I lovvvve trying out Lomography’s fun film stocks. I easily get bored with standard color film so it’s always an exciting day when I load my camera with something that is more unique and unpredictable. Lomography Redscale XR ISO 50-200 is definitely unlike any other film I’ve ever used and I’m already excited to shoot through another roll. It’s bold and unusual, but has a cinema-like quality to it that is moody and surreal. I’ve tried it out in the 120 format before but this is the first time I’ve tried it in 35mm. It’s always nice to have 36 images per roll, as opposed to the 12 images I get shooting with my Holga camera. While I love medium format so much, it makes a huge difference when I have a bit more freedom to take photos without having to carefully plan each one.
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I’ve experimented with Lomography’s LomoChrome Purple and LomoChrome turquoise film, and I’m obsessed with both of them. The Redscale sort of falls into a different category to me, because it reminds me more of a sepia film tone, but with a more saturated effect. I used a Contax T2 for these photos and it took me a while to shoot through the roll because I like to save my Contax T2 for special occasions. I have a full blog post and YouTube video about this camera if you want to find out more about it! This roll includes photos from a recent engagement shoot, a fashion shoot with designer Liza Reitz in Portland, Oregon, photos of the Oregon Coast (my favorite place in the world), and a cute snowy walk with my husband and our dog throughout our neighborhood.
Overall, I love the color tone of the film, though I will say it’s a bit difficult to scan. I use an Epson V750 Pro (the Epson V850 is the latest model of this scanner), so I scan all of my film myself. My scanning program automatically tries to guess the correct exposure and tonal range of the film I’m scanning, so I typically have to manually adjust the levels and tint to get the colors to look correct. It can be a pain, but I honestly truly enjoy the process of scanning film because it gives me full control over my images. I’d rather spend an afternoon scanning film than doing anything else!
I do find the film to be a bit grainy for an ISO range of 50-200. Since I was using the Contax T2, the camera automatically sets the ISO to 200 because the film is DX-coded for 200. I’ve since learned that I can shoot the roll with a higher exposure compensation and the film will act more like ISO 50 or 100. I definitely want to try that out next time because the film did tend to shoot somewhat dark.
I did notice how intensely the images varied based on the lighting conditions. The images I shot indoors took on a more red tone, while the images I shot outside were more orange/yellow. It’s kind of fun how wide the range was because it makes it unpredictable. which I actually love. I can understand how this might frustrate someone though, especially if you’re used to shooting film thats more consistent throughout the roll, like Kodak UltraMax 400 or Kodak Gold 200. This film does need a lot of light, so on my next roll I will make sure to use a flash if I’m shooting indoors. The shadows aren’t the most detailed and the subject tends to get lost in the unusual color temperatures.
Overall though, I definitely want to shoot with this film again and maybe focus more on landscapes and nature. I think it creates stunning scenic shots and I think it would be fun to experiment with the ISO range a little more. it would be nice to shoot with a camera that I have a bit more control over the ISO and try shooting this film at ISO 50 to see just how sharp it can be.
I’ve already ordered another roll so we’ll see how the next one turns out! Make sure to try out Lomography’s LomoChrome Purple if you haven’t already - it’s one of my favorite film stocks out there! I just love anything that stands out from the norm and Lomography is always hitting it out of the park in that regard. I feel so lucky to live in a time when film is still valued and still created.
WHERE TO BUY LOMOGRAPHY REDSCALE XR ISO 50-200 FILM
35 MM
120 FORMAT
If you’re looking for more film recommendations, make sure to read my post The Best Color Film for 35 mm Cameras. Or if you’re on the hunt for a 35 mm film camera, check out my post Top 10 Best 35 mm Film Cameras for Beginner Photographers.
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If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my B&H Photo storefront & Amazon Storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a magical day!
<3 Myles Katherine
