HARMAN Phoenix II 120 Review: What Does the New Film Look Like?

Phoenix II rose from the ashes of the comment section, and it seems like the HARMAN Photo team really took your concerns, hopes, and ideas to heart. Colors improved, grain is still visible but now pleasant, and you don't have to choose between shadows and highlights anymore — the film holds up pretty well.

HARMAN Phoenix 200 is still an experimental color negative film, but the glow-up is real, especially in 120. We loaded it into our medium format cameras, and here's what we noticed:

What Changed with Phoenix II?

Since it's an experimental color negative film stock that's still evolving, it's only fair to compare it with the original HARMAN Phoenix 200.

A picture's worth a thousand words:

As you can see, the colors are now closer to reality. There's a massive upgrade in skin tones (no longer red, yay!), and highlights aren't blown out anymore. What we loved Phoenix I for is still here in HARMAN Phoenix II 120 — red halations paired with a dreamy color palette.

Color, Contrast and Grain

Before diving into how HARMAN Phoenix 200 performs: it really depends on whether you nailed the exposure, what the lighting was like, and how you handled scanning.

We shot our roll in broad daylight and scanned with adjustments made specifically for this stock. The results: pretty natural skin tones, vintage colors, and more detail in both highlights and shadows. Colors of HARMAN Phoenix II in medium format lean toward blue-magenta rather than red-green.

How to Shoot HARMAN Phoenix II 120

Tips for shots worth posting:

• Manual camera + working meter = the best combo for this film
• Shoot at 100 ISO for pastel candy colors, or at box speed for more contrast
• Meter carefully. It's color negative film, so it's better to overexpose than underexpose
• Avoid harsh sunlight (or embrace it if you're into halation)
• Try some close-ups

It's great for creative photo sets, minimalistic compositions, or landscapes that look straight out of a fairytale.

Developing and Scanning Phoenix II

High-quality film developing is essential for clean, evenly dense negatives. But the final results depend heavily on scanning. We built our own recipe for HARMAN Phoenix II that highlights its uniqueness while still delivering natural color balance with maximum detail. So if you weren't a fan at first, give it a try scanned at our lab!

Is Phoenix II 120 Worth Trying?

The medium format version of this film might be our favorite thing HARMAN Photo has released so far. So yes, absolutely! Pick the right scene, nail the exposure, and this film gives you colors that are hard to replicate anywhere else. It has a dreamy, retro vibe that's especially suited to creative photo sets and serene landscapes.

Final Thoughts

Remember: your support of Phoenix I made Phoenix II possible. Give it a shot at least once and let HARMAN Photo cook an even better version! 

FAQ

Is HARMAN Phoenix II 120 suitable for beginners?

Yes, but it'll teach you fast why nailing your exposure matters :)

Can HARMAN Phoenix II 120 be used in low light?

Go for it if you're after a gritty, grainy look. This medium format film also gets halos around light sources, similar to CineStill.

Why can Phoenix II scans look different between labs?

It's not your standard color negative film — even the negatives themselves are purplish. Every lab adjusts scanner settings to get what they think is the best result. We have our own scanning recipe too, take a look:

Does Phoenix II 120 produce halation around bright light sources?

Yes, the new HARMAN Phoenix 200 still has it! Shoot it in harsh sunlight or under subway lighting to embrace it, or wait for cloudy weather to avoid it.

Is Phoenix II 120 good for portraits?

"Good" might be a stretch, but compared to the original HARMAN Phoenix 200, it's finally usable. Skin tones look much more natural now.