Good luck buying a large format digital camera with a high quality sensor, it'll cost you an arm and a leg. Film cameras are super cheap, you can get 35mms for free on yard sales or Craigslist. Their lenses also. A high quality 50mm prime lens with an old mount is absurdly cheap compared to its modern equivalent used on digital cameras - you can even get high quality prime lenses for free if you're ok with manual focus.
For some mounts, 40-50 year old lenses still work. The breakdown isn't film/digital; it's manufacturers deciding to (or not to) retain backwards compatibility for forward flexibility.
