Harman’s New 120 Format 125 Redscale Film

credits: Harman

Harman Technology has released its experimental redscale color film, Harman Red 125, in 120 format. The film originally made its debut earlier this year in 35mm, but now medium-format photographers can get in on the action. If you’ve never shot redscale before, basically the colour profile gets flipped on its head by exposing the film through its red-sensitive layer first, giving everything a glow that ranges from burnt orange to crimson, with occasional hints of green and delicate shadow tones depending on how you meter it.

Built on the same base as the company’s Phoenix emulsion, Red 125 was designed to be a creative and cinematic experience. And while the film is rated at ISO 125, it’s got quite a bit of wiggle room, Harman says you can shoot it anywhere from 50 to 400, with the sweet spot landing around 100 to 200 depending on lighting and how intense you want those colours to pop. Brighter exposures tend to give you finer grain and cleaner, more saturated orange-red hues, while underexposing brings out more shadow detail, deeper grain, and greenish tones.

What makes the new 120 version intriguing is how much the medium format brings out the film’s character. Bigger negatives mean more detail and smoother gradations, so those reds and yellows have even more room to breathe. And since it’s still C41 process, you can develop it at any standard lab. The film is going for $12.99 a roll.

You can see full details and sample shots on B&H’s website here