail in the midtones for that enhanced detail in the shadows. There is no PP however that will be better for color grading than the raw, uncompressed sensor data itself. The data storage requirements for photos are typically much smaller than video because each photo is a single frame, as opposed to 24, 30, 60, 120 individual frames being produced every second for video. So raw is much more practical for photos than video, and most people who are going to edit their photos would rather just capture in raw rather than using a (lossy) picture profile.
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Sony
sony.com › electronics › support › res › manuals › W001 › W0014771M.pdf pdf
Introduction to Picture Profile What is Picture Profile? [1] Gamma and Knee [2]
[6] Picture Profile setting parameters · Setting basic contrast/coloring (Gamma/Color Mode) The basic contrast and coloring are defined by the combination of [Gamma] (gamma curve) and [Color Mode] (color characteristics) settings. Gamma · Movie · Standard gamma curve for video · Still ·
Discussions

Picture Profile for still image?
My Sony stuff can auto white balance much better than canon but the final colors are not as nice. Were you using auto white balance? ... I did some test tonight, Picture profile does affects both Raw and JPG. They have much more potential over the Creative Style with more options and wider adjustable range, I wish to learn more about the PP and be able to come out with a setting I'm satisfy with. So far I still ... More on dpreview.com
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April 26, 2016
Best picture profile for photography? a7s II
I have shot a few stills in PP4 by mistake , but I find just No PP and uncompressed RAW gives the most benefit , I've heard of people shooting stills in SLOG , but I don't want to learn a whole new way of grading. What I do find is underexposure works for me , so I expose for the brightest part of the image and lift the blacks and shadows , the big pixels and uncompressed RAW leave lots of detail in the dark. Its very much personal taste however. More on reddit.com
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December 22, 2016
Picture profile for stills does it matter?
Not only doesn't it matter, but in Lightroom you can apply them in post. In the Develop module, under Basic, at the top left you'll see Profile. Click that and choose "Browse" from the pulldown. You'll see a set of options "Camera Matching" that should match the picture profiles you had in the camera (Vivid, Standard, etc). At least, I think that's what those are! More on reddit.com
🌐 r/SonyAlpha
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January 9, 2020
Recommended creative look / picture profile for mostly JPEG photography?
This might help you. Here are 8 of my first sony film simulations created for sony cameras, and they are meant to give you great color straight out of camera, with minimal exposure or contrast adjustments where needed. Picture profiles work in video and photo modes as well, but the look is only baked in the JPEG, as the RAW willl not contain all the parameters of sony picture profiles. Remember you need to use custom temperature settings to get the most out of your footage (remap colors, corect skintones etc), and I've prepared a couple dedicated settings for each film simulation in the pinned comment. If you want to get an understanding on how these film simulations work, here you can find a couple bite sized tutorials which explain the base workflow for sony film simulations Sony picture profiles are very powerful and you can get similar looks to Fuji or even better as it has more in depth options. I showcased a 1:1 comparison here: Fuji vs Sony Film SImulations Guide Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions! More on reddit.com
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February 23, 2024
People also ask

What Are Sony Picture Profiles?
Sony Picture Profiles are pre-configured settings available in Sony cameras - mainly used for videos to control the color, contrast, sharpness, and gamma of the footage. These profiles allow you to achieve different looks straight out of the camera or provide a starting point for further color grading in post-production. But you can also use them to create your custom picture profile presets.
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veresdenialex.com
veresdenialex.com › post › best-sony-picture-profile-comparing-all-sony-film-simulations
⛱️ Best Sony Picture Profiles, Custom Settings| Comparing All ...
Why doesn’t anyone use Picture Profiles for stills?
Well, for starters, Sony doesn't really market them as being suitable for photography. But it's also because the workflow of using these Picture Profiles to create in-camera cinematic looks isn't exactly intuitive, with a steep learning curve. However, once you get the hang of it, you'll find them super flexible.
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veresdenialex.com
veresdenialex.com › post › best-sony-picture-profile-comparing-all-sony-film-simulations
⛱️ Best Sony Picture Profiles, Custom Settings| Comparing All ...
Do Sony picture profiles affect RAW photos?
To a certain degree. Some settings will transfer to the raw file, like the Kelvin, Color Filter, and Gamma, but most will not. Lightroom or Capture One will interpret some of these settings, but the result won't match the in-camera JPG file. The biggest difference is in the Gamma options—S-log, HLG, and Cine gammas will alter the raw file and change how editing software interprets the brightness captured.
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veresdenialex.com
veresdenialex.com › post › best-sony-picture-profile-comparing-all-sony-film-simulations
⛱️ Best Sony Picture Profiles, Custom Settings| Comparing All ...
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Sony Help Guide
helpguide.sony.net › di › pp › v1 › en › contents › TP0000909106.html
| Help Guide for Creators | What is Picture Profile?
There is also a function called “Creative Style” or “Creative Look,” which is similar to Picture Profile. Either function can be used for both shooting movies and still images, but Picture Profile is designed to be used for shooting movies and “Creative Style” or ”Creative Look” is mainly for shooting still images.
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Sony Alpha Forum
sonyalphaforum.com › home › sony alpha full frame › sony alpha full frame cameras › picture profiles for stills and dynamic range question
Picture profiles for stills and dynamic range question - Sony Alpha Full Frame Cameras - Sony Alpha Forum
September 25, 2016 - Hello again, last question at the moment What are the best settings for stills, using RAW, to get the best possible image quality and dynamic range. Does it make sense to use slog2@3200 ISO (i know it's not usable out of cam) or better don't use a PP@100 ISO? Or something else? A7S. Kindly regards
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Veresdenialex
veresdenialex.com › post › master-sony-picture-profiles
Sony Picture Profiles Explained - How To Create Film Simulations With Your Sony Camera
September 19, 2024 - This Picture Profile uses Sony’s standard gamma curve for stills, offering higher contrast than the Movie Gamma (PP1). The high contrast of Still gamma might reduce the dynamic range available so details in shadows can be lost. Suitable for fast-paced productions with limited budgets.
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Sony
helpguide.sony.net › ilc › 2110 › v1 › en › contents › TP1000649066.html
ILCE-7M4 - Picture Profile (still image/movie) - Sony Corporation
Allows you to change the settings for the color, gradation, etc. For details on “Picture Profile,” refer to https://helpguide.sony.net/di/pp/v1/en/index.html. Although [Picture Profile] can be used for both still images and movies, the function is designed for movies.
Find elsewhere
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Sony
helpguide.sony.net › ilc › 2040 › v1 › en › contents › TP1000416986.html
ILCE-1 | Help Guide | Picture Profile (still image/movie)
Allows you to change the settings for the color, gradation, etc. For details on “Picture Profile,” refer to https://helpguide.sony.net/di/pp/v1/en/index.html · Although [Picture Profile] can be used for both still images and movies, the function is designed for movies.
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Sony
helpguide.sony.net › ilc › 2360 › v1 › en › contents › 0412D_picture_profile.html
ILCE-7CM2 | Help Guide | Picture Profile (still image/movie)
For details on “Picture Profile,” refer to https://helpguide.sony.net/di/pp/v1/en/index.html · Although [Picture Profile] can be used for both still images and movies, the function is designed mainly for movies.
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Sony
helpguide.sony.net › ilc › 2440 › v1 › en › contents › 0412D_picture_profile.html
Picture Profile (still image/movie) - ILCE-1M2 - Sony Corporation
For details on “Picture Profile,” refer to https://helpguide.sony.net/di/pp/v1/en/index.html · Although [Picture Profile] can be used for both still images and movies, the function is designed mainly for movies.
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EOSHD
eoshd.com › comments › topic › 20414-do-sony-picture-profiles-affect-raw-stills
Do Sony Picture Profiles affect Raw Stills? - Cameras - EOSHD Forum
August 24, 2021 - Mark, yet again you're dominating a topic with your ill conceived views. Try giving it a rest mate. Feel free to move on and talk about something more interesting.
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Digital Photography Review
dpreview.com › forums › camera companies › sony › sony alpha full frame e-mount talk
Picture Profile for still image? | DPReview Forums
April 26, 2016 - I use picture profile to ETTR shooting raw on A7R3 it works great. Heres a link to thread in Fred Miranda forum that describes. If you shoot jpg this is no help. Click to expand... Explore Sony Forum photography discussions.
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Sony UK
sony.co.uk › alphauniverse › stories › sony-picture-profiles-and-creative-looks
Sony Picture Profiles and Creative Looks
The Picture Profile menu is more designed for filmmaking, but it can be used on stills, too. In this menu you have advanced settings for gamma curves, colour, detail, black point, and more.
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Sony AP
sony-asia.com › electronics › support › articles › 00273574
Creative Look | Sony AP
Creative Look and Picture Profile are both for adjusting image colors and textures. The differences can be summarized as follows. Easy to set up for both movies and still images.
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Sony
helpguide.sony.net › ilc › 2230 › v1 › en › contents › TP0002920003.html
ILCE-7RM5 | Help Guide | Picture Profile (still image/movie)
For details on “Picture Profile,” refer to https://helpguide.sony.net/di/pp/v1/en/index.html · Although [Picture Profile] can be used for both still images and movies, the function is designed mainly for movies.
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Mark Galer
markgaler.com › home › blog › capture and post: using picture profiles on sony alpha cameras
Capture and Post: Using Picture Profiles on Sony Alpha Cameras - Mark Galer
November 14, 2020 - The Picture Profiles with the higher numbers are intended for use when the subject brightness range is high and the risk of clipping either the shadows or highlights is also high (this is common when shooting in sunlit conditions). When shooting stills, using the Raw format, it is a simple matter to recover highlights and shadows in post-production.
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Sony
helpguide.sony.net › ilc › 2320 › v1 › en › contents › 0412D_picture_profile.html
ILCE-6700 | Help Guide | Picture Profile (still image/movie)
For details on “Picture Profile,” refer to https://helpguide.sony.net/di/pp/v1/en/index.html · Although [Picture Profile] can be used for both still images and movies, the function is designed mainly for movies.
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Sony's Picture Profiles Explained | PP1 Through PP11 - YouTube
An in depth explanation of Sony's Picture Profiles and when to use each one. PP1 all the way through PP11.Buy me a cup of coffee? ☕️ https://venmo.com/u/Zach...
Published   July 22, 2023
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Sony
sony.com › electronics › support › articles › 00273574
Creative Look | Sony USA
Creative Look and Picture Profile are both for adjusting image colors and textures. The differences can be summarized as follows. Easy to set up for both movies and still images.