Harmanphoto Phoenix

Ian Grant

Ian Grant

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Launching a new film(s) December 1st. All the indications are it will be a C41 colour film, hopefully not just 35mm but 120 & sheet film as well.

Over the summer Ilford posted their coating line would shut for major upgrades, they increased production in the weeks/months to cover this but said there might be shortages of some items,. In a video interview the marketing director indicated there had been multi million pound investment in R&D and production facilities, They have also employed new specialist staff, for R&D and production, with experience in the field. probably ex-Kodak.

At an event recently an Ilford employee mention that Harman don't have the rights to use the Ilford brand name on colour films, that belongs to Ilford Imaging Europe GmbH in German who bought the rights from the receivers of the Swiss Ilford Imaging, originally Ciba who bought Ilfordhere in the UK. This german company owns the Ilfocolor and Ilfochrome brand names, and has marketed Ilfocolor film.

So we will have to wait and see.

Ian
 
Harmanphoto C41 Phoenix.film was posted on Facebook

Ian
 
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Any new colour film this side of the pond would be super welcome, regardless of its format. I will follow this with interest...
 
I wonder where it will be made, they did colour back in the 60/70s I think for a brief while. Somewhere on youtube there's an video showing an old ad.
 
Made in Mobberley, they posted that the coating line was shutting for upgrades a few months ago and that they had increased production and warehouse stocks beforehand to meet demand while the work was undertaken, but that there may be some shortages for a while.

It appears that some staff from Innovision in Germany, former Agfa-Gevaert employees, may have joined the company. It's know Ilford employed research chemist with experience of organic synthesis.

The original Ilfochrome was a broadly similar process to Kodachrome, but along with Ilfocolor, and their paper, the processes were proprietary. All films had to be sent back to Ilford for processing. Kodak in the US had just lost a Monopolies Commission case which then allowed third parties to process Kodachroe. Here in the UK the Monopolies commission ruled Ilford had to allow 3rd party processing. Volumes were not high enough to be profitable, without all the processing so they ceased production

The other problem was the Ilford colour films were their first generation whereas Kodak and Agfa (& Gevaert before merging) were into their 3rd generation of colour films. Ilford had been researching colour emulsions in the late 1930s but during the war under Air Ministry control all colour research was halted, the RAF wanted improved B&W films and got FP3 & HP3. After the war Ilford had to find a new partner for colour research, which was ICI.

Ilford have superb distribution around the world, when living abroad and travelling in South America, I could always find Ilford films, and Foma, but Kodak only where there was a Kodak minilab. Then with Kodaks massive price hikes on colour films the new Phoenix product, a trade name registered for film, chemistry, emulsions, including colour, si likely to be quite a bit cheaper.

Ian
 
I've received two rolls of this film, £12.99 each including postage. I don't need any more colour 35mm film at the moment but wanted to help support what Harman is doing.
 
Me too! I got some rolls from Analogue Wonderland, I'll probably rate them a bit lower than 200 and do a bit of bracketing.
 
Nas said:
I've received two rolls of this film, £12.99 each including postage. I don't need any more colour 35mm film at the moment but wanted to help support what Harman is doing.
Click to expand...
Bought a roll from Real Camera Manchester for just that reason.
 
It's worth looking at Hamish Gill of 35mmc's images shot with the film, they are amongst the best I've seen with the film.

Ian
 
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