A picture profile is a in camera setting that changes characteristics to an image. This can include contrast, color, detail, etc. On Sony there are 7 main picture profiles. To get to this setting, press MENU, “Camera Settings”, then “Picture Profile”.

PP1: Movie Gamma; Has soft contrast, and good detail in the shadows.

PP2: Picture Gamma; Has higher contrast than PP1, but with that it reduces the dynamic range which you may lose some detail in your shadows. This profile is also the least flexible for color grading.

PP3: Uses ITU709 Gamma; This is the standard for HD televisions. It creates a natural color tone with great detail on the subject. But it can produce a different skin tone that may not be desired and looks a lot into the highlights of the image.

PP4: also uses ITU709; This is similar to PP3 but does not look as much into highlights and has more of a magenta tint to it.

PP5: Cine 1; This is a cinema color mode that lowers contrast and yellows and reds have more saturation.

PP6: Cine 2; This is great for low light situations with good noise reduction, also great dynamic range for post editing. It create a flat look through the camera but after post editing it has great colors.

PP7: S-LOG2; Creates flat movie footage intended for color grading

PP8: S-LOG3; Amazing dynamic range, enough for movie production. It gets you great, accurate colors. If you have a camera that can shoot in 10-bit I would recommend this over PP7.

PP9: S-LOG3; Similar to PP8 but uses standard S-Gamut3 color with more contrast and well controlled highlights.

PP10: HLG2 Gamma; Used to record HDR movies, it uses BT.2020 color with great dynamic range without having to get into LOG.

PP11: S-Cinetone; This gives a cinematic look to your image/movie with great contrast without the need for excessive color grading making it great for quick turn around projects. This is only available on a7s3, fx3, fx6, fx9, and the a1.

Works Cited

Steiner, Shawn. “Side-By-Side Comparison of All Sony A7S III Picture Profiles | 4K Shooters.” 4K Shooters, 24 Feb. 2021, www.4kshooters.net/2021/02/25/side-by-side-comparison-of-all-sony-a7s-iii-picture-profiles/#google_vignette. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.