A photographic recording material with at least one light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, the silver halide of which is spectrally sensitised with at least one cyanine dye having the general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein X means O, S, Se, NR.sub.3 or --CH.dbd.CH--,R means alkyl,n means 1, 3, 5, 7R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 mean alkyl, arylalkyl, sulphoalkyl, carboxyalkyl, --(CH.sub.2).sub.m --SO.sub.2 --NH--SO.sub.2 -alkyl, --(CH.sub.2).sub.m --SO.sub.2 --NH--CO-alkyl, --(CH.sub.2).sub.m --CO--NH--SO.sub.2 -alkyl, --(CH.sub.2).sub.m --CO--NH--CO-Alkyl,L means an optionally substituted methine group,m means a number from 1 to 5, andZ means the radical required to complete an optionally substituted thiazoline, thiazole, benzothiazole, naphthothiazole, phenanthrothiazole, anthrathiazole, 2-quinoline, 4-quinoline, indole, oxazole, benzoxazole, naphthoxazole, phenanthrooxazole, anthraoxazole, selenazole, benzselenazole, naphthoselenazole, imidazole, benzimidazole or naphthoimidazole and wherein the substituents of at least two methine groups may be linked to rings, is characterised by improved sensitivity.