This is a classic debate topic. I am a beginner in photography, and am not going to draw any conclusion on who beats whom here. I am only sharing my personal preference for film.
- I don't like spending a lot of time on Photoshop. If I do, I may put much more time that I should in Photoshop.
- Shooting in film forces me to think before I shoot. With a digital camera, I simply shoot without much thinking and rely on the LCD screen to adjust my errors on the fly, and I forget about them afterwards. On the other hand, I always ponder whether I have made the right decisions with aperture, focal length, etc. After the film is developed, I verifiy my guess with the prints. I learn a lot in this way. I get into the habit of thinking before shooting.
- I feel film shows more authentic colors. It does not make any modifications.
- I like expecting before I have the film developed. I like having the gap between when I take the shot and when I see the result. I come back with a fresh eye to revisit the scene I recorded. With digital camera, I tend to make judgement too quickly and delete photos I don't like, which might not be case if I had waited for another day.
- Every brand of film has its own personality (e.g. Velvia, Kodachrome). Digital does not.
- I like recording things as they are. In my opinion, processing in PS is more like painting -- not photography. For the same reason, I don't like using too much filters, even with film cameras.
