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

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

The identify comes from “half-frame” cameras standard within the ’60s, just like the well-known Olympus Pen F, that use a 35mm movie body sawed in half (18mm x 24mm in dimension). The backside-illuminated sensor on Fujifilm’s X Half is, effectively, half that dimension in each dimensions (8.8mm x 13.3mm) or 1 / 4 the world. It is also the smallest sensor on any latest Fujifilm digital digital camera, because the X-series makes use of the APS-C format and GFX fashions medium format. Actually, the X Half has the identical 3:4 vertical ratio as Fuji’s Instax Mini immediate cameras — so you may make prints utilizing an Instax Mini printer through 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 attributable to gentle bouncing off movie emulsion layers. To actually get you into that analog movie temper, you possibly can 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 enables you to see the photographs as soon as they’re “developed” by way of the X Half app. It even produces a “contact sheet” structure for 36, 54 or 72 photos.

One other function is 2-in-1 photos that allow you to mix two nonetheless photos or motion pictures into one composition in-camera for additional creative potentialities (utilizing the movie advance lever once more). That additionally means the X Half can shoot video in addition to photographs, with a vertical or sq. dimension (as much as 2,160 x 2,160) that appears perfect 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, identical to on old-school Kodak-style movie digital camera.

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

The X Half appears to be like prefer it could possibly be coveted by social media customers or anybody searching for a enjoyable social gathering or trip digital camera. Nevertheless, it is costly contemplating that you may simply get an Instax (or common movie digital camera and a variety of movie) for lots much less. Fujifilm has undoubtedly captured the pictures 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.