As someone who actively shoots film in 2021, as well as old manual focus film lenses on digital cameras, my thoughts would include:

1) Consider a mirrorless body that allows for sharing all your current film lenses with now a practical 'digital back'.

2) If you have AF capable film lenses, consider the compatibility of these lenses with a target digital camera, whether mirrorless or DSLR. I say this with the idea of maintaining film shooting along with digital.

Personally, I gave up on manual focus film lenses and bodies about 5 years ago. I can't focus as well manually without digital aids and I was just wasting film as compared to what I can do with AF-capable lenses. Now, I seamlessly share my Canon EF lenses, with both AF and IS, with an EOS 1v for film and the corresponding EOS 5DIII for DSLR.

The old completely manual / non electronic Canon FD lenses I mount to a Sony a7II. Multiple tools in the mirrorless Electronic View Finder (EVF) let me focus these lens better than I ever could with the manual focus film bodies, better than even back in my 20s with fresher eyes.

Ideally, I'd have one EOS mirrorless platform for both AF and MF lenses as a digital platform. That consolidation is still a few years into the future, as the option didn't exist in the past when I made the decision to dump the MF film bodies for the Sony. Depending on your legacy film equipment, you may / may not have an option to add a digital body that leverages all the old equipment on the new.

Well, take it back a few steps. Critical thinking might argue that digital photography is for those who lack skill. You have technology which allows you to shoot at any ISO, shutter speed or aperture or any variable. Focus, heck we’ve had auto focus in point and shoot film cameras and gotten spoiled. Photography as an art or a skill went away with the rangefinder and the view camera. Thank George Eastman for making it a pastime. How many birthdays, graduations and family vacations have been shot since roll film came into existence? The push has always been in this society to make everything easy, simple and thoughtless. Grab a burger, beer and watch a movie on a massive screen at home sitting there in your underware.

I just shot 2 rolls of film last week. I heard people even still do oil paintings in this digital age!

Using the latest greatest gear with the most over the top specs is in itself a hobby goal for some - and not just in photography. Just remember a skilled automobile driver (who actually enjoys the experience of driving) doesn't need ABS, power steering or automatic transmission.

Your needs should determine the technology used - are you a pro sports photographer or maybe selling fine art prints? - it's a balance between creative hands on decisions and running autopilot to achieve the goal at hand.

As someone who actively shoots film in 2021, as well as old manual focus film lenses on digital cameras, my thoughts would include:

1) Consider a mirrorless body that allows for sharing all your current film lenses with now a practical 'digital back'.

2) If you have AF capable film lenses, consider the compatibility of these lenses with a target digital camera, whether mirrorless or DSLR. I say this with the idea of maintaining film shooting along with digital.

Personally, I gave up on manual focus film lenses and bodies about 5 years ago. I can't focus as well manually without digital aids and I was just wasting film as compared to what I can do with AF-capable lenses. Now, I seamlessly share my Canon EF lenses, with both AF and IS, with an EOS 1v for film and the corresponding EOS 5DIII for DSLR.

The old completely manual / non electronic Canon FD lenses I mount to a Sony a7II. Multiple tools in the mirrorless Electronic View Finder (EVF) let me focus these lens better than I ever could with the manual focus film bodies, better than even back in my 20s with fresher eyes.

Ideally, I'd have one EOS mirrorless platform for both AF and MF lenses as a digital platform. That consolidation is still a few years into the future, as the option didn't exist in the past when I made the decision to dump the MF film bodies for the Sony. Depending on your legacy film equipment, you may / may not have an option to add a digital body that leverages all the old equipment on the new.

I just shot 2 rolls of film last week. I heard people even still do oil paintings in this digital age!

Using the latest greatest gear with the most over the top specs is in itself a hobby goal for some - and not just in photography. Just remember a skilled automobile driver (who actually enjoys the experience of driving) doesn't need ABS, power steering or automatic transmission.

Your needs should determine the technology used - are you a pro sports photographer or maybe selling fine art prints? - it's a balance between creative hands on decisions and running autopilot to achieve the goal at hand.