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When my sister-in-law surprised me with a roll of Harman Phoenix 200, I was so excited because I’d honestly never heard of it before! And I spend a LOT of time scrolling through shopping pages of film, deciding what to try out next. Not to mention, 200-400 is my favorite range of ISO when it comes to film, so I knew it was going to be a fun test. I brought the film roll with me on my recent trip to Portugal and tried it out with my Minolta Hi-Matic AF2. I actually just posted a full review of this camera on my YouTube channel and blog, so make sure to check those out!
I wanted to share my personal thoughts on the Harman Phoenix 200 film and share my full roll of images with you, so you can decide for yourself if you’d want to give it a shot!
I found the film to be super saturated and contrasty, which a LOT of film shooters are always on the hunt for. It definitely has that retro film vibe and is very grainy, which makes the images look unmistakably film-y. I actually found myself removing contrast in post-processing, which was definitely a different experience for me! I’m usually adding contrast and saturation to my film scans!
I also shot the majority of the film on the wrong ISO setting on my camera (400 instead of 200), which I think might have increased the grain and contrast effects on the film. I’m hoping to try this film out again soon and see if that made a impact on my final results! I found the film to do surprisingly well in low-light for a 200 speed film. It’s also nice that the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 has an f/2.8 lens, which probably also helped me out in that department.
And of course, I tried out a few multiple exposures by rewinding the film a little and creating some overlapping images. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know it’s a must for me to try creating multiple exposures with every camera I’m reviewing!
Overall, I found Harman Phoenix 200 to be a very unique film. I’m not used to such high contrast and it’s not necessarily my style, but it was a fun challenge for me. I think I’ll try it out one more time before deciding on my final verdict. But I tend to lean towards less grain and contrast, so that I can add it in later if I choose to. I do think that this film is eye-catching and undoubtedly film, which is great for the Gen Z vibes that everyone seems to love these days. As a millennial, I’m not sure it fits my aesthetic, but to each their own! I’m mostly just thrilled that my photos turned out at all, because I had never used the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 before and the camera was half-broken when I brought it with me to Portugal. I know that these photos are going to remain super special to me, because my first rolls of film with new cameras always stick out in my mind. Especially if I’m traveling in a new country.
I’d love to know your thoughts on the film! So far, I’ve gotten great feedback on these images and I’m learning that the majority of the world loves high saturation and contrast! I guess I’m just a weirdo!
Make sure to check out my other blog post, The Best Color Film for 35 mm Cameras if you’re on the hunt for other 35 mm films to try out.
If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!
If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a lovely day!
WHERE TO BUY HARMAN PHOENIX 200 FILM
WHERE TO BUY THE MINOLTA HI-MATIC AF2:
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