When I tried (it was about the first thing I did with an arduino, I'll return to it at some point soon) I found a digital camera handy to check things were working, setting the delay between trigger and flash, finding a decent angle, etc. Next time I try it I'll be using a digital camera to start with then switching to a proper film SLR.
I'm not sure what you mean. As far as checking things, with the trigger you can see the frozen image with your eyes. A cheap point and shoot won't help you set the exposure either.
I also don't know what you mean by proper film SLR. Is it just that you don't have access to a DSLR? My sample was shot with a
Nikon D90 and 70-200 2.8 lens, and the 12x18 prints I made are razor-sharp. Far better than I ever got with 35mm film even in pro Nikon bodies.