There was one process called "dye transfer." It is a very interesting process, chemically. I seem to remember it involved getting the image in a gelatin layer, and then diffusing it onto a paper substrate. Some hobbyists were doing it, as they thought it was higher quality. I believe kodacolor or some variant was based on that. Older films have a 'dyed-in" quality. (1950 era)
BUT, you can't beat the modern video cameras, IMO. These cameras, used to shoot TV and video since 2000, are quite amazing. They can shoot in low light, and the pics look like 20 megapixel iso 3000 shots with hardly any noise. I bet they are quite cheap nowadays, maybe only $70k, but I don't know. Huge dynamic range, even in low light.