Fujifilm has a new addition of the size of a pint to its cameras in the X series to come at the end of June: half X. It is a “half-cambe” camera of 18 megapixels with a sensor and a viewfinder focused on the portrait and an F / 2.8 lens equivalent to 32 mm fixed.
Despite being digital, half X concerns the aesthetics of vintage film. The camera of $ 849.99 is so dedicated to an analogy lifestyle that it has an entire secondary screen just to choose one of its 13 films simulations, and it does not take raw photos at all-just JPG, for an experience more what you yourself.
The definition of Fujifilm of a half-frame is a little different from that traditional. Usually, a half-campaign film like the Pentax 17 captures images measuring 18 mm x 24 mm (about half the size of the complete format / 35 mm). But half X uses a 1 inch type sensor measuring 8.8 mm x 13.3 mm, which represents about half of the dimensions of APS-C sensors in other Fujifilm cameras like the X100VI and X-T5. So I assume that this counts on technicality.
But like the Pentax 17 and other real half-ram cameras, half X is to take relaxed and fun snapshots and bring it with you everywhere. It weighs only 8.5 ounces / 240 grams and is small enough to hold in most small bags or even oversized pockets. Half X is close to a traditional disposable camera, but unlike a single -use film camera, it has a glass autofactive glass lens with aspirial corrections, and it even turns a basic video 1080 x 1440. (However, in my briefing on the camera, Justin Stailey of Fujifilm North America described the lens as having “a little character”. colorful to say that the objective is not the most pointed.)
Once you have taken some photos via the traditional optical viewfinder of the X Half (it’s true, there is no FEV or Hybrid Finder here) or its 2.4 -inch portrait orientation touch screen, you can connect to a dedicated smartphone application (launching slightly after the camera) for additional functions. You can create your own diptychs two as a traditional half-ram camera, although you can choose the two images here side by side, or you can opt for two videos or an image and a video.
Fujifilm has cooked other analog inspiration features in the X HALF application, such as a film camera mode which collects your next 36, 54 or 72 images and organizes them in a contact sheet. But the film Nerdiness goes further than that, because the digital film band will be marked with the film simulation that you have used. There is even a false lever in film’s advance to make diptychs, and in cinematographic camera mode, he forces you to use it between taking each plan.
You can rely more in the film kitsch by adding filters, such as a light leakage effect, an expired film look or an hour and a date of the era of the 90s. Of course, as the camera does not pull RAW, the filter and film simulation chosen is completely cooked in the JPG file. You cannot cancel any of them or change it later in post-processing as you would normally with a crude.
Fujifilm certainly adopts a unique approach with half X, trying to capture the interest of young photos of photos who were attracted by imperfections and vibrations of vintage film and digital point and shot cameras. I do not know how many of them will jump at the opportunity to scratch this creative itching with a camera of $ 850 compared to the alternatives costing a fraction of this – like a camphe of $ 70 for digital or any dispute camera of 35 mm for $ 10 to $ 20 – but even if it is half of the pleasure that I had with the Pentax 17, it should prove a good time.
