Harman Phoenix II Review + Film Photos

Earlier this year Harman announced the release of Harman Phoenix II. It is a completely reengineered second generation colour film, offering better contrast, finer grain, sharper results, and a more accurate colour palette.

With improved highlight and shadow detail and greater exposure latitude, Harman Photo say that it’s a big step up from the original.

The original film had what you might describe as a marmite reaction, so we got a couple of our brand ambassadors to put this film stock to the test to see how this second generation film really measures up.

Harman Phoenix II Review + Film Photos

Our brand ambassador Louise Jones (@camera_commuter) now has experience shooting on both of the film stocks so she a well balanced view of both of the stocks, let's see how she got on, and a look at her film photos.

Q: What have your results been like shooting with Harman Phoenix II?

A: My results with Harman Phoenix II have been surprisingly cool toned. I had not expected that, as my experience with Harman Phoenix I was that it’s so warm toned.

I find Phoenix II to have cool-toned colours that can still pop. It is still drawn to the oranges, but not in such a deep way as Phoenix I.

Q: Do you think this stock lends itself more to certain genres (portraits, street, landscapes etc)?

A: I took photos in urban landscapes, nature, indoor portraits and even a London Fashion Week show.

I would say I think it lends itself very well in nature and brutalist or urban architecture. However I also managed to get some decent shots indoors of people. For me, I would use it principally in nature, or say the Barbican.

Q: Would you consider Harman Phoenix II a good option for beginners, or is it more suited to experienced shooters?

A: I think it suits experienced shooters but if you want an adventure as a beginner, go for it. It reminds me of 80s film where results seemed less saturated than slide. A lot of people go for that aesthetic. Me, I’m more about saturated colour.

Q: How do the two film stocks compare and do you have a favourite?

A: I myself prefer the original, Harman Phoenix I as I love warmer tones that are more saturated. For example I really loved the photos I took of vintage cars, and that film brought out the warmth of the old luxurious interiors.

Our brand ambassador Chris Evans also put it to the test in a battle between the original Harman Phoenix colour film stock and their newly released 2.0 film.

Have a look at Chris' thoughts along with his comparison of each film stock and the film results.

What do you think of the Harman Phoenix film stocks? Do you have a favourite out of the two?