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Tom's Guide
18-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
I tested the Fujifilm X half — and it proves that specs aren't as important as having fun
It isn't very often that I come across a camera that amuses me or tickles my fancy, but the Fujifilm X half has done just that. It's a very interesting camera, and it's unlike most other cameras in the brand's current lineup. It combines both digital and analog photography by introducing a Film Camera Mode that doesn't let you view your photos until you 'develop' them on your smartphone. Neat! Fuji's beautiful color science is on full display as you have access to the brand's most popular film simulation recipes, as well as an array of filters. Its twin displays are clever and well implemented, although I wish some features (like the dim monitor) were better. And while the camera takes good photos, it can't shoot in RAW. It doesn't come cheap either, given the above. Is it one of the best cameras for you? Read my full Fujifilm X half review to find out. Specs Fujifilm X half Price $849 / £690 Sensor 17.7MP 1-inch CMOS Processor Not specified Stabilization None AF system Contrast detection Focus modes Single AF, Continuous AF, Manual Focus Viewfinder OVF Display 2.4-inch Color LCD touchscreen, approx. 0.92 million dots ISO range 200-12,800 Max video resolution FHD/48p Ports USB-C, 1x SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I Wireless/Bluetooth Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Max shooting speed 1fps Max shutter speed 15m to 1/2000s (stills) | 1/24s to 1/2000s (video) Battery life (Stills, CIPA) 880 shots Battery life (Video, CIPA) 95 minutes (FHD/24p) | 85 minutes (FHD/48p) Size 4.16 x 2.53 x 1.8 inches Weight 6.73oz (body only) Announced in June 2025, the Fujifilm X half is unlike any other camera in the brand's lineup. It's a fixed-lens digital camera with a dedicated film photography mode that makes photography simple and intuitive, and the camera's all about having fun. It retails for $849 / £690, and is available in three colorways: Black, Charcoal and Silver. There aren't any other cameras like the X half as, like I said, it blends digital and analog photography. It takes vertical, half-frame photos so one may compare it to film cameras like the Pentax 17 ($499) and the Kodak Ektar H35 ($49). It's also nearly as expensive as an interchangeable lens camera like the Fujifilm X-M5 ($799). So why wouldn't you just buy the X-M5 instead? If you want a pocketable, compact camera that you can get past security at concerts; or a camera that doesn't require you to know the ins and outs of photography yet still takes good photos — you'd get the X half. The Fujifilm X half is a very small camera, and I think it looks great — although I do wish its body was made of metal rather than plastic. Still, it's cute and eye-catching. It's available in three colors: Black, Charcoal and Silver. I tested the Black model which looks great, but I also spent a couple hours with the other colorways, and the Charcoal is my favorite. The camera measures just 4.16 x 2.53 x 1.8 inches, so it's highly pocketable, and it weighs barely anything at 6.73oz. Carrying it in my jacket's pocket and even my jeans' back pocket was easy. In fact, it's a whole ounce lighter than my Google Pixel 7 Pro! It's a great camera to handle too. Given its compact size, I used it easily with just one hand to take photos and capture video footage. I have medium-sized hands and had no problems using the camera with both hands either. Unsurprisingly given the Fujifilm X half's size and purpose, its ports are minimal. There's a USB-C port on the left-hand edge for data transfer and charging. There's no 3.5mm input or output or micro HDMI support. The camera's bottom plate houses the battery pack and one SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I memory card, both of which are located behind a hatch. And that's about it. Like I said, it's a no-frills camera meant for beginners and casual photographers. The Fujifilm X half sports twin LCD touchscreens. The main monitor is a 2.4-inch Color LCD touchscreen with a resolution of approximately 0.92 million dots. In my testing, this touchscreen was highly responsive, but I wish it was a smidge brighter as I struggled to see it in direct sunlight. I also wish it was slightly bigger as it only takes up a third of the space on the back panel, but it's on purpose as it fills up with a half-frame 4:3 shot. The other vertical, rounded touchscreen is located next to the main monitor. It enables you to swap between film simulation recipes as well as advanced filters, such as fisheye, light leak, expired film, etc. Again, it proved very responsive and I didn't notice any lag between changing the settings — I thoroughly enjoyed using it. I primarily used the Fujifilm X half's monitor to take photos and didn't find myself naturally reaching for the viewfinder, as the camera's very small. The OVF is really basic and doesn't display any useful information — it feels redundant on this camera. The LED lamp next to the viewfinder is handy, though, as it switches between red and green depending on whether the camera is buffering and saving a video to the SD card and the like. At this price point, most cameras aren't weather-sealed. For instance, the Fujifilm X-M5 isn't weather-sealed and neither is the Fujifilm X half. I'd advise against using it in heavy rain or in very dusty or sandy conditions. It's a shame, as this camera is very easy to travel with, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. There aren't many physical controls on the Fujifilm X half as its touchscreen enables you to change every setting. I found it easy to use and quick to swap between different exposure and shutter speed settings via swipes and taps. Swiping down on the main touchscreen lets you pair the camera with a smartphone and enter Film Camera Mode. Tapping on the latter basically turns the X half into a film camera. You get to select the number of shots (36, 54, 72), toggle date stamp on or off, and choose the exposure mode. The main touchscreen will then show you a shot counter. And just like on a film camera, you won't be able to see the photos until you exhaust the roll and connect the camera to your phone and use the X half app to 'develop' the photos. The app itself is extremely easy to use with a clean interface, and there is some joy to be had in watching your photos come through on your phone. This isn't really film photography, as purists will rightly argue, but I still think it's a lot of fun! I liked not being able to see the photos I'd taken until I 'developed' the roll. Some photos came out imperfect, as is the nature of film, and I loved that. It quickly became my favorite feature. Located on the top plate is a lever that lets you take a second photo and stitches them into one composition, creating a diptych and letting you tell a two-part story — like a half-frame film camera. You also need to use this lever to advance the 'film roll' when in Film Camera Mode. Although this is fun, it's finicky because there were a few instances where I had to do it twice to advance the film. The Fujifilm X half's autofocus system utilizes contrast detection to focus on humans' eyes and faces. You can choose for the camera to prioritize the left, right or both eyes, or faces. There's no subject detection for animals, birds or vehicles. On humans, though, it works as intended, as you can see in the gallery above. Quick to focus, the X half promptly locked onto my colleague's face in the first photo, and the resulting photo is sharp. Similarly, it focuses well on my face in the selfie I took (even though I'm not in the centre of the frame). I was also impressed that the X half locked onto the two people on a river boat, as can be seen in the third photo. The Fujifilm X half features a 1-inch CMOS sensor that captures 17.7MP images. As with most other Fuji cameras, color reproduction is faithful and you get access to 13 film simulation recipes for extra creativity (while on Fuji's more premium cameras like the Fujifilm X-T50, you get access to 20+). Given its compact size and good image quality, the X half and its 32mm prime lens are best suited to travel, street and candid portraits. In bright conditions, the X half takes stunning photos with popping colors, even in the Provia Standard color profile. Shadows and highlights are balanced well, with a nice amount of contrast, as you can see in the photos in the gallery above. You can also see plenty of detail in the flowers and leaves which is very commendable for a camera of its size. As I mentioned up top, there are 13 film simulation recipes to choose from. The photos in the gallery above were shot in Nostalgic Neg, Acros and Velvia Vivid. I love Nostalgic Neg so I'm really pleased it has made an appearance on the X half. Fuji says that it has only added its most popular film sims to this camera, which includes Astia and the newest Reala Ace. Alongside film sims, you have access to several filters, such as Light Leak, Toy, Mini, Expired Film, Vignette, Mirror, Double Exposure and more. You can see a few examples above of Double Exposure, Mirror, Green Expired Film and Toy. You can't use these in conjunction with the film sims, though. Still, they allow you to get more creative and experiment with different styles. Double Exposure is a classic and still remains my favorite even after testing all of the others on the X half. One of the Fujifilm X half's drawbacks is that it cannot shoot RAW images, so once you click the shutter for a JPEG, that's it — your color profile is baked in and you'll have much les freedom in post production than with RAW files. When I test a camera's ISO performance, I compare the RAW file against the straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPEG as this lets us compare how well a camera's in-camera noise processing performs versus the unprocessed RAW file. As I didn't have that option with the X half, I'll just analyze how well the noise processing worked on JPEGs. The X half has an ISO range of 200-12,800. As is the nature of the camera, keeping in line with the film feel, the photos it takes are slightly grainy anyway, although noise naturally gets worse at high ISO values too. But are they sharp? The photos in the gallery above were shot at ISO6,400, 8,000, 10,000 and 12,800. The first two shots are fairly sharp as you can make out the boundaries of every sticker in the Lego F1 car. However, at ISO10,000 and 12,800, there is a loss in sharpness around the car's nose and in the driver's helmet — this is from the camera's processors smoothing out noise, sacrificing definition. It's important to remember that this camera is very small and has a 1-inch sensor. Such small sensors generally struggle at high ISO values. The Fujifilm X half is a hybrid camera as it can shoot FHD video at either 24p or 48p in 4:2:0 8-bit depth, which means the camera can capture a total of 16.77 million colors. You can see what sample video looks like above. Even video footage has a film-like feel to it which may appeal to a lot of people who want to maintain a certain social media aesthetic. What I love about the X half is that you can stitch two videos together, as you can with photos, creating a moving diptych. It follows the same procedure: take a video and then use the lever on the top plate to record another. What's even better is that you can do this with a photo and a video. There's a lot of potential in a feature like that. Of course, there's no in-body or electronic stabilization so you'll have to be very still to capture shake-free handheld footage, or use a tripod. The Fujifilm X half has a mahoosive battery life. It utilizes the NP-W126S Li-ion battery pack — the same as the one in the Fujifilm X100VI ($1,599) — and according to CIPA numbers, the X half can take 880 stills on a single charge. For video, when recording at FHD/24p, you can achieve 95 minutes and this drops to 85 minutes when shooting at 48p. Regardless, that's fantastic. CIPA ratings are derived under very strict testing conditions, and real-world results will always differ. I put the camera through a battery test where I kept taking photos indoors with the monitor, without changing film sims or filters, and I took nearly 950 photos before the camera died. That's a great number as you won't need to worry about running out of juice on a long road trip or at a festival. If you want a simple-to-use camera that's highly responsive and doesn't require you to know the ins and outs of photography, the Fujifilm X half is for you. It's extremely easy to use with its twin touchscreen displays, and I'm a big fan of the dedicated Film Camera Mode. If you want to feel like you're using a film camera, this setting basically doesn't let you see the photos you've taken until you 'develop' them on your smartphone — clever and fun. With long battery life and film simulation recipes and filters available at your fingertips, the X half lets you get creative while still remaining hassle-free. It's the perfect camera for concerts, festivals, candid portraits, and more… as long as you don't mind the steep price tag as it costs nearly as much as an interchangeable lens camera like the Fujifilm X-M5. Also, I wish the screen was a touch brighter and the camera shot RAW images. Regardless, if you can afford it and want a simple, cutesy camera to accompany your professional gear, the X half is a fantastic choice. It proves that specs aren't always everything — sometimes it's about having fun.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Yahoo
5 Reasons Why the Digital Camera Is Making a Comeback
You probably fondly remember your first digital camera if you're above a certain age. I bet its size, shape and various buttons have all just now come immediately to mind. I bet some moments you captured on that amazing device have also come to mind. I mean, imagine being able to photograph your friends, family and various adventures! What a novelty. If you're above yet another age, being able to do that without the cost and limitations of film is yet another life milestone. If this is you, you might be surprised and a little confused about the resurgence of digital cameras. As beloved as they were, surely everyone has replaced them with the cameras on their smartphones, right? Well, you're not entirely wrong. The camera market tanked in the late 2010s, and manufacturers discontinued most or all of their lower and midrange cameras. But now, not only is the used camera market exploding, but manufacturers like Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Fujifilm and others are either updating old models with modern features like USB-C and Bluetooth, or they're releasing entirely new models. Here's why. "What's old is new again," an adage as old as it is new. Every generation is fascinated by the technology and culture that preceded it. People reach a certain age and are interested in things their parents knew and did at that age. See the interest in things like vinyl records, cassette tapes, film cameras and instant cameras over the past few years. There's also humor and warm nostalgia to be had by "older" people carrying around the pocket point-and-shoot they had in their youth. Taking photos with your phone, once a novelty, is now mundane. Sure, it captures a moment, but for many, the photo itself isn't special. The moment and the memory it evokes might be, but the highly processed image isn't. Taking out a camera, waiting for it to turn on, and making the moment about taking this specific photo add to its specialness. I noticed this when I started getting back into film after I reviewed the Pentax 17. Having your phone out and in your hand, ostensibly with the goal of taking photos, inevitably leads to distractions. "Oh, I just got a message." "Oh, I should check my email/Slack/Teams real quick." Having a device that's only used to take photos keeps your phone in your pocket or purse, out of sight and for a few glorious moments, out of mind. (The same can be said for MP3 players.) It's also worth considering that the young people who are driving a lot of recent camera sales grew up with their parents (admittedly, I am of that generation) always being on their phones. Talk to younger Gen Z or older Gen Alpha; many don't want to be online. They grew up online and know better than anyone how awful it is there, uh, here. They want to create a space that's not online, and that's just for them and their friends. To be "more in the moment." Read more: Fujifilm X100VI: TikTok's Favorite Camera Is the Perfect Companion to My iPhone Most modern phones can take amazing photos. This is despite having relatively small image sensors and very small lenses. Much of their image quality prowess comes from extensive and impressive image processing. That does lead to phone images often having a certain "look," however. Digital cameras are quite varied and range from old-school point-and-shoots to full-frame digital SLRs and everything in between. Getting better photos from a digital camera is possible, though that's not assured. What's easier and more likely is getting photos that look different from images captured on a phone. Maybe the photos aren't as good, but that's largely the point. Someone who wants a "perfect" photo can take it on their phone. If they want something stylized or different, it's hard to beat starting with a camera that creates that result just doing its poor, prehistoric best. Yes, you can add a filter in editing so your phone shot looks more "Y2K" vintage. Still, there's something better (and by "better," I absolutely mean objectively worse) about photos from early digital cameras to achieve that aesthetic. TikTok trends often drive the pop culture discourse. That's not great, but it is what it is. Guess what has been popular on TikTok? Popularity on TikTok then spreads to others and eventually to the Very Online (guilty) populace. I'll let you draw your own judgments, but it's definitely a thing and a big part of the resurgence of this once-dead or at least dying technology. So... yay? In the short term, this rise in popularity severely limits the availability of certain popular cameras. Hopefully, these are finding their way into the hands of people who will actually use them and, even better, get into photography. (Many people buy records and don't own a turntable.) It's an expensive hobby, but one I love and that I'd love to see more people enjoy. In the longer term, it's likely a boon for photography hobbyists as we'll see more of these new, or at least refreshed, models from many big manufacturers. So, have a look in that drawer you never look in or in the deep corners of your closet. Maybe your old "digicam" is still there, covered in dust and filled with long-forgotten photos. If you don't want to be hip and trendy with your cool retro camera, there's always eBay. In addition to covering audio and display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips and more. Also, check out , his travel book, and his about city-size submarines. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
