Nearly 12 months ago I wrote about the Pentax I7. What made this camera remarkable was the fact it used real film as against being digital.
And I loved it.
Another thing that made the Pentax I7 different was it using a half frame vertical format which meant that out of a 36 roll of 35mm film you’d actually get 72 images.
Now Fujifilm has gone one better with the XHalf camera.
Like the Pentax I7, this also uses the half frame format, but unlike the Pentax, the XHalf is purely digital, but with a bit of a Fujifilm twist.
Those that remember real film will fondly recall that Fujifilm came in a number of different ‘flavours’ such as Astia, Velvia and Provia. Well the XHalf comes with these “looks’ as built in presets along with a further 7, all immediately accessed by swiping a small LED panel on the rear of the camera.
You also get three new filters (Light Leak, Halation and Expired Film) plus a Grain Effect.
If you want real nostalgia, if you have selected a film type like Velvia, you can choose the “size” of the roll – the number of shots – and you are not able to view the images taken until all the shots have been taken.
Ah memories – and heartache!
Another nice retro touch is the inclusion of a frame advance lever that doubles to combine 2 images into 1 for both stills and movies.
Physical Attributes
The XHalf itself is quite tiny in comparison to modern day digital cameras, being just over half the size of my Samsung S24 phone, about twice as thick and weighing a miserable 240g.
Controls are minimal with an on/off switch and exposure dial that also incorporates the shutter release on the top. All other functions such as ISO and shutter speed are accessed through the small colour LCD touch screen on the rear, whilst aperture can be altered either via the LCD or on a lever mounted around the lens itself.
By swiping on the larger of the two LCDs, you bring up a series of menus that allow further changes such as camera setup and user settings.
The focal length is a fixed 32mm
What did surprise me was the inclusion of a viewfinder which I give a definite thumbs up to, and there is also a built-in flash. You have the option of 3 different body styles to choose from to, either black, charcoal, or the definitely retro silver (which would be my choice).
Rated battery life is 880 frames.
A new dedicated “X half app” allows users to view still images and movies directly upload images to social media, print to an instax Link series and apparently some time in the future, order photo products.
Conclusion
The Fujifilm XHalf is indeed an amazing little beast that takes damn fine pictures I have to say, and for the inner TikTok in you very good 3:4 aspect ratio movies. If you are used to having a camera with you at all times, but size has precluded that and therefore you resort to a smartphone, then the Fujifilm XHalf is just the ticket.
Its one drawback might however be the price, because at AUD$1349 it ain’t cheap.
If it was around $899 this camera I reckon would fly off the shelves.