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, but it surely’s newest mannequin would be the most offbeat but. The $850 X Half is an 18-megapixel digital compact digital camera, but it surely makes use of half of a 1-inch sensor to shoot 3:4 vertical photographs. To drive dwelling 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 widespread 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, nicely, 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. The truth is, the X Half has the identical 3:4 vertical ratio as Fuji’s Instax Mini immediate cameras — so you can also 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 “mild leak” for a blown-out high quality that occurs when movie get uncovered to mild inadvertently, “expired movie” and “halation,” an impact brought on by mild bouncing off movie emulsion layers. To essentially get you into that analog movie temper, you possibly can swap 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 photographs as soon as they’re “developed” by the X Half app. It even produces a “contact sheet” structure for 36, 54 or 72 photos.

One other characteristic is 2-in-1 photos that allow you to mix two nonetheless photos or motion pictures into one composition in-camera for further creative prospects (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 splendid for social media — particularly with movie simulations utilized. Additionally exuding nostalgic vibes is the “Date Stamp” perform that allows you to imprint dates within the backside proper of photos, similar to on old-school Kodak-style movie digital camera.

On high of the primary rear 2.40inch LCD 3:4 monitor, the X Half has an optical quite 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 embrace a built-in flash, huge 880 body battery life and SD UHS-I card slot.

The X Half seems prefer it might be coveted by social media customers or anybody on the lookout for a enjoyable social gathering or trip digital camera. Nevertheless, it is costly contemplating you can simply get an Instax (or common movie digital camera and quite a lot 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 successful. The X Half is now on preorder for $850 (in black, charcoal silver and silver) with delivery set to start out on June 12.