[Film Review] Harman Phoenix ISO 200

This marks my first review of film stock. I have been mulling over writing film stock reviews for a long time, especially for this particular stock, but the recent trip to Morioka in Iwate Prefecture propelled me to take the plunge.

So without further ado, let us begin.

What You Can Expect

As the official website stated, Harman Phoenix has ISO 200 sensitivity and promises to deliver a warm tone, if you could not already guess from the packaging itself. It is a brand-new emulsion coated exclusively by Harman brand.

The official website’s sample photos look great and promising with the perfect tint of warmth. While I found the images captivating, I tempered my expectations, reminding myself that reality might not always match the marketing. With that thought in mind, I set out to see for myself.

My Setup

I tried Harman Phoenix on two occasions, one on a sunny spring day and another on a cloudy autumn day. Both were shot on box speed (ISO 200) with two fully manual film SLRs, Nikon FM and Canon F1. I had my local labs in Sendai develop and scan the rolls.

What You Really Get (Reality)

Harman Phoenix has a strong, warm tone—too strong sometimes, if I may say. It casually overpowers the overall atmosphere. On sunny and overcast days, the dominant hue was undoubtedly red. It’s even more pronounced in cloudy weather or the shade.

Additionally, I find that this film stock creates a rather soft look. I’ve used Nikon 50mm AIS and Canon 50mm FD on my tests. Both lenses are sharp and reliable for all occasions, yet when I used Harman Phoenix the results came out softer than expected.

I think the attribution comes from the film stock itself or the scanner used, not the lenses. I have used various film stocks with these lenses, and most of the time, the results were sharp unless I missed the focus.

But it’s not a bad thing. The softness makes the photos look painterly and surreal in some ways. It’s not like I’m using this film stock to shoot for clients anyway so I can tolerate the quirk.

Would I Use it Again? (And Some Musings)

After the first completed film roll? No. After the second roll? Yes.

Let’s get this straight. Nothing could have prepared me for the initial shock after I finished the first roll of Harman Phoenix and viewed the scanned results after getting them back from the lab. It looked messy. I was sure not to use Harman Phoenix again.

But then it grew on me after several viewings. I changed my mind completely after the second attempt because I came to love the ‘uniqueness’ of the colors. I could appreciate how wild the photos could be, not knowing how they would turn out. I even told my friend who went with me on that photo trip to Morioka that I was at the mercy of the film.

It’s a tricky film stock to use and scanning is even more tricky as different labs could produce very different results. The official website has scanning tips to get the ‘best’ colors. But what is considered best could be subjective. Let me show you what I mean.

Below are some examples of the differences. The photos on the left side are a tad sharper, and more accurate with colors true to their real-life counterparts, and the right ones are slightly softer and look more artistic because of the excessive red hues.

I like the photos on the left but I prefer the right one more because of the wacky colors and softness. So it depends on your preferences.

So yes, in the end, my verdict is to go ahead and try this film stock. Like a phoenix, it will shine (and burn) brightly on your film adventure. But hopefully, it doesn’t burn too hot for your taste.

More Sample Photos