Phoenix Comparison

Here I tested Phoenix 200 in a direct comparison with an established film. Both shots are completely un-postprocessed. These are the raw scans as I received them from the lab.

 

I used two cameras with light meters that I know to be reliable. To the left a Nikon F5 with Harman Phoenix 200, shot at the box value of ISO 200. To the right a Canon A-1 with Kodak Ektar 100. The location and lighting conditions are identical. The framing is not, but that should not matter.

 

Ektar 100 is not known to be a very forgiving film but it acquitted itself of its task quite well. The colours of the neon lights have been faithfully preserved and the exposure is good. Highlights are not blown out and the dark parts show as much detail as one can expect, with no colour hues. Conversely, in the Phoenix shot the highlights are blown out and at the same time the dark parts have lost most detail and acquired a greenish hue that just wasn't there. From most other Phoenix shots I've seen, including those on my first test roll, I'd assumed that Phoenix should be shot at a lower ISO rating than the box value. The dim background seems to bear that out. But I wonder: The highlights are already blown out - that would get worse with overexposure, as would the unpleasant halation that appears to be unavoidable with Phoenix.

 

To the left:

 

Camera: Nikon F5

Lens: AF Nikkor 50 mm 1:1.8 D

Harman Phoenix 200 colour negative film shot at ISO 200

Developed and scanned by www.meinfilmlab.de

 

To the right:

 

Camera: Canon A-1

Lens: Canon FD 50mm 1:1.4 S.S.C.

Kodak Ektar 100 professional grade colour negative film shot at ISO 100

Developed and scanned by www.meinfilmlab.de

Done