Fujifilm X half (charcoal silver) -digital camera

Fujifilm XH1 'X half' (charcoal silver) digital camera

There are cameras that strive for flawless image quality, cameras where design is the most important thing, could the Fuji Xhalf be the first camera that strives for fun? Less specs and frills and more creativity and spontaneous action.

Essentially, the Xhalf is a real camera, with a cine-equivalent 32mm F2.8 fixed lens, Fuji's acclaimed finish quality, a metal body and a size that fits in a jacket pocket. It also weighs only 240g. It comes with Fuji's acclaimed film simulations, grain effects and film effects such as light leaks, so this is a device for those hungry for nostalgia but without the hassles and limitations of film.

Like half-frame cameras like the Olympus Pen, the sensor here is also reversed - the camera takes portrait photos when held horizontally! On the other hand, this is very suitable for the current way of viewing videos and photos.

2-in-1 shooting and film camera mode

The vertical format is also used in 2-in-1 image mode, where you take a picture, set the camera to the “film” rewind button and take a second picture. The camera then creates a single image, or diptych, from these two images with the desired edge. The idea is to tell, for example, emphasize contrasts, show different sides of the same thing, or tell a story with two images despite the limitations of the camera (and the surrounding world). These images can also be created later with a phone app in the same styles.

But the Fuji X half takes the film world a lot deeper, the camera doesn't just slap a color preset on top of the image. There's a dedicated film shooting mode for time travel: first you select the film type, the number of images on the roll, and when to shoot. The photos must be taken with the same settings until the end of the roll, and you can only take photos through the optical viewfinder, not from the screen. After each photo, you have to trigger the shutter with the lever. When the roll is finished, you can switch to Fuji's phone app to watch the photos slowly develop one by one. You can also share thumbnails of the entire roll with others instead of individual photos.

And yes, this may seem like an April Fool's joke or a little Christmas idea from Japanese camera engineers at first, but this is how the Fuji Xhalf works! However, the user experience is logical, the software and camera interfaces work great, and this can give rise to completely new ideas for your own photography. The camera emphasizes spontaneity, capturing the moment, and the importance of taking pictures.

This is further emphasized by the camera's storage formats, the camera only has JPG mode, so if you tend to take hundreds of photos and wait days or months at worst for the right moment to start selecting and editing them, you won't succeed. Take the photo now, with thought and in this moment.

It helps that the 13 film simulations included in the camera are really good, unlike the same familiar ones from the X100VI camera, such as Classic Neg, Reala Ace and Provia. The date of the photos can be seen on the photos in that orange-glowing block font of the film brochures.

The user experience of the Fuji Xhalf has been a key design point, namely that difficult is not fun. It has a mechanical aperture control, exposure compensation, and an optical viewfinder in the style of film brochures, meaning without any information, here you just have a clear image with crop lines.

The back of the camera has two touchscreens, a smaller one for changing film simulations, for example, and a larger one that is also used for taking and reviewing photos. You can swipe across the large screen to access different views and settings.

X half app and mobile printing

The new program makes it super convenient to transfer images to smart devices, and you can also show your joy to others. The experience is really polished and differs positively from other camera manufacturers' apps. Transferring, editing and viewing images works with the same feel that the camera was designed for. So, for many, the Xhalf App may be the favorite place to view images taken with the camera instead of the phone's own gallery.

You can print photos directly via Fuji's Instax Mini Link or Wide Link mobile printers if you want to not only see the tonal world but also feel the photo paper in your hand.

And yes, you can also shoot 1080P video with this. In addition to the size, the great battery life also helps when traveling, according to the standard up to 880 frames per charge, or in practice even more.

Specifications:

• Sensor: 18 megapixel 1' 3:4 CMOS, about half the size of an APS-C sensor
• Lens: fixed Fujinon 10.8mm F2.8 (cinema equivalent focal length 32mm)
• Two LCD touch screens
• 13 film simulations and 26 filters
• Camera 'tuning lever' and exposure compensation dial
• Aperture control ring and manual focus via the lens
• Optical viewfinder for framing
• Works directly with Fuji Instax Link printers
• Video recording: 1080x1440 vertical videos
• Battery: Fuji NP-W126S (approx. 880 shots per charge)
• Size: 105.8 x 64.3 x 45.8mm
• Weight: 240g (including memory card and battery)