Harman Phoenix 200 Review: A Wild Ride in a Canister
Some films behave. They sit quietly in your camera, deliver predictable tones, and politely do what you expect of them. Harman Phoenix 200 is not one of those films.
This is Harman Technology’s first-ever colour film, and it arrives with a certain rawness—a prototype energy that hasn’t been smoothed over by decades of refinement. It’s grainy. It’s punchy. It sometimes goes a bit wild with its colours. And honestly? That’s part of its charm, and maybe it’s only charm.
If the new black and white Kentmere 200 is the freshly dependable friend you can count on, Phoenix is the unpredictable companion who insists on taking the unknown scenic route, even when you’re already late.
First Impressions of Harman Phoenix II
Phoenix 200 II is a daylight-balanced C-41 colour negative film with a recommended box speed of ISO 200. The colours lean bold—reds and oranges in particular can really pop, while blues tend to have a moodier, slightly teal-leaning cast. Greens are saturated but can shift depending on the light, sometimes tipping towards warmer tones.
The grain is present and unapologetic. This isn’t a silky-smooth Portra or a clinical Ektar; it has a grit to it, especially in underexposed areas. In 35mm there’s lots of it. Grain-nerds will be happy, grain haters better stick to Harman Phoenix II in medium format. But the texture, combined with its colour personality, gives it a cinematic, slightly retro feel—think late ’70s Kodachrome with a really bad hangover.
Shooting Experience
Phoenix shines (quite literally) in good light. Give it plenty of sunshine, open shadows, and clean highlights, and it rewards you with vivid, energetic images. In flat light, it can still deliver, but the colours become more muted, leaning towards a pastel palette that feels like faded postcards.
It’s not a film that loves being pushed far—while you can rate it at ISO 400 in a pinch, the grain and contrast ramp up quickly. At box speed, though, it gives a satisfying balance between sharpness, texture, and punch.
And here’s the fun part: because Phoenix isn’t “perfect,” you can shoot it more playfully. It takes well to experimental approaches—double exposures, lens flares, light leaks—things that might feel risky with pricier, more precious film stocks. That being said, it does act like slide film in its’ early days, underexpose or overexpose it just a bit and the colours will shift wildly.
Why It Works for Camera Scanning
Phoenix’s strong colour separation and prominent grain make it an interesting candidate for camera scanning (the photos you are looking at were scanned with a VALOI easy120). That grain structure actually helps focusing in DSLR scanning workflows, and its bold colours mean your scans won’t feel flat straight out of the camera. Also, the added co
ntrol through the camera scanning workflow means if you are trying to muster the wild colour shifts, you might actually stand a chance at getting very pleasing tones.
The trick is to scan it neutrally first—don’t over-correct in the capture stage—and then make your colour adjustments in post. Because Phoenix’s palette is so variable depending on the exposure, you’ll often find yourself wanting to tweak hues and saturation selectively. That’s part of the fun: every roll is a friendly but woozy conversation between the film, the light, and your editing style.
(From left to right, Harman Phoenix II exposed correctly, underexposed -1 and overexposed +1)
Final Thoughts
Harman Phoenix 200 isn’t here to replace Kodak Portra or Kodak Gold. It’s here to be something else entirely: a film with character, unpredictability, and an element of chaos in its DNA.
If you’re looking for perfect skin tones and polished uniformity, it might not be for you. But if you want a film that feels alive—one that invites experimentation and doesn’t mind getting a little messy—you might find Harman Phoenix II becomes a favourite.
In the end, it’s less about technical perfection and more about embracing the ride. And if you’re into that, then with the new Harman Phoenix II, it’s a ride worth taking.
If you want to try this hot potato for yourself then order your Harman Phoenix II in 35mm here or in medium format here.
35mm photographs made with a Nikon F2 & Nikon f2.8 55mm Micro-Nikkor, Nikon 135mm f2.8 Nikkor AI and Nikon 24mm f2.8 Nikkor AI
Medium format photographs made with a Rolleiflex 2.8F
Interested in finding out more about camera scanning this film? Watch more VALOI's YouTube channel here.
