-with-finer-grain-improved-colour-accuracy-and-wider-dynamic-range.jpg)
All Comments☝️ SearchDmitri Jul 16, ‘25Harman has enhanced the Phoenix 200 (II) with finer grain, better colour accuracy, and a broader dynamic range.
This marks Ilford/Harman’s first foray into colour film since the 1960s, representing a notable shift from their collection of black-and-white films, papers, and development chemicals from the UK factory.
You can find out more about the company's history and the Ilford/Harman split at: analog.cafe/r/harman-phoen….
Here’s a comparison of the reformulated Harman Phoenix II 200 with the original emulsion (reviewed here: analog.cafe/r/harman-phoen…), as per their datasheet:
“Relative to the original Phoenix film, Phoenix II features more typical contrast, better colour balance, and finer grain. It boasts an expanded exposure latitude and is more adaptable and less extreme than the original Phoenix while still providing a unique aesthetic compared to mainstream colour films, making it a creative, experimental option.”
This new film continues to produce halos, seemingly by design. The negatives still appear purple, although, based on the characteristic curves, they should be less dense (potentially making scanning easier).
Next, we’ll discuss samples and the aspects of grain, colour accuracy, and dynamic range.
***
New on Analog.Cafe: Develop Phoenix 200 as a positive (slides) without needing E-6 chemistry! Simply use Rodinal: analog.cafe/r/harman-phoen…
***
#editorial🔥 #newfilm
Dmitri Jul 16, ‘25Regarding halations in Harman Phoenix II 200.
A halation occurs when bright points of light pass through the semi-transparent film and bounce back off a film pressure plate through the layers. All films experience some degree of halation, which is why manufacturers typically add an anti-halation layer to their films (famously, Kodak Vision 3’s remjet: analog.cafe/r/how-to-remov…). Many films do not utilize remjet; instead, their anti-halation layer is either dissolvable or deeply integrated into the emulsion.
Halations can appear on both black-and-white and colour films. Colour films lacking the remjet layer, such as CineStill 800T (analog.cafe/r/cinestill-80…), and notably, Harman Phoenix, are susceptible to this.
Given Harman's experience with anti-halation layers (since they produce all Ilford-branded black-and-white films that include this feature), it suggests that the omission is a purposeful choice.
The halation effect has been a defining characteristic of all CineStill colour-negative products, and it now seems to be a permanent attribute of Phoenix films.
Interestingly, the halos on Phoenix films have a somewhat orange hue, while those on CineStill films are red. This may relate to the colour of the film base (CineStill is orange, Phoenix is purple).
Dmitri Jul 16, ‘25One of the major enhancements in Harman Phoenix is the control over contrast and the extension of dynamic range.
Dynamic range generally refers to a film's ability to show detail in both shadow and highlight areas simultaneously. Films with limited dynamic range may find it challenging to capture details in both shadows and highlights in high-contrast situations, even with accurate exposure. (More information about dynamic range can be found at: analog.cafe/r/dynamic-rang…).
A low dynamic range isn't always detrimental. For example, slide films are known for their low DR; while this can make shooting with such films more challenging, they achieve striking high contrast without needing any post-scanning adjustments.
However, in the realm of colour-negative films, traditional options like Kodak Portra 800 can exhibit up to 12.5 stops of DR (analog.cafe/r/kodak-portra…), resulting in lower contrast but providing greater flexibility and ease of use.
According to the datasheet, Phoenix II enhances this aspect of their emulsion by slightly extending the dynamic range, potentially making it a more user-friendly film.
Dmitri Jul 16, ‘25Examining sample photos alone may not fully showcase the adjustments made to Harman. Side-by-side comparisons would be beneficial, but those are not available either.
Fortunately, I possess specifications with the film characteristic curves from both versions, which provide significant insights into the changes made to Phoenix II.
The pink lines indicate the dynamic range of Phoenix II (shown in colour), whereas the black lines represent Phoenix I. The new film appears to possess an additional stop of DR, likely resulting in slightly more detail in highlight and shadow areas of high-contrast scenes. Although not as extensive as Kodak Gold's 8 stops of dynamic range (analog.cafe/r/kodak-gold-f…), Phoenix II demonstrates notable advancement.
Another feature revealed by these graphs is the density of the negatives. The right side shows
Ilford/Harman's inaugural color film since the 1960s marks a notable shift from their range of black-and-white films, papers, and development chemicals produced at the factory in the UK. #editorial.