Fujifilm has been gradually dropping hints about an upcoming retro camera. The newest teaser doesn’t offer any additional glimpses of the camera that fans haven’t seen yet – but it actually reveals quite a bit of insight into what Fujifilm means by “Half the size, twice the story.”
The teaser also gives the upcoming camera an official announcement date: May 22 at 01:00 EST / 06:00 BST / 15:00 AEDT.
The new teaser video, released on May 15, doesn’t focus on the camera but on conceptual footage. Fujifilm says the footage was shot on the GFX100 II, not the upcoming camera, but called it a "concept video." Based on the video, I think that concept is a diptych.
ABOVE: Watch the new Fujifilm teaser
A diptych is artwork with two sides. In photography, the dual format was popular when working with half-frame film cameras that place two images on one frame of film.
A diptych can be used to photograph two different angles of the same subject or to create a statement with two seemingly opposite images, just to name a few of the possibilities.
The teaser video shows both video diptychs and standard single-angle video footage. It’s unclear if Fuifilm is teasing in-camera diptych capabilities or if the footage is edited, perhaps to make a statement about the camera’s sensor.
The original teaser and “half the size” tagline have already produced a lot of speculation that the upcoming Fujifilm camera is a half-frame camera. The format is popular for both the diptych and the ability to put twice as many photos on one roll of film.
But we know that the upcoming camera is part of the X Series, which hints at a digital sensor. A digital half-frame camera would be unusual, but would probably fit right into the retro camera trend.
Another oddity of half-frame cameras that may be well-suited for the digital age is that the images are vertical. The photographer has to turn the camera for a horizontal image instead of the other way around.
With smartphones being a key way that we view images and videos, the vertical format makes sense. In fact, that smartphone-ready format was part of the appeal of the Pentax 17 – a modern half-frame film camera.
The teaser video comes with some hints in the caption as well: “The concept behind our upcoming X Series camera blends innovation with nostalgia, offering a truly unique experience.”
Of course, Fujifilm’s X series has long been about its digital film simulations, so I’d be more surprised if the camera didn’t have a “blend of innovation and nostalgia” than if it did, so that’s hardly an earth-shattering detail.
Like with the previous teasers, the video ends with a glimpse of the back of the camera, poorly lit on purpose to obscure many of the details. What we can see, however, is a rangefinder-type viewfinder off to one side and what appears like an odd screen or window meant to display the film simulation.
Whether or not the speculation stemming from the teasers is right, creatives only have to wait until next week to see the big reveal.
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