Harman Phoenix II - 35mm & 120 Colour Negative Film Bundle

Harman's second-generation colour film in both formats, one roll of each.

The grain is still the loudest thing about Phoenix II. Shooting 120 alongside 35mm shows you how much of that is the film and how much is the frame size.

The Harman Phoenix II 35mm & 120 Film Bundle contains one roll of Harman Phoenix II in 35mm, 36 exposures and DX coded, and one roll in 120 medium format. Both are the same ISO 200 colour negative film made by Harman Technology in Mobberley, UK, processed in standard C-41, with no orange mask.

What Makes the Harman Phoenix II 35mm & 120 Bundle Habit-Forming

Same Film, Two Negative Sizes

Phoenix II has finer grain than the original Phoenix, but reviewers still describe it as chunky, even in the highlights. On the much larger 120 negative it becomes far less noticeable, which makes this the most direct way to decide whether the grain is character or a nuisance. Each format has its own page: Phoenix II 35mm and Phoenix II 120.

What Changed From Phoenix I

Harman released Phoenix II in July 2025, in 35mm and 120 at the same time. By Harman's own account it has more normal contrast and colour balance, finer grain and wider exposure latitude than the original, and is less radical overall. Harman still describes it as a creative, experimental film, and that is fair.

Purple Negatives, Orange Halos

Phoenix II has no orange mask, so the negatives come out of C-41 looking purplish. Harman says that is normal. The film can also produce halation around bright light sources in high contrast scenes, and on Phoenix those halos lean orange rather than the red familiar from CineStill.

Exposure Still Matters

Phoenix II is DX coded at ISO 200, but Harman recommends rating it anywhere from 100 to 200 and says it still benefits from accurate exposure. The latitude is wider than it was on Phoenix I. It is not yet a film to meter by guesswork, in either format.

Developed Together

Both rolls are standard C-41, and we develop, scan and print 35mm and 120 in house, so they can come back to you together. Harman also encourages experiments in E-6 and ECN-2 chemistry. We process C-41 only.

Is Harman Phoenix II better than Phoenix I?

It is more predictable. Harman says Phoenix II has more normal contrast and colour balance, finer grain and wider exposure latitude than the original, and describes it as less radical. If Phoenix I was too wild for you, Phoenix II is the one to try. If you loved its extremes, Harman have sold that emulsion since August 2026 as Phoenix 125, in 35mm and 120.

Why are Harman Phoenix II negatives purple?

Because the film has no orange mask. Most colour negative films carry an orange base that corrects for dye impurities, and Phoenix II does without it, leaving the processed negatives purplish. Harman says this is normal. It does mean colours can render unusually compared with conventional colour films, and scans may need adjusting.

Best For Photographers who shoot both 35mm and medium format and are curious about Phoenix II, anyone who found the 35mm grain too much and wants to see it on a bigger negative, and people who enjoy an experimental film more than a predictable one. Send both rolls to us and we will develop, scan and print them together.

Perfect for: Medium format shooters with a soft spot for British manufacturing, people who like halation more than they will admit, anyone backing new colour emulsions from outside Kodak and Fujifilm, and anyone whose dependency now extends to films that come out of the tank purple.

Phoenix II is Harman's third colour film since December 2023, from a factory best known for black and white. It is still grainy and still odd, and Harman has been open that this is deliberate. What has changed is that it now behaves predictably enough to plan a day of shooting around. Putting it through both formats will tell you whether its character suits you, and the answer may well be different for each. More colour negative film, posted from North Essex.