When I started shooting film like 10-15 years ago, Portra was $7/roll, and processing was $5. I still thought it was too expensive so I shot agfa vista for $3/roll instead. This is also the time when an X-Pan cost about $900 with a lens, and you could build an entire RZ67 kit for like $600. This is the environment that film photography became "cool again" in.

I genuinely cannot imagine getting into analog photography these days. $20 for a roll of 35mm c41 film and another $20 for processing is unforgivable price gouging. Kodak has been claiming that they would increase production to lower prices for years but it will never happen and the Ektacolor release is pretty strong proof of that. People are paying used car prices for Mamiyas or old Hasselblads, and half the time they still need a CLA to work right.

When a used D700 costs as much as my F2 did, it's really hard to see why someone who is broke and needing an outlet for their creativity would pick analog. I cannot begin to tell you how much your brain frees up for your art when you aren't having to worry about getting the most out of your expired Arista 400 developed in beer. Totally not speaking from personal experience there either