Harman Phoenix 200 #exposure :

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Dmitri Mar 13, ‘24 edit
Harman Phoenix 200 #exposure :
Now that Harman Phoenix 200 has officially launched, I’d like to comment on its dynamic range: it’s extremely narrow!
It’s almost as narrow as that of the notorious Kodak Aerochorme — an extremely expensive and rare infrared film (analog.cafe/r/kodak-aeroch…).
Though I haven’t tried this film yet, I can tell from the characteristic curves in the datasheet by Harman (emulsive.org/wp-content/up…) that Phoenix has just 5 stops of dynamic range. The samples taken with this film confirm what I predicted about it yesterday (analog.cafe/comments/3nj8) — it is an extremely contrasty film.
This means that metering for shadows will not work with Phoenix 200. In fact, shooting it in full sun may not be the best idea — instead, places with soft light or a dynamic range of no more than 7-10 stops would work best. See my guide “How to Make Perfect Exposures on Film” for more: analog.cafe/r/how-to-make-…
Of course, reading graphs and watching others’ samples of the film is not the same as experiencing it first-hand. I’ll be doing that shortly and comparing it to other films, including Ilford Ilfocolor 400 — made by an entirely different company (analog.cafe/comments/3nj8)
#editorial
Dmitri Mar 14, ‘24 edit
I just watched Grainydays’ video on this film, and it struck me (which should’ve been obvious): it was based on Ilford XP2 emulsion! (XP2 review: analog.cafe/r/ilford-xp2-s…)
A little upset I didn’t immediately realize this when I saw the leaked photos of the film boxes. But of course, this makes all the sense in the world.
I’m also pleased to see the young scientists that made it possible. There’s an ongoing fear in the film photography community that the knowledge we accumulated over the past 200 years about making film is leaving us with the retiring population of scientists and engineers who were at the forefront of the production up until the 2010s. Apparently, there’s no shortage of smart young people ready to do it all again, even if it means re-inventing film for the new age.
youtube.com/watch?v=EjyWK4…
YouTube Video
Dmitri Dec 1, ‘23
In the above video, Harman engineers also explained that their film’s speed is *mathematically* ISO 123.5. However, the box speed is ISO 200, based on the feedback they got from photographers who tested it at multiple speeds.
Dmitri Mar 14, ‘24 edit
P.S.: I love watching film factory tours. I’ve seen Kodak, Ilford (Harman), and Polaroid open their doors to see the machinery.
Happy to see Harman showcase their production line again for Phoenix 200. Makes it seem more real.
youtube.com/watch?v=E7UeP6…
YouTube Video
jeremy.mudd Dec 8, ‘23
I’ve got 10 rolls sitting in front of me now. I have plans over the weekend to do some panoramic night/blue hour long exposures with it. Should be interesting!
Dmitri Dec 8, ‘23
Sounds fun, enjoy!