- Fujifilm is expected to launch a half-hit digital camera called the x-half
- Online leaks suggest a 1-inch sensor, 10 mm f/2.8 lens and vertical LCD
- Teaser trailer tip for upcoming release, with ‘See You Soon’ line
Fujifilm is working on something peculiar. If the rumors are right, it is ready to release half a digital camera that puts a modern VRI on the classic film photography format. It is expected to be called the X-half-and it could be Fujifilm’s most unusual camera for years.
Fujifilm recently teased the new model release in an official clip, with tagline ‘Half the size, twice as big as the story’. This caption adds weight to online speculation that the camera is shooting semi-frame still images using a digital sensor. A shady silhouette shown in that video also suggests that the x-half adopts the retro analog styling of recent Fujifilm cameras, including X100VI.
What else can we expect from the x-half? Fujifilm has teased at an imminent release with the line ‘See you soon’, but we don’t know exactly when the camera will be revealed. What we have is a list of leaked specifications shared by reliable online sources. Overall, these suggest that the x-half will be a fun camera with potentially viral retro appeal, designed to tempt smartphone photographers to the camera’s ownership.
Here are five features we expect to look at the strangest camera in 2025.
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1. Half -frame photography
The heading function of the x-half is expected to be half frame photography. Traditionally, this technique allowed analog cameras to capture two portrait exposures on a single frame of 35 mm film, giving photographers twice the number of still images from a roll. The resulting compound images were known as ‘Diptychs’ with two vertical scenes combined side by side.
Exactly how Fujifilm will perform this effect in a digital camera is not clear, but it is expected to be the most important point of sale for the x-half. Based on information from named sources, Fuji Rumors has suggested that the new camera allows you to press the shutter once to catch the first half of the image and then again to shoot the other.
2. 1-inch sensor
Fuji Rumors has also reported that the X-half will contain a 1-inch sensor. This fits with its positioning as a premium point-and-shoot: that sensor size would be smaller than APS-C, giving Fujifilm the opportunity to pack the x-half with compact proportions, yet catches more light and details than the best camera phones.
There has been a lot of talk about the sensor’s orientation. Several sources have suggested that it could be placed vertically, giving the x-half the opportunity to shoot portrait images, which are then digitally composed for diptychs. This setup would also be suitable for the creation of content: Provided the camera has a standard mode, vertical images are ideal for sharing social medial.
3. Corrected 10 mm f/2.8 -lens
The latest șPEC leaks have suggested that Fujiiflm’s semi-frame camera will have a fixed 10 mm lens with an aperture of f/2.8. Combined with a 1-inch sensor, it would give it a full frame equivalent of 28 mm-one focal length we have seen used for good use in other premium compacts, including Ricoh GR III. It is a natural fit for street photography and a well -known for smartphone users.
The F/2.8 opening is pretty slow for a fixed lens, especially paired with a 1-inch sensor. This combination will limit both low light performance and the low depth of field effect. If exactly, it probably reflects the location of the x-half as a fun, entry level and shoot rather than a serious photography tool.
4. Vertical LCD screen
Another rumor circulating online relates to the LCD display. According to Fuji rumors, the X-half will have at least one cutting moranized vertical. Based on the teaser trailer we think we know why. In this clip, a provia film logo is visible on the back of the camera. We believe this suggests that the X-half will have a preview window for digital film to show the chosen film mode that emulates the physical equivalent found on some analog cameras.
It’s a feature we’ve seen before: On X-Pro 3, a mini-screen showed the selected film simulation recipe. Given the x-half’s core focus on analog emulation, including a rumored ‘film roll mode’ that locks settings for 36 exposures, we would not be surprised to see an LCD dedicated to showing the logo for the selected movie. This may sound gimmicky, but it leans heavily into the hybrid analog aesthetics.
5. Optical Seeking
So also suggests the hint that the X-half will contain an optical seeker rather than an EVF. This would be another NIKK for analog half-frame cameras, especially if oriented vertical (as it is on Pentax 17, a recent resuscitation of the semi-frame film format and one of the best movie cameras you can buy in 2025).
Along with a physical exposure compensation button, an optical viewfinder could give users the impression that they are shooting on film with an analog camera despite the digital sensor inside. The question is how effective Fuji is able to perform and knock out this proposal without the x-half feeling like a new camera-as some purists already call it.
