Is film photography too expensive? Think again! Many assume that shooting film is a hobby reserved for the wealthy, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right approach, you can enjoy the unique aesthetic and creative process of film photography without breaking the bank. In this article, I’ll share my personal experiences and tips for saving money on film, developing, and gear, proving that the joy of film is accessible to everyone.
Often, even the tiniest things can spark a desire to write. In the infamous world of internet comment sections, people can have different opinions—a good thing, as it makes us reflect on our own positions. It challenges our perceived wisdom and questions us in ways that can be disarming. What’s obvious to me might not be to someone else.
I was talking to an Australian lady, likely of my generation since our photography journeys started the same way—with film. Except this lady has gone fully digital, keeping her film cameras as a reminder of her film days being over. Less hassle, less expense, less stress, and less “faffing about,” she said.
At first, I was taken aback. I love the film aesthetic in my photography. I like the predictability of film grain, as opposed to digital noise. But most of all, I’m in love with the process. I love the slower pace of film photography—none of this “spray and pray” nonsense. I appreciate how I become more mindful when shooting film, as each shot counts. I like the way an old film camera looks around my neck. And as the internet meme says, “I know about photography. I’ve been initiated into the exclusive circle of purists.”
The lady talked about the prohibitive prices of film and labs, which, let’s be honest, is a valid point.
Costs of Digital vs. Film Photography
I’ll talk about my kit and initial outlays compared to my film expenses. I bought my latest two digital cameras in late 2017 and 2018. My X100F cost around €1400, and my Canon 6D Mark II around €1200. I spent about €300 on a teleconverter for the X100F, and I probably have about €2500 worth of kit for the Canon, including speedlites, lenses, and filters. Then there’s the Fujifilm XT2, bought second hand for €400, with a couple of lenses totaling around €500.
This kit, though older, works well and is largely sufficient for my needs. As mentioned in my article “I Want It, But Do I Need It?”, I’d like a Leica, but do I need one? Would I refuse one if someone gave me one? Heck no! You can see the results throughout this site, and the images are great.
Let’s move on to film. Yes, if you love that Kodak Portra look, you’ll be spending a pretty penny. I have a certain nostalgia for the days when the prices hadn’t doubled. But—and this is important—not all film photography has to be done using Kodak Portra. There are more accessible films, especially black and white, that cost less. A roll of Fomapan 100 costs me around €5.50. So for less than the price of a pint of Guinness, I can get 36 shots. For a little more, I can go with Kentmere or even Ilford black and white film. I still have one roll of Portra left and a pack of five Tri-X medium format rolls.
Developing at Home
Ah, but then you have to send them to a lab to be developed. Again, a valid point. The cost for developing colour film where I go is less than €7 per film. I’ll share a little secret: I invested in a kit to develop my films at home. It cost about €140 initially, but now all I worry about is buying the chemistry. Yes, €30 for a developer seems steep, but I can develop 16 to 24 films with a bottle, depending on the dilution. I also invested €250 in a film scanner to produce digital files for editing.
Collecting Film Cameras
You might have noticed that I’ve talked about film but not film cameras. I started collecting a while back before hipsters raised the prices in the secondhand market. The most I paid for a film camera was just over €100, and the cheapest was €15. These film cameras are generally solid, and the lenses are great. The technology, though a little less modern (understatement of the year!), still works, and older cameras don’t even need batteries. And even those that do, the batteries last for ages. None of this “Do I have spare batteries for the X100F?” nonsense.
Each shot is taken on a brand new “sensor,” compared to shots on a digital sensor. And less dirt gets onto this sensor.
The Joy of Film
Don’t get me wrong, I love digital photography for its convenience and spontaneity. I can see my images right away and get instant feedback and gratification. With film, that gratification isn’t instant. You have to be patient and wait, but for people of my generation, that might be infuriating, it’s something we grew up with and accepted. I continue to accept it.
I enjoy using a machine sometimes older than me, knowing the image quality will be there. I know that with a certain film, I’ll get a certain result. I like the slower pace. If you visit the Film Photography page or the Film Archive page, you can decide for yourself if it’s worth the hassle, the expense, the stress, and the “faffing about.” I think it is, and I maintain that film has as much a place in photography as it ever did.
The Future of Film
Does film have a future? I think it does. Leica has relaunched the M6, Pentax has the new Pentax 17, and Kodak has the Kodak Ektar H35. The disposable cameras of yesteryear are still being produced and it has become the fashion to us them at weddings for that affordable yet classic look of film. Film photography continues to be popular with Gen Z and millennials. Case in point: my 25-year-old son nicked one of my Kodak Retinette 1B’s and a roll of film. I suspect my daughter might have her eye on one of my film cameras, too.
One thought came to mind whilst answering one of comments with the person saying that they “will never go back.” I am old enough to remember when microwaves fist came out. They were sold to us as being thoroughly modern and machines that could do everything so quickly and conveniently. Except they couldn’t. For certain tasks on the kitchen they are wonderful and far exceed the way we “used” to cook. But they can’t do everything. They have their place in the kitchen. And will always will do. But a slowly simmered boeuf bourguignon that infuses its odours through the kitchen will always have a special place in my heart. Much like using film to capture my images…
IJM Photography 