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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Yes. Photographers still shoot film, from newcomers to working photographers. The choice means accepting a different process from digital: film must match the camera, each roll has a limited number of exposures, and the images need to be developed and usually scanned before they can be shared.
How many photographers still shoot film?
A 2025 FilmFocus survey offers a snapshot, not a worldwide count. It gathered 1,337 valid responses between November 30 and December 31, 2025, and its reporting describes the survey as Japan-focused. Digital Camera World reported the following findings in August 2026:
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| Survey finding | What respondents reported |
|---|---|
| 35mm use in 2025 | 95% had shot at least one roll. |
| 120 use in 2025 | 53% had used the format. |
| Average annual use among shooters of each format | About 13.9 rolls of 35mm per 35mm shooter, versus 13.7 the prior year; 7.0 rolls of 120, versus 6.9 the prior year. |
| Change in shooting frequency | 28% said they were shooting more often and 26% less often. Among those shooting less, 62% cited cost. |
| Experience and change | Among respondents who had shot film for less than a year, 49% reported increased use and 6% decreased use. Among those with more than ten years’ experience, 40% reported shooting less. |
These are survey responses, not a census of photographers or a measure of global film sales. The near-steady average roll counts suggest continued use within the surveyed group, while the differing reports show that individual habits are not moving in one direction. The figures do not establish how many professional photographers use film worldwide or whether film is gaining ground against digital. Digital Camera World’s survey report provides the methodology and additional respondent findings.
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Why do photographers choose film?
There is no single reason. Some photographers value the experience of making a photograph without seeing an immediate digital result; others choose film stocks, formats, or physical negatives as part of their creative process.
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Those are individual preferences, not proof that film is inherently better. In a Kodak Alaris photographer highlight, Erik Poppen says he works almost entirely with analog mediums and finds film helps him stay present and engaged without the immediate return of digital. Kodak Alaris also features photographers working in areas including black-and-white, landscapes, travel, portraits, underwater photography, and documentary work. These examples demonstrate varied uses, but they are manufacturer-hosted profiles rather than an independent survey of photographers’ motivations.
For AP photojournalist George Walker, the constraint is part of the appeal: “It forces me to be patient and concentrate to make the pictures that matter,” he told the Associated Press. A typical 35mm roll usually has 24 or 36 exposures, so each frame is a limited resource. Walker’s comment describes his own practice; it should not be taken as a guaranteed effect for every film shooter. The Associated Press explains the finite frame count in its f-stop guide.
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- 📷 Film-saving: You can have twice as many images per roll. For example, a film roll with 36 exposures can yield around 72 half-frame photos - doubled!
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What changes when you shoot film?
Format has to fit the camera
35mm and 120 are distinct film formats, and a camera made for one cannot simply take the other. Check the camera’s format before buying film. The surveyed photographers also reported using different stock types: 82% used color-negative film and 61% used black-and-white film; respondents could select more than one answer. Those percentages describe the survey group, not the share of all film photography.
Processing is part of the workflow
After exposure, film must be developed. To get digital files, you will also need scans, usually from a lab or from a home scanning setup. In the survey, 67% of respondents used labs exclusively, 25% combined lab use with some home development, and 8% developed strictly at home. When choosing a lab, 41% named development and scanning quality as their leading consideration, ahead of price at 24% and location at 20%, according to PetaPixel’s report on the Japan-focused survey.
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- 📷 Film-saving: You can have twice as many images per roll. For example, a film roll with 36 exposures can yield around 72 half-frame photos - doubled!
- 📷 Lightweight and Easy-to-use: The pocket-size camera is light and tiny, and hence convenient for you to bring along daily. Since its instructions are simple, it is suitable for all analog hobbyists.
- 📷 Built-in Flash: Turning on the flash by adjusting the silver ring around the lens so that you can use KODAK EKTAR H35 during days and nights, outdoor and indoor.
- 📷 Four colours: Black, brown, sage and sand. Neat and natural.
- 📷 Perfect for Beginners: The point-and-shoot camera is easy to use for new analogue hobbyists.
Budget for the whole process
The cost is not just the roll of film. Account for film, development, scanning, and any camera or home-processing equipment you need. The survey identifies cost as a reason some respondents shot less, but it does not establish a universal price comparison with digital. Your total depends on local film and lab availability, how often you shoot, and whether you process at home.
How to decide whether film fits your photography
- Identify your camera’s format. Check its manual or markings and buy compatible 35mm or 120 film. Do not assume film formats are interchangeable.
- Choose a stock for your intended look and use. Color-negative and black-and-white films are both used by survey respondents. Photographer examples document stocks including Ektar 100, Portra 800, T-Max 100, Gold 120, Portra 400, and Tri-X, but the right stock depends on format compatibility and personal preference. Availability and distribution can vary by market; check current local listings rather than relying on older branding or distribution reports.
- Choose how the film will be processed. A lab is the route taken by most respondents in the survey. Home development is another option if you are prepared to acquire the supplies and learn the process; you may still need a way to scan negatives if you want digital files.
- Estimate the cost per finished image. Include the roll, processing, scanning, and equipment, then compare that with your own digital workflow. No controlled film-versus-digital image-quality comparison is established by the cited evidence.
- Start with a reason to use film. It may suit you if you want a finite-frame capture process, particular stock choices, or physical negatives. If immediate review and a simpler digital delivery workflow matter more, those priorities may point elsewhere.
Is film replacing digital?
The available evidence supports a narrower conclusion: film remains an active choice for the people represented in the Japan-focused survey and in the photographer examples. It does not demonstrate that film is replacing digital, that use is growing worldwide, or that one medium has a universal image-quality advantage. The practical choice is about workflow, cost, format, and what you want from making photographs.
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