Film in 2022?

Ever since digital cameras became widely available starting in the early 2000’s film photography has become less and less economical and convenient. From film manufacturers discontinuing film stocks to film development labs shutting down to the overall reduction in film production, the practice of shooting on film is considerably more expensive than it was a decade or two ago. Furthermore, the problems brought about by COVID 19 have impacted the price and availability of film in dramatic ways, effectively doubling the price of some films and obliterating inventories worldwide. Film has been moving towards becoming a luxury good for a couple decades now as shooting digitally has become increasingly satisfying and accessible. This raises the question: “Can a reasonable case be made for the average photographer to continue shooting film in 2022 and beyond?”

This question is meant to pertain to the AVERAGE photographer who dabbles in film. I am not at all referring to photographers who mostly shoot on film, especially those who make their living shooting on film. Instead I am referring to the average hobbyist who probably started off shooting digitally but has taken forays into the film world and shoot perhaps a dozen or so rolls per-year. Personally, I am not so sure. Both of my previous most preferred color film stocks, Kodak Pro Image 100 and Kodak Portra 160, have risen in price by about a third since last year, that is if you can even find stock. Just about everywhere you look, film is out of stock or on back-order. So not only is it less affordable, it is also much less accessible. Likewise, I have found that generally the cost for film developing has also risen by about a third. Altogether this had made shooting film considerably less convenient than it had been.

When one is faced with economically difficult circumstances taking pictures for the price of charging the batteries in the camera makes for a tantalizing value proposition. Aside from the increasingly prohibitive cost of film, the digital ecosystem is starting to bear fruit in terms of value. What has come to pass is not that digital cameras are finally very good, it is that very good digital cameras are now extremely cheap, including mirrorless. It is now possible to purchase high quality professional DSLR’s for peanuts. For around $500.00 you can pick up one of the best digital flagships Nikon has ever produced, built in Japan, the legendary Nikon D3. The D3 could still be used for professional sports photography today if a photographer was so inclined. The list of photographers who need more camera than the D3 can offer them is vanishingly small. If you are more budget minded, you could also pick yourself up a D90 for around $150.00. Though I may have rose-tinted glasses, I believe the D90 is the perfect camera for any budding photographer. Its sensor is great and it can use pretty much any Nikon lens ever made so the entire backlog of Nikkor lenses is available to suit your creative desires. Furthermore, if you were interested in getting a mirrorless camera, both the Micro 4/3 system as well as Sony’s Alpha mount feature plenty of examples which can be had for less than $500.00. Pretty much wherever one looks, it is possible to find excellent digital camera options on the market for rock-bottom prices.

So what, film is increasingly expensive and there are plenty of fantastic affordable digital cameras available. There remains an immutable quality to shooting film that cannot be overlooked. Something about the finality and deliberate nature of practicing film photography gives the photographer an altogether different experience to shooting on a digital camera. Some might argue this point, but I would tend to agree, there is something different about shooting film, just as there is a difference in the results one gets from film. Film is certainly unique and affords the photographer a different experience from shooting with a digital camera. I actually rather prefer the fun of shooting film to shooting with digital cameras. However, the fact of the matter is that right now to shoot and develop a roll of film with scans like I have been doing for years is probably going to run me over $20.00 and that is a lot of money for 36 pictures when the cost of shooting those same photos on a digital camera is essentially free. There are certainly times and places where I think film is still worth it in my opinion, a few of which I will be writing about in the coming months, but moving forward I am going to save my current film stocks for special occasions and opportunities. I would suggest other photographers who are not wed at the hip to film to follow suit at least until inventories are replenished and the prices start to come back down.