Seeing Red: A First Look at Harman's New Redscale Film
Back on Valentine’s Day 2025, Harman dropped a new film stock—Harman RED 125 Colour Film—and as soon as I heard about it, I knew I had to get my hands on a roll.
This film is a redscale version of Harman Phoenix 200. From what I can tell, it’s pretty much the same emulsion, just reverse-rolled so that the red-sensitive layer is exposed first. That little tweak gives you photos drenched in red, orange, and yellow tones—perfect if you’re into cinematic, apocalyptic-looking images.
Choosing the Right Camera (And Changing My Mind)
At first, I planned to shoot this in my Olympus MJU II, but after seeing a few early reviews, I thought, Why not go bigger? So, I loaded it up in my Horizon 202 panoramic camera instead. I figured the wide format would really let me lean into the film’s dramatic color shifts.
Over the next couple of days, I shot all over the place—daytime, nighttime, city streets, and random textures—just to see what this film could do.
Once I finished the roll, I developed it at home using a Flic Film C-41 kit and scanned it on my Epson V600 flatbed scanner. That’s when things got really interesting.
The Horizon 202 Strikes Again
Now, if you know anything about the Horizon 202, you know it has a bit of a temper. This thing has ripped through two of my Kentmere 400 rolls in the past, so I really should’ve expected some drama. And yeah… it happened again.
As I rewound the roll, I felt a bit of tension, but it didn’t seem like the film had ripped. Once I thought the rewind was complete, I opened the back of the camera to check—and there it was: a tear on the negative. I quickly closed the camera since I was still in my car. Luckily, it was nighttime, so I didn’t lose too much of the roll.
When I got home, I immediately loaded the film straight from the camera onto the reel and processed it. And that’s how I got the results you see below.
Thankfully, I managed to save the roll and still got some solid images—though the damage actually made for some interesting results.
Sample Images
(Click to view)
First Impressions: The Look & Feel of Harman RED 125
Like the film stock it’s based on, Harman RED 125 has a noticeable amount of grain. Personally, I love grain in my images, but it’s definitely an acquired taste for those who aren’t used to it.
The color tones were a bit inconsistent. I’m not entirely sure if this was due to my scanning or development process, but I noticed some variation in the film’s look. Some images leaned heavily towards red, while others had yellow or orange tones. I expected a more consistent color output, but that wasn’t the case. I might have to shoot another roll to confirm whether this inconsistency is a characteristic of the film or just a result of my workflow.
Just like Phoenix 200, this film exhibits halation in the highlights. I absolutely love that look, so it’s a welcome feature here.
Final Thoughts
I’m really excited that Harman is putting out new, experimental color films—especially since so many color stocks have been disappearing lately. Harman RED 125 is a limited release, so if you haven’t tried it yet, now’s the time. Grab a roll, experiment, and see what kind of dystopian dreamscapes you can create.
Would I shoot it again? Absolutely. Would I trust my Horizon 202 with another roll? Definitely Maybe