Fujifilm's new X half camera mashes up analogue and digital and goes fully vertical

There's a lot to like about the new Fujifilm X half with some innovative new features though it's let down by some basic specs.

Fujifilm has been teasing the Fujifilm X half for a while now, and now it's arrived it seems to be just as weird as the hints suggested. It's a digital / analogue hybrid in many respects, with some nods along the way to the company's Instax line as well. 

The headline is that it features a default vertical format, 2-in-1 imagery, and Fujifilm’s color reproduction all in a compact body that weighs just 240 grams (8.47 oz). This camera is all about taking 3:4 vertical images, which is why one of the two digital screens on the back and the viewfinder are both vertical (the other screen displays film simulation mode etc).

You want landscapes? fFne. But you're going to have to turn the camera on its side to get them.

For the first time in the company's X Series, the X half features a 1-inch sensor, which elevates it up to the level of the likes of the Sony RX100 VII. This is coupled with a 10.8mm f/2.8 focal length that gives the same 32mm full-frame equivalent as the QuickSnap one-time-use cameras. It's all a bit underpowered though, delivering only an 18MP resolution and 1080p video. There's no burst mode, no 4k, you get a maximum 1/2000 out of the mechanical shutter, no stabilisation... the list wends on.

But there are some really good things in here that are worth mentioning, even if they verge a bit on the gimmicky side. Film Camera Mode, for instance, is all about replicating the analogue feel with digital tools. This locks you into using a manual film advance and even locks playback so you can't see what you've shot until the 'roll' is finished. You then use the accompanying app to 'develop' it. 

Meanwhile, the 2-in-1 function can be used to automatically create in-camera diptychs from two sequential exposures—either photo or video.

Three newly developed filters have been added: “Light Leak”, “Halation”, and “Expired Film”. These filters make it possible to enjoy the distinctive expressions of film cameras in digital form. Additionally, eight popular filters from the Instax product line, including double exposure, are also included.

Pricing and availability

The Fujifilm X half will be available in mid June for $849. It look unique and it looks fun, and along with cameras such as the Sigma BF it's good to see that the spirit of innovation is alive and well in photography land. You just can't help feeling that it's a couple of hundred dollars too far north of being something that people will happily drop money on just to fool around with a bit.