How Much Does It Cost to Shoot Film in 2023-2024?

Budgets for Beginners, Casual, and Avid Photographers

7 min read by Dmitri.
Published on October 17, 2023. Updated on April 25, 2024.

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This guide should help you understand whether film photography is expensive, how to save or splurge on it, and whether it’s worth the price. It’s filled with advice on using your money smartly and getting the best possible experience — no matter the budget.

There will be no sugar-coating. All the numbers are rounded up, including all the fees, film, development, scanning/software, cameras, taxes, shipping, and repairs.

Initially published in 2019, this guide has been rewritten using various sources, including the evergreen Film Price Tracker. All prices discussed in this article are in US dollars.

🚨 Update: See the latest trends in film prices, including names of films that got cheaper and the best online shops in the 2024 Film Price Report.

View this image in HD with GOLD

I live in Canada so Canadian dollars were the only currency I could sprinkle on the tabletop for this photo. But the currency I use to describe film shooting costs in this article is US dollars. 💸

Figuring out the actual price of a product or service is not as simple as listening to the advice of a salesperson. There are hidden costs, maintenance costs, and costs of obsolescence.

In this guide, I’ll focus on the 35mm format — it’s the most popular and cost-effective. We’ll consider three possible scenarios: a beginner’s first attempt at shooting film, a year of casual film use, and a year of avid film use. All the numbers will be rounded up.

I would also like to acknowledge that being able to practice photography is a privilege for which I am grateful. Not everyone can afford it, even at the lowest price point.

Film photography on a budget: how much does it cost to try?

If you’re a beginner looking to try shooting film just once, your best bet is to get a decent vintage camera and re-sell it. It’s best to get yours from a reputable seller; they may charge more, but you don’t want to get stuck with a broken camera (which can be hard to definitively avoid if you’re a novice).

Once you’re done, selling your camera back to the market may take time, and you will likely lose part of the value. But the results you’ll get from such a camera are least likely to disappoint you, and you won’t get stuck holding something you don’t need should you not like to continue shooting film.

In this list of compact 35mm film cameras under $200, Pentax PC35AF is one of the top choices for ease of use and image quality. This camera has autofocus and autoexposure; it uses standard batters, comes with a flash and fits in a pocket. They cost around $60, which may total $100 with shipping. These cameras are used, so opening the package or shooting a roll of film in one will not diminish their value. Let’s say you lose $40 on shipping and taxes. Your total for this camera (after re-sale) is $40.

If you aren’t comfortable buying a used film camera as your first or if you’re planning it as a gift, you may consider a “reusable” plastic/toy camera. One of the best examples of such cameras today is Kodak Ektar H35N ($65). It has a better-than-average lens for its class and can fit twice as many photos on a regular roll of film. But it’s more difficult to re-sell than a vintage camera; the results won’t be as sharp or detailed, and you should pay attention to the lighting conditions and the camera’s limitations for the best results.

Your first 35mm film should be colour as it’s easier to find a lab that develops it. Some cheap options are Kodak ColorPlus ($12) and Kodak Gold ($12). Film prices vary greatly depending on the retailer; the above is a fair estimate based on the info in the Film Price Tracker app.

Depending on where you live, your lab can charge you anywhere between $8 and $20 to develop and scan your film.

💵 And so, as a beginner, you’ll spend $60-$100 on your first roll with the camera and all the fees, which comes to about $1.38-$1.66 per photo.

If this is too much of an initial investment, you can try Instax. You can find a used Instax camera for about $20; the film will cost $8 for ten frames. This is about $3 per photo or $30 in total.

I should add that getting a free film camera and free film is not unlikely. We’ve been using film as a society for nearly two hundred years; these devices were built to last (I regularly shoot fifty-year-old film cameras and thirty-year-old film). But getting those freebies takes a little luck and perseverance.

How much would a year of casual film use cost?

Cameras like Pentax PC35AF have excellent optics and should last you for many years. But for the purpose of this exercise, let’s assume you’ll be spending about $200 on film cameras, lenses, and accessories; perhaps you want more out of your hobby. There are great options out there that look incredible and produce excellent quality images at this price point, e.g., Olympus OM-1, Canon Canonet QL17 GIII, and Bolsey Model C.

You should also consider a half-frame camera that’ll fit twice as many photos on a single roll of film. Good examples within this budget are Olympus PEN FV, Canon Demi, and Ricoh Caddy.

Let’s say you shoot one roll of film per month. That’s 36 photos (or 72 on a half-frame camera) — which may not seem like much but is a decent amount when shooting film. This comes to about $360 for 12 rolls of film with developing and scanning.

💵 And so, as a casual film shooter, you’ll spend $560 in your first year with a good camera and all the fees, which comes to about $0.65-$1.30 per photo or $54/month. The lower-end estimate is for a half-frame camera.

Your next year should cost you $360 or $30/month since you can continue using the same camera. That’s $0.42-$0.83 per photo.

🚨 FYI: These costs are based on fresh colour negative film and film development costs. If you shoot and develop black and white or expired film, your cost per shot may be cut in half (optimistic estimate) or by 15% (conservative estimate). You may save further by bulk-rolling your film.

How much would a year of avid film use cost?

Film cameras can cost anywhere between “free” and hundreds of thousands of dollars. But let’s be realistic. An excellent point-and-shoot with some of the best optics can set you back $1,000, or you can have a few cameras and accessories that can reasonably total $3,000.

At this point, I recommend you purchase your own film scanner, which can set you back up to $1,000 but will save you money in the long run on lab scanning fees.

You may also want to learn how to develop film at home and spend about $200 on the tools and $100 on the chemicals for the year for all your film.

Let’s also triple your film costs and bump up the average film cost to $20, as you may want to try fancier stuff. That’s $720. With the taxes and shipping, this can easily become $1,000.

💵 And so, as an avid film shooter, you’ll spend $5,100 in your first year with a superb camera, great film, and all the fees. This comes to about $1.97-$3.94 per photo or $425/month. The lower-end estimate is for a half-frame camera.

Your next year should cost you $1,100 or $92/month since you can continue using the same camera. That’s $0.42-$0.85 per photo.

Film cameras can last decades, but they may need occasional repair, and so will your scanning setup. At this point, you may want to spend more on new cameras to try and other film formats. So, it’s safe to assume that your actual annual cost will be about $3,000 or $250/month.

As an avid film shooter and owner of multiple great cameras, you may also want to consider selling some of your unused equipment, which can cut your costs. If you shoot more film and bulk-roll your film, your price per shot will also decrease.

In 2023, I spent over $7,000 on film photography; however, I made about $4,500 back by selling cameras I no longer use. I shot over 2,200 photos in various formats, which cost me $1.14 each. Most of my film was colour, slide, some Polaroid, some medium format, and even occasional Aerochrome. I tried and reviewed 22 cameras and lenses. There are certainly ways to spend less, but that was not my objective.

Why am I doing this? Why would anyone do this? The answer is in this post: “29 Reasons Why Film Is Better Than Digital Photography.”

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Film photography on a budget: how much does it cost to try?

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Dmitri