So what do you buy the photographer who has everything? The old joke answer was, “Nothing”!

For many today the answer might be, “The latest multi-megapixel wunderkind digital camera”. Hmm... not if you like decent quality images it’s not. The answer to the question for me is, “Some nice fresh film, please”.

I do not need another camera, I love the ones I have got, I simply need some camera food for my existing favourite cameras; my Contax G2, Zeiss Ikon ZM and Fujifilm GA645Zi. To feed them I prefer Fujicolor film and typically use 160C, 400H and 800Z Professional in 135 and 120 formats together with Superia 1600 in 35mm.

Why film? Easy, to get the very best in colour acutance, fine grain, sharpness and wide exposure latitude i.e. really high technical quality. You simply can’t beat it. Digital is pathetic by comparison. You need about 40 good and big mega pixels to come close to matching real photographic prints from traditional 35mm film. With medium format film and above then even 40 mega pixels won’t come close. Trying to cram 40mp onto a 35mm sized chip won’t cut it, the pixels will have to have been shrunk too much to get them all on.

Interestingly the just released Leica S2 might just be the camera that finally does the job. It has the size and handling of a current professional 35mm D-SLR but has a chip measuring 30 x 45 mm (35mm is 24 x 36mm) and with 37.5 million pixels, you are getting very close to the ideal. Finally a D-SLR that potentially matches 35mm film quality - we shall have to see.

Mind you with a body only price of £15,996 (£19,092 for the posh version with sapphire screen) and lenses in the range of £3,096 to £5,160 you would expect this thing to not only be photographically brilliant but make the tea too. So, an entry price of over £19,000 just to match, potentially, 35mm film quality, makes you think!

Thus for Christmas I am hoping for Santa to bring me some 400H, 800Z and 1600 film in my two favourite 135 and 120 formats. I have dropped enough hints, so fingers crossed for a successful delivery. Cor, just think how much film I could get for £19,000. Santa? Santa! Oh, Santa ... er, he seems to have gone...