Reflx Lab’s New Experimental Film Turns the World Into a Red and Orange Hellscape
Reflx Lab, makers of analog film and camera accessories like light meters, has launched a new experimental color film, Diablo 100 redscale film.
As spotted by Kosmo Foto, this new film is based on Lucky C200 film stock. This standard color film is loaded backward, Reflx Lab explains, so that light passes through the film’s transparent base layer before it reaches the light-sensitive emulsion.
“This reverses the order in which colors are exposed, shifting your images to dramatic, fiery shades of red, orange, and yellow,” Reflx Lab explains.
Reflx Lab Diablo 100 is not the first new redscale film to hit the market in recent years. Last year, UK-based Harman Technology brought Harman Red 125 to market. It makes many of the same promises as Diablo 100, and works in much the same way — light travels through the transparent base layer before hitting the emulsion.
Harman Red 125 arrived first in 35mm format and then hit the scene in a 120-format roll. Reflx Lab Diablo 100 appears to be available only in 135, and it ships in a 36-shot roll.
Reflx Lab tasked photographer Frankie Beena (@frantabina) with capturing real-world sample shots using its new redscale experimental film.
“It was great pleasure to test out the film,” Beena writes on Instagram. “As all redscale films, it can be challenging to use properly, but when the correct scene is found, it makes stunning images!”
As is almost always the case with experimental films, it is not well-suited to every photographic scene.
PetaPixel‘s Matt Growcoot reviewed Harman’s Red 125 film, noting that the precise tone of each photo depends a lot on the lighting conditions and exposure settings. His favorite shots were taken in diffused light, while shots in bright, sunny conditions were less to his taste.
“I think this is a really fun film stock capable of creating unique-looking images that can’t be achieved digitally,” Growcoot said of Harman Red 125 film.
Based on Reflx Lab’s samples for Diablo 100, the new redscale film is likely to offer many of the same benefits and potential downsides.
Pricing and Availability
Reflx Lab Diablo 100 is available now for $11.99 per 36-shot roll of 35mm film. The film is not yet available through B&H, although the retailer does carry Reflx Lab products, and Diablo 100 could be added later.
Image credits: Reflx Lab. Real-world samples by Frankie Beena for Reflx Lab.
