Yes I love film too, but as you say unless you shoot reversal short-ends on a Bolex then it's expensive. If you take DV footage and grade it, it has depth and great colours and hiring a camera is only going to cost you about £100 a day. The trouble with 16mm is that it's not being accepted by several post and audio post places in London any longer, a sign the end is nigh. Shooting sync 16 mm and getting that processed and sound transfer done etc will as you say cost a fortune. My most recent doco shot on DV (click my name and see my web links) cost under £3K in the end.