FUJIFILM X half Digital Camera
Half – Frame…but Digital
The X Half is Recreating the idea of a half-frame film camera in digital form, the Fujifilm x half is an especially sleek and portable point-and-shoot with a unique vertical 1″ sensor design, fixed wide-angle prime lens, and several film-reminiscent shooting functions meant to replicate the enjoyment and decisiveness of shooting film.
18MP 1″ Sensor, 3:4 Vertical Aspect Ratio
Film Camera Mode
When working in this mode, the rear LCD will only display a frame counter, an AF/MF toggle, an option to imprint a timestamp onto the images (a la a point-and-shoot film camera), and a zone focusing scale if working with manual focus—image previews and reviews are disabled.
You’ll need to use the built-in Frame Advance Lever to advance frames, and this shooting method requires you to frame your compositions solely using the optical window viewfinder and use either autofocus with no confirmation or zone focus manually.
X Half Film Simulation Modes
Integral to and pairing perfectly with the Film Camera Mode, the X half heavily emphasizes the use of their Film Simulation modes while shooting. The secondary sub LCD next to the main rear LCD mimics the look of a rear window on a film camera to check which kind of film you have loaded, and this small touchscreen display also allows you to intuitively cycle through the different Film Simulation modes by swiping up or down.
There are 13 distinct Film Simulations, including the ultra-vibrant Velvia, the nostalgic Classic Chrome, and the artistic black-and-white Acros; and the Grain Effect setting allows you to adjust the apparent graininess of each film type. Additionally, there are 26 filters to add on top of the Film Simulations, all inspired by the distinct traits of film, including Light Leak, Halation, Expired Film, and Double Exposure.
X Half 2-in-1 Shooting Mode
A common method of sharing half-frame film photos is to show two sequential frames next to each other as a diptych; since two half frames comprise a single full frame, this method makes it easier for film trimming, printing, and sharing. Mimicking this, the X half has a 2-in-1 function to automatically create in-camera diptychs from two sequential exposures—either photo or video.
After shooting the first frame, use the Frame Advance Lever to activate this mode and then the second subsequent frame will form the finished diptych, resulting in a single file. Custom settings allow you to adjust the background color, border width, and border style of the diptych composition.
Wide-Angle Prime Lens
Fixed FUJINON Aspherical 10.8mm f/2.8 lens offers a 32mm equivalent focal length—this versatile wide-angle field of view suits everyday shooting and working with a variety of subjects.
Manual aperture ring surrounds the lens and incorporates a tab to make aperture switching easier. Also, there’s an ‘A’ position on the ring to force the camera into shutter-speed priority or program exposure modes.
Front focusing ring for manually adjusting focus down to a minimum 4″ distance. When working in the Film Mode, this ring can still shift focus with the set distance shown on the zone focusing scale.
Design Details
Meant to be especially compact and portable, the X half incorporates a handful of additional unique design elements to make it more fun to use, more akin to shooting film, and faster to operate for on-the-fly shooting.
- Built-in LED flash to illuminate subjects in low-light conditions.
- Cold shoe on the top plate can be used to hold optional accessories, such as external lights.
- Single SD memory card slot.
- Powered by an NP-W126S rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
- USB-C port on the side of the camera can be used for battery charging, file transferring, and for audio monitoring via headphones.
