Fujifilm’s X Half is an $850 digital digicam with an analog movie aesthetic

Fujifilm has already launched one uncommon digicam this 12 months within the GFX100 RF medium format compact, however it’s newest mannequin would be the most offbeat but. The $850 X Half is an 18-megapixel digital compact digicam, however it makes use of half of a 1-inch sensor to shoot 3:4 vertical images. To drive residence the retro vibe, it has a rear display screen devoted to displaying the digicam’s 13 movie simulation modes and may solely shoot JPEG and never RAW photos.

The title comes from “half-frame” cameras common within the ’60s, just like the well-known Olympus Pen F, that use a 35mm movie body sawed in half (18mm x 24mm in measurement). The backside-illuminated sensor on Fujifilm’s X Half is, nicely, half that measurement in each dimensions (8.8mm x 13.3mm) or 1 / 4 the realm. It is also the smallest sensor on any latest Fujifilm digital digicam, because the X-series makes use of the APS-C format and GFX fashions medium format. In reality, the X Half has the identical 3:4 vertical ratio as Fuji’s Instax Mini on the spot cameras — so you may make prints utilizing an Instax Mini printer by way of the brand new devoted X Half smartphone app.

The X Half naturally makes use of Fujifilm’s movie simulation and grain impact modes. Among the many new ones are “gentle leak” for a blown-out high quality that occurs when movie get uncovered to gentle inadvertently, “expired movie” and “halation,” an impact brought on by gentle bouncing off movie emulsion layers. To actually get you into that analog movie temper, you may change to the brand new Movie Digicam Mode that limits your view to the optical viewfinder, makes you pull a body advance lever for every new shot and solely allows you to see the images as soon as they’re “developed” by means of the X Half app. It even produces a “contact sheet” format for 36, 54 or 72 photos.

One other function is 2-in-1 photos that allow you to mix two nonetheless photos or films into one composition in-camera for additional creative prospects (utilizing the movie advance lever once more). That additionally means the X Half can shoot video in addition to images, with a vertical or sq. measurement (as much as 2,160 x 2,160) that appears superb for social media — particularly with movie simulations utilized. Additionally exuding nostalgic vibes is the “Date Stamp” operate that permits you to imprint dates within the backside proper of photos, similar to on old-school Kodak-style movie digicam.

On high of the primary rear 2.40inch LCD 3:4 monitor, the X Half has an optical moderately than an digital viewfinder, including one other analog contact (and the accompanying parallax distortion errors). The digicam itself is sufficiently small to slip right into a pocket and weighs simply 210 grams (7.4 ounces). Different options embrace a built-in flash, large 880 body battery life and SD UHS-I card slot.

The X Half seems prefer it may very well be coveted by social media customers or anybody on the lookout for a enjoyable occasion or trip digicam. Nonetheless, it is costly contemplating that you may simply get an Instax (or common movie digicam and plenty of movie) for lots much less. Fujifilm has positively captured the images zeitgeist earlier than with fashions just like the X100 VI, although, so I would not be shocked if it turns into a success. The X Half is now on preorder for $850 (in black, charcoal silver and silver) with transport set to begin on June 12.