Harman Phoenix II 200 120 Film

Harman Phoenix II is one of the most significant films in analogue photography's recent history — the first new colour negative emulsion to be manufactured in the United Kingdom in decades, made at the Harman facility in Mobberley, Cheshire, the same site that produces Ilford's world-renowned black and white films. The original Phoenix launched in 2023 to enormous excitement and immediate sell-outs. Phoenix II is the rebuilt, refined follow-up: a completely new emulsion that improves on the original in every measurable way while keeping everything that made it interesting in the first place.

In 120 format, Phoenix II offers something that the 35mm version can't — a larger negative that amplifies the film's characteristic aesthetic in ways that are often more beautiful than overwhelming. The halation that defines Phoenix's look — that luminous glow around bright light sources, the soft bloom at highlight edges — has more negative area to breathe in 120, and the improved emulsion of Phoenix II means it's better controlled, more intentional-feeling, more distinctly photographic rather than simply accidental. Shooting Phoenix II in medium format requires the same approach as the 35mm version — careful metering, UV filter in bright sun, rated at ISO 100 or 200 — but the results have a quality that rewards the effort.

This is not a film for photographers who want clean, predictable, technically correct results. If that's what you need, Kodak Portra or Ektar is what you're after. Phoenix II is for photographers who want a colour negative film with a genuine point of view — one that's still improving, still evolving, and whose existence represents something real about where analogue photography is heading.

Camera pairings: Hasselblad 500 series, Mamiya RB67, Mamiya C330, Bronica ETRS, Pentax 67, Holga 120, Yashica-Mat — Phoenix II in 120 works across medium format systems. The film's character suits cameras with a bit of character of their own.

Why photographers love Harman Phoenix II in 120

The medium format negative changes the Phoenix experience in important ways. The larger capture area gives the emulsion more room — halation spreads more gracefully, colour shifts feel more deliberate, grain has a texture that in 120 reads as character rather than limitation. Photographers who found the original Phoenix sometimes overwhelming in 35mm often find Phoenix II in 120 sits in a much more workable place: the improvements to contrast, shadow detail, and colour accuracy in the new emulsion, combined with the inherent advantages of the larger negative, make this a film that's genuinely usable as a primary emulsion rather than a novelty.

The "no colour mask" construction is worth understanding. Most colour negative films have an orange colour mask built into the emulsion that compensates for colour coupler absorption and makes printing and scanning more consistent. Phoenix II doesn't have this, which means results vary more significantly between scanners and scanning settings than conventional films do. On a Fujifilm Frontier or Noritsu HS-1800 the results can be extraordinary — the colour rendering is unusual, sometimes slightly shifted, with a quality that's harder to define than to recognise. It's one of the reasons Phoenix images look unmistakably like Phoenix images.

Rating Phoenix II at ISO 100 in good light gives the best results — better shadow detail, more controlled halation, richer colour depth. A UV filter on bright days is genuinely recommended, not just cautionary: it noticeably improves contrast and colour saturation and reduces the risk of the highlights overwhelming the frame.

A bit of film history

Harman Technology — the company behind Ilford Photo — announced the development of a new British colour negative film in 2023, launching the original Phoenix to enormous global interest. The project represented years of research and development to rebuild colour emulsion manufacturing capability at the Mobberley facility, which had previously focused exclusively on black and white. Phoenix II, released in 2024, is the substantially improved second generation — a complete re-emulsification rather than a refinement, drawing on what Harman learned from shooting data and community feedback on the original. The 120 format version followed as demand for Phoenix in medium format became clear. Every roll sold directly supports Harman's ongoing investment in colour film manufacturing — a genuinely rare and valuable thing in the current analogue landscape.

Processing

Harman Phoenix II 200 requires standard C-41 colour negative processing. We process C-41 in-house at Ikigai Film Lab in Melbourne, with scanning available on our Fujifilm Frontier and Noritsu HS-1800 scanners. Phoenix II's lack of a colour mask means scanning requires some manual adjustment compared to conventional colour films — our team is familiar with the film and will get the best out of it. If you have a preferred colour treatment or want a specific look from your Phoenix scans, feel free to note it on your order.

Common questions

What makes Phoenix II different from the original Phoenix?

Phoenix II is a completely new emulsion, not a refinement of the original. Contrast is improved, grain is better controlled, colour accuracy is closer to conventional colour negative film, and highlight and shadow detail are both significantly better. It's also more forgiving of exposure error than the original, though it still has narrower latitude than mainstream films. The characteristic halation and colour shifts that defined the original Phoenix are still present in Phoenix II — they're part of the design — but they're more controlled and more intentional in feel.

What ISO should I rate Phoenix II 120 at?

The film is DX coded at ISO 200 and works best rated between ISO 100 and 200. Rating at ISO 100 in good light gives the richest results — better shadow detail, more controlled highlights, stronger colour. In lower light, ISO 200 is appropriate. Avoid overrating the film above box speed; Phoenix II has narrower latitude than conventional colour negative films and responds better to slight overexposure than underexposure.

Does the lack of a colour mask affect processing?

Processing is standard C-41 — no changes to chemistry or timing needed. The lack of a colour mask affects scanning and printing, not processing. Scanners that auto-correct for the standard orange mask may produce unexpected results with Phoenix II. Manual scanner settings, or scanning by a lab familiar with the film, will give the best outcomes. We scan Phoenix II regularly at Ikigai Film Lab and know how to get the best from it.

How does Phoenix II 120 compare to Harman Switch Azure 125 120?

Both are Harman colour films for 120 format, but they're very different in character. Switch Azure is a colour-shifting film that transitions between warm and cool tones based on light wavelength — it's predictable and technically reliable with a specific aesthetic effect. Phoenix II has broader, less predictable character: halation, colour shifts influenced by subject matter and lighting, and a general quality of unpredictability that's part of its appeal. Switch Azure gives you a controlled effect; Phoenix II gives you an experience.