For many years 35 mm film was the standard for professional and amateur photography, as well as most major motion pictures. The 35 mm format has always had to contend with competing formats, the most recent of which is digital photography. However, 35 mm film still has certain advantages that photographers and cinematographers should be aware of.
Image Quality
Despite the latest advances in digital technology, an image produced using 35 mm film still has qualities that a digital version can't reproduce. Although digital is generally superior in terms of resolution, 35 mm may give greater depth of color and may be able to reproduce certain lighting effects that digital cameras are simply not able to. This advantage is especially evident when a 35 mm film camera is in the hands of an experienced user who can use the format to its fullest potential.
Flexibility
The 35 mm film also offers greater flexibility in terms of certain forms of manipulation. Although many software makers produce programs for editing and manipulating digital images, the chemical process of making prints from 35 mm film is a craft that requires great skill and gives the printer a huge range of options, such as changing an image's contrast, color balance, darkness and other factors. Although many of these tools are reproduced in digital photo editing software, they may not allow for the same range of control over the finished image.
Cost
Cost is sometimes cited as an advantage of digital photography, because there is no need to buy film and pay for prints. However, in other cases 35 mm is the true value option. For professionals, advanced digital equipment may cost much more than a very good 35 mm camera and lens kit. One of the reasons that the film industry has been so slow to adopt digital cinematography is the cost of digital motion picture cameras and specialized lenses.
Availability
Although related to cost, the availability of 35 mm film can also make it an appealing option. For travelers, an inexpensive 35 mm one-time use camera can be found in most souvenir shops and produce good quality photos. On the other hand, a digital camera or memory card may be more difficult to find and more costly. The large number of 35 mm film cameras available for rent in Hollywood far outweigh the relatively small number of high-quality digital cameras.
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