I recently reviewed a study of the (mostly) subtle differences between the way light renders in both film and digital images. Technical excellence is required for either path and it’s great eye training to go through the exercise.
Why do these two mediums feel so different? The big difference (to my eye) is the gradation between highlight and shadow values.
Film, being a liquid medium, allows for imperceptible blending. There are no hard edges.
Digital, regardless of pixel density, is still mede up of physical squares, which always requires a hard edged transitions.
It’s subtle but the human eye can feel the difference…somehow.
I love both mediums – every tool has its place – and have many cameras on each side of the conversation. But when attempting to freeze light from a moment in time, the organic nature of film is my personal favorite; it’s the best time capsule for the perfections and imperfections of reality.