Fujifilm has always had a unique talent for blurring the line between film and digital. From its legendary film simulations to the tactile feel of its cameras, the brand has a knack for making the magic of film photography accessible in a modern way.
With the new Fujifilm X Half, that philosophy has been taken a step further: a hybrid digital camera that captures the joy of shooting film, without the cost or hassle.
As someone who loves shooting film, I was immediately drawn to the X Half. Half-frame cameras have always fascinated me; the way they double the number of exposures per roll and encourage a slower, more deliberate approach to photography.
But in recent years, shooting film has become increasingly challenging. Film prices have risen, labs have become scarce, and simply getting images back requires time, effort, and patience. The X Half brings all the charm of film photography into a compact, convenient digital package.
Weighing just 240g, the X Half is astonishingly light. It’s small enough to carry everywhere; tucked in a bag for a city walk, or slipped into a coat pocket for an afternoon adventure. Its size invites experimentation. I found myself taking it out whenever I left the house, eager to frame small, intimate moments I might otherwise have missed.
The design draws heavily from classic half-frame cameras. There’s a winding lever to advance your next frame, and the half-frame mode creates diptychs that instantly sparked my creativity. I loved playing with the pairing of images. A quiet street scene followed by a passing gesture, or two moments from the same event, captured side by side.
Coupled with Fujifilm’s Film Camera Mode, which enables you to set a shooting limit of 36 or 72 exposures and locks you into the roll until it’s finished, the X Half perfectly recreates the ritual of shooting film – though you can unlock the mode at any time if curiosity gets the better of you. Holding off and seeing them later in the contact sheet felt exactly like receiving negatives from a lab all those years ago, that mixture of anticipation, surprise, and delight.
In practice, the X Half keeps you in the moment. You stop chimping at the LCD and instead begin to compose each shot thoughtfully. I load up Acros for deep, contrasty monochrome shots, and Classic Chrome for soft, timeless colours; two of Fujifilm’s most iconic film simulations. Together, they provide a cinematic quality that feels nostalgic, yet unmistakably modern. For added creativity, the camera also offers light leak and halation effects, and a 2-in-1 mode enables you to combine two still images or videos into a single in-camera composition.
I have been taking it to places to capture authentic moments – a walk through city streets, a quiet café, or a family outing to the aquarium. The X Half’s compact design and intuitive layout make it easy to carry, easy to shoot, and easy to enjoy.
The rear LCD screen, vertical shooting option, and 3:4 aspect ratio for movie recording are ideal for sharing on social media, while the dedicated X Half app enables you to view and share your images seamlessly via Bluetooth.
Unlike a full-size professional camera, the X Half isn’t designed to replace your main gear. Instead, it exists in a space of its own. It’s a camera for beginners who want to explore the look of film, for seasoned photographers seeking a lightweight companion, and for anyone who simply wants to fall back in love with the act of making pictures.
Available in Black, Silver, and Graphite, and retailing at $849 / £699, the Fujifilm X Half offers a complete photographic experience in a pocketable package. Whether you’re curious about film photography or just after a fun, creative camera to carry around every day, it ticks all the boxes.
