Film Photography at The Photography Show 2026: Still Breathing

Film is not dying. It's just expensive now. The Photography Show floor tells the real story: new bodies shipping, younger shooters turning up, and Lomography competing directly with Pentax for the 35mm casual market. If you've been dismissing analogue as nostalgia theatre for old blokes with backpacks, the demographic at NEC this year would've surprised you. The Pentax 17 half-frame is the headline product, 72 frames per roll is genuinely useful when XP2 Super costs what it costs now, but £500 with no focus assist is a tough sell against what else is available at that price point. The broader point: there's a real market here for photographers who want to hand clients something different, or who just want to slow down between commercial jobs. Worth knowing what's shipping before your next conversation with a client who asks about film.