Film cameras are making an unexpected comeback, experiencing a revival in popularity among teenagers and young adults. Vintage cameras like the Nikon F3, Canon AE-1, and Pentax K1000 that were collecting dust in basements are now selling like hot cakes on auction sites and at vintage shops. But this analog resurgence faces challenges around film scarcity and cost.
Retailers specializing in used camera equipment have seen film camera sales jump 50 in the last year, driven by interest from a new wave of enthusiasts in their late teens and 20s. Entire subcultures have emerged on Instagram and TikTok devoted to shooting with film and sharing photos. Grainy, retro-looking shots typed with the #filmisnotdead hashtag have over 25 million posts. Young creators are leveraging apps to edit scans of their developed prints with faded, vintage effects.
But just as film demand is hitting fever pitch, supply constraints threaten to derail the comeback. Manufacturers scaled back film production over the last decade as digital dominated. Fujifilm, one of the last major film producers, has been unable to fulfill orders amid global raw material shortages.
Five years ago, a roll of Fujifilm Superia X-Tra consumer film cost around $5 Today, the same roll goes for $15-$20, if you can find it in stock. For teen photographers on budgets, these exponentially higher costs present major barriers.
Camera shops in Japan hope to see eventual market equilibrium as manufacturers invest in ramping up film output again, but they aren't convinced the revival will last forever. In the meantime, demand seems likely to be dampened if supplies stay low and pricing remains stratospheric.
Yet, even at lower volumes, film retains devotees drawn to its visual appeal and hands-on experience. The film camera resurgence may fade when the novelty wears off for less dedicated enthusiasts. But for now, the format is enjoying a resurgence.
It appears that if a person wants a film look they need to simply stop editing their photos. I was a film only photographer until 1998. I made the transition but even now if I spend more than 5 minutes adjusting an image I feel that I'm being dishonest in what I saw as I took the image. I'm just old I guess.
I learned photography during the film era. That also included having a darkroom and processed both black and white and color negatives (and slides) to print. As much as there is some nostalgia associated with film photography, the capabilities of digital technology and the ability to consistently produce high quality images and prints makes me look back and smile of my film experience, but in no way do I have a desire to return to those days.
If one is primarily concerned with commercial photography, then I would agree 100%. But for fine art? Not so much. One only needs to look at guys like https://www.rodneyloughjr.com/ to see the true craft of photography.
As someone who was the primary photographer for the yearbook and ran my high school's darkroom and who processed tons of E-6, Ilford HP5 and Kodak T-Max and consumed countless boxes of Ilford Mutligrade paper... I don't get the hipster-driven fascination with film. I suppose that I can understand the novelty of the physical process of taking something from a latent image to a final print, but that should wear off pretty quickly. But then again, I don't understand the LP record craze either.
Or you could get a used Sony A7 and some old SLR lenses off eBay, and a cheap adapter, and have an experience very close to shooting a manual 35mm SLR but without all the expense and hassle.
I have an A7III and manual Voigtlander lens. Whilst it's not quite the same as film photography, I still get a satisfying film camera-ish experience, especially with full manual mode.
I’m not sure what point this article is making. It seems to be holdover from two years ago. Yes, it’s possible to spend a few hundred dollars on a film camera, but it’s not necessary. Electronic film cameras from 90s are still dirt cheap, often costing 40.00 or less. And there is no reason to pay 200 dollars for a K1000 when a Minolta SR-T can be had for well under 100 dollars. There are plenty of inexpensive manual film cameras to be had.
The film prices in the article are also exaggerated. Good B&W film can be had for 6.00/roll. And three-roll packs of Fuji color film cost 23-30.00, or 8-10.00/roll. I have no idea where the ridiculous 15-20.00/roll price came from.
Finally, film is no longer scarce. Kodak ramped up production last year. Check any online retailer—UltraMax, Gold, and ColorPlus are in-stock and all can be bought for 10.00 or less. Fuji 200 and 400 are also easy to find.
I learned photography during the film era and also had a darkroom. I reluctantly switched to digital photography a while back. But, I understand the resurgence of film.
This is a lot like vinyl records that have not been totally replaced by CD's and MP3's. In fact, according to the RIAA, vinyl sales have continued to grow for the past 16 years in a row. Not only that, but they’ve finally surpassed CD sales for the first time since 1988. And we’re not talking a small amount of sales, either. Customers bought $1.2 billion of vinyl records in 2022, which was a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
Maybe film manufacturers should pay attention to the trend.
By the way, I have about 1200 vinyl LP records, most of which I bought while shooting film!