- Retro compact with unique vertical sensor and LCD screen
- It genimagines the half -frame film camera experience
- It’s available globally from June 12 in three colors, priced $ 849 / £ 699 / AU $ 1,349
Fujifilm has surpassed itself with the new X Half – a retro compact camera that packs some of its wildest and direct fun ideas yet, all inspired by film photography.
There is a clue about X Half’s inspiration in the name-It is a digital reimagining of half-frame movie cameras like Pentax 17. I have already tried X Half and it was a much needed dose of fun-check my x half hand-on review.
To facilitate the semi-frame, the X Half’s 18MP JPEG photos are taken in 3 x 4 vertical format, recorded on a vertical 1-inch sensor and composed using the unique vertical LCD.
Next to the fixed screen is a secondary screen that mimics the movie container window, you look at many movie cameras, and there is a fun surprise here – it’s touching sensitive and allows you to iron up or down to choose one of Fujifilm’s film simulations. If this charming feature does not go into future Fujifilm cameras I would be shocked.
Film simulation color effects are well known – they are inspired by Fujifilm film stock and have helped cement Fujifilm’s popularity over the last 10 years through cameras such as X100VI. X Half offers a removed choice of 13 popular film simulations, including Provia and Astia.
You would think that all of the above would be enough to secure X Half’s unique status, but Fujifilm has really released, with even more features for cinematic photography fans to enjoy.
Simulation of movies to another level
When you go a step further from the double screen coming and vertical recording, there is a movie camera mode. This locks you in your selected movie simulation and camera settings like ISO and disables the screen sample, which lets you compose your shots via the optical searcher instead, as if you are recording with movies.
Once your ‘movie’ is used up – either 36, 54 or 72 shots – you can leave the condition and watch the screen again and make changes to settings again.
Movie camera -mode is such a fun feature and for me the closest experience is to film photography that I have had using a digital camera – and It’s optional.
Then there is what is actually a movie wind handle, which in this case through ‘curvature’ is used to create diptychs – these are two vertical shots side by side. These are absorbed individually through the vertical 1-inch sensor, but then compose afterwards and appear, just as you would get with half a frame movie camera on a roll of 35 mm film.
Again, you can take or leave the diptych feature. I expect it’s a nice one to have – to find out how image pairs complement each other, stretching your creative muscles.
We also get some brand new image effects, almost all of which are film photography inspired and include easy leakage, expired film and halation.
Full HD video recording is also possible and the diptych effect can be applied to both photos and videos, which is really neat.
This is all packed in a palm size, premium-feel compact that has a fixed 32 mm f/2.8 lens with a mechanical aperture, plus the same battery as used in cameras as x100VI for an 880-shot life and weighing only 240 g.
Fujifilm has created a dedicated app for the x-half that can be used to manufacture diptychs and upload and view images, plus the camera can connect wirelessly to one of Fujifilm’s Instax printers for on-the-go printing.
The app was not available when I tested the camera but will be able to be downloaded from early June. Meanwhile, Fujifilm X Half itself will be available globally from June 12 in silver, coal and black and cost $ 849 / £ 699 / AU $ 1,349.
I’ve been going through digital cameras for 15 years, and the Fujifilm X half has to be one of the funniest yet – a compact camera with a difference. You can configure it in a way that is as close to a movie camera that you come up with digital, plus it packs the retro look and feel we have come to expect from Fujifilm.
What do you think of Fujifilm X Half? Tell us that in the comments below.
