Fujifilm’s been pushing stuff and camera commands like GFX100 RF. But for another roller, the $850 X Half is a real head-turner. The 18MP digital compact is unique, slicing a 1-inch sensor in half for exclusive vertical 3:4-framed shots. No RAW-ing here! The X Half is all about classic JPEG, with a rear screen that allows you to bask in the glow of 13 Fujifilm Classic-film-simulation screens. All things retro refined to capture your world in the perfectly framed vertical image.
Imagine a world where photography was cheaper and more clever. That world existed in the 1960s, thanks to half-frame cameras such as the iconic Olympus Pen F. These great inventions would cut a standard 35mm film frame in half, thereby doubling the shots one could fit on each roll. Paying tribute to this heritage, the new Fujifilm X Half shrinks the sensor even further. A sliver of silicon at 8.8mm x 13.3mm, which is a fourth of the area of those original half-frame cameras. The X Half is akin to a David next to a Goliath of an X-series APS-C, or a Tom Thumb compared to GFX medium format. But where it gets real extra is that X Half shares the same quirky 3:4 vertical ratio as Fuji’s Instax Mini cameras. Digital creations can be wirelessly shot off from one’s phone through the dedicated X Half smartphone app to an Instax Mini printer, thereby fusing the digital world with the analog in a frenzy of retro-chic print life.
Fujifilm
Whereas the X Half may be interpreted as emulation of one particular medium, in truth, it is an embodiment of the whole medium. The application of many of Fujifilm’s classic simulation types is intensified by grain effects so evocative of the past. The new nature of such grain modes as Light Leak conjectures sun-bleached imperfections, while Expired Film drapes everything in layers of beautiful decay. Halation, in contrast, layers an ethereal glow around bright highlights, so characteristic of the classic celluloid.
But a real piece of magic is embodied in the Film Camera Mode. Peering through the optical viewfinder, hearing the satisfying click of the frame advance lever with each shot, and slowly savoring the building anticipation. The pictures are kept secret until development via the X Half app, then finally manifested in a “contact sheet” of either 36, 54, or 72 clicks. This is not just photography; it is a time machine.
Let your artistic side explode with the X Half’s 2-in-1 wonder! Fuse still moments and moving memories into alluring compositions right at the back of the camera (courtesy of that charming film advance lever). Yes, video! They are vertical or square clips (up to 2,160 x 2,160) just begging to be social media stars, complemented by tantalizing film simulations. More vintage ambience? Date Stamp transports you to the good old days of photography by stamping dates in the bottom right corner, just like good old Kodak.
The charming X Half welcomes its owner with an unabashedly retro-style optical viewfinder (parallax quirks invited!), complementing the 2.4-inch LCD. It weighs in at 7.4 ounces, ready to immortalize fleeting moments. Plus, there are built-in flashes, colossal battery life for roughly 880 shots, plus SD UHS-I card slots for days of clicking.
The new X Half camera by Fujifilm, the very definition of retro cool, begs to be Instagrammed from every angle: will it be the newest big thing for partygoers and vacation documentarians? Maybe. The price tag of $850 will probably encourage consumer research on more affordable options. The buyer could purchase tons of Instax film or get a classic film camera all for cheaper. But Fujifilm knows just how to create a magnificent photography frenzy–remember the X100 VI? The X Half is not out of the picture just yet. Pre-orders are open now for black, charcoal silver, and silver colors, with shipments starting June 12. Will it be a run-away success? It’s your bet.
FUJIFILM X Half
$850 at Amazon
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