If you've been shooting film for a while, you probably don't need a spreadsheet to tell you that it costs more than it used to. But the latest numbers suggest something less dramatic than the usual "film is becoming unaffordable" narrative.
According to the latest Film Price Watch from Analog.Cafe, the average price of the 37 film stocks it tracks rose 2.5% between January and July 2026. That's an increase, but hardly a collapse in affordability. In fact, Analog.Cafe notes that film prices were essentially flat during the previous six-month period, meaning the increase is relatively modest when viewed across the year.
The more interesting story is happening underneath that average.
Some film is getting cheaper
Several popular films actually cost less than they did six months ago. Kodak T-Max 400 leads the group, down 4.9%, followed by Ilford Delta 3200 at -3.5% and Kodak UltraMax 400 at -2.6%. Acros 100 and Lomochrome Purple are also slightly cheaper. That's worth emphasizing because film-price discussions tend to work in one direction: up. The market isn't behaving that simply.
But some familiar stocks have moved sharply higher
At the same time, a handful of films have become noticeably more expensive. Kodak ColorPlus 200 is up 10.5%, while Ilford XP2 Super 400 has risen 10.4%. Ilford FP4 Plus is up 9.2%, and Kentmere Pan 200 has increased 8.9%. Those are significant increases for individual films, even though they don't translate into a dramatic change in the overall market. And that's probably the most useful takeaway from the data: the film you shoot matters more than the headline number.
Where you live matters, too
There is another wrinkle that may become increasingly important. Analog.Cafe's latest report found that film prices haven't moved uniformly around the world. In its tracked markets, prices were about 1% lower in Hong Kong, while they were around 6% higher in both Europe and Canada compared with January. That doesn't mean a photographer in Europe is automatically paying 6% more for every roll. The figures are averages drawn from a defined group of retailers, and individual stores can be considerably cheaper or more expensive. But it does reinforce something film shooters already know: where you buy can matter almost as much as what you buy. Analog.Cafe compares prices across 13 retailers and tracks individual film prices going back to 2018. The database also accounts for sale prices and converts multi-roll packs into a per-roll figure, making the comparisons considerably more useful than simply checking a handful of online listings.
So, is film getting expensive?
Yes — but the latest data doesn't support panic. The average price increase is relatively small. More importantly, there are still plenty of films moving sideways or downward, while others have jumped substantially. That makes the current market less of a universal price hike and more of a sorting process. Some emulsions are becoming harder on the wallet. Others are holding their ground. A few are actually becoming better deals. For photographers, that's a much more useful distinction than simply knowing that "film prices went up."
And it suggests a pretty simple strategy: don't assume your usual film is still a good deal. Check. If you're buying a few rolls a year, the difference may barely register. If you're shooting several hundred rolls, it adds up quickly. That's where Analog.Cafe's Film Price Watch is particularly useful. Rather than telling photographers what they should shoot, it gives them a way to see whether the price they're being asked to pay makes sense.
The film market isn't falling apart. It's moving around. And right now, paying attention to where it moves could save you more money than waiting for the next big sale.
Glass Hound thanks Analog.Cafe for its Film Price Watch data and for making this long-running record of film prices available to the photography community.