While I shoot digital and enjoy interpreting raw scene data according to my vision (which sometimes involves emulating film looks to a degree), there’s an objec

While I shoot digital and enjoy interpreting raw scene data according to my vision (which sometimes involves emulating film looks to a degree), there’s an objective benefit to negative film compared to digital sensors and that is highlight rolloff. A pixel accumulates light until hard cutoff point where it doesn’t hold information anymore. Thus probably the most important advice for someone coming from film to digital is that, as a rule, you want to underexpose since blowing out highlights is ruinous (and as a result of underexposition you’ll have to pull up the darks which leads to increased noise). In contrast, the way grains of negative film are activated by light and result in gradual highlight rolloff makes it possible to make delicate high key shots and generally makes film safer for candid life snaps even if you misjudge exposure. (Another aspect is that you get a look over which you have no control. It’s as much of a drawback as it is a benefit: you focus on the subject and the scene more than on how you want to make it look in post. Some use expired film for a more unique look.)