Latest news with #XHalf
The Citizen
24-05-2025
- The Citizen
Fujifilm launches X Half camera to make photography fun again
The X Half's simplicity is very much the point. With the proliferation of mobile cameras, which have taken massive leaps in photographic technology, Fujifilm South Africa is reinventing what it calls the 'charm of film photography' in a digital format with the Fujifilm X half (X-HF1). The X half compact camera introduced physical features such as a frame advance lever and optical viewfinder, plus digital ones, including Film Camera Mode. Notable feature Perhaps the most notable is the camera's eschewing of horizontal aspect ratios, rather opting for 3:4 vertical framing. Both images and videos are captured vertically, and this is reflected in the vertical orientation of the optical viewfinder and LCD display at the back. The X half compact camera evolved from the concept of classic half-frame cameras, which were capable of shooting at half the size of 35mm film, allowing for two images per frame. ALSO READ: Fujifilm unveils Instax Mini 41 instant camera with retro feel Whose it for? The FujiFilm X Half has no electric or hybrid viewfinder, no stabilisation and it can't even take RAW photos. So, who is it for? The camera is for film photographers who want the convenience of digital cameras, as you can store images on an SD card. It's essentially a modern film camera, and feels like it has been inspired by the Pentax 17. The X half's purpose is to offer a pared-back, no-frills analogue and digital experience and make photography fun again. Memories It's small, light and is designed to give you no excuses, you should be able to bring it with you everywhere, but so is the mobile phone that you carry in your pocket. However, this is a camera for taking scrappy, quick photos, capturing memories and making photography fun. Designed with travelling in mind, the X half features a compact 240g body that evokes the charm of a classic rangefinder camera. Availability and pricing The Fujifilm X half compact camera digitally recreates and evolves the analogue photographic shooting experience unique to half-frame film cameras. The X half will be arriving in South Africa during June 2025 for a recommended retail price of R14 999. NOW READ: Huawei unveils new Watch Fit 4 series and Watch 5 in Berlin
WIRED
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- WIRED
Fujifilm's X Half, a New OnePlus Tablet, and Fender's GarageBand Rival—Your Gear News of the Week
Plus: Coros has a repair program for its fitness trackers, there's a new The Last of Us collectible, and Paravel shuts up shop. Courtesy of Coros; OnePlus; Taylor Guitars All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. This week, Fujifilm announced a new digital half-frame compact camera called the X Half. Like half-frame film cameras, the X Half shoots vertical frames, but records to an 18-megapixel sensor instead. The lens is a 32mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.8 aperture, which is close to the lenses of the X100 series cameras. The X Half looks like a combination of Fujifilm's popular X100VI and an old Rollie 35 film camera. It's small and stylish, which is part of the appeal here. The X Half is also designed to be fun rather than a "serious" camera (whatever that means). Serious camera fans, be warned: The X Half is JPG-only; there are no RAW files. Out of the box, there are 10 film simulations—just like Fujifilm's "serious" cameras—along with 18 filters to simulate things like light leaks or expired film. Since the files are JPGs, whatever filters you apply can't be unapplied in post. In another nod to film cameras, there is a Film Roll mode which allows you to lock in a film simulation or filter combo and then shoot 24, 26, or 72 images (like a roll of film) without being able to review the image on the rear screen or see anything about it until you dump the pics to the companion phone app. It won't be for everyone, but I'm looking forward to testing this one as we rarely see a camera that doesn't take itself too seriously. My only hesitation is the recommended price of $849, which is a little steep for something that doesn't offer RAW files. — Scott Gilbertson OnePlus Has a New Android Tablet The Android tablet market has been gradually growing since Google decided to give it some love in 2022—there are more options to choose from now than in years . OnePlus is keeping things chugging along with the OnePlus Pad 3—its predecessor is our favorite Android tablet, so there are high expectations for this slate. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, the high-end processor powering all the 2025 Android phones, this is a flagship tablet through and through. OnePlus hasn't shared the full details about the tablet yet, but it supports Open Canvas, the company's multitasking software. There are some integrations for Apple users, too—you can control a Mac remotely, and file share via drag and drop. You can also pair it with three accessories (sold separately): a Smart Keyboard, a Stylo 2 stylus, and a Folio Case. The Pad 3 comes in Storm Blue and will be available in the US and Canada beginning June 5. Pricing hasn't been shared yet, but it's not a stretch to imagine a higher MSRP than the $550 launch price of the OnePlus Pad 2. The company recently raised the price of the OnePlus Watch 3 to $550 (from $330) shortly after tariffs were announced, but then brought the MSRP down to $350—still an increase. It's a direct contender to Samsung's recently announced Tab S10 FE. Fender's GarageBand Rival Fender has announced a new cross-platform app called Fender Studio that will let users easily record, jam, and release music from anywhere. The free app is available for iOS, Android, PC, Linux, and macOS, and looks to take on Apple's GarageBand for free recording app supremacy. It can use your phone's microphone or any compatible interface, and includes modeling for classic amplifiers, effects pedals, and mixing plugins. You can even tune vocals and use a vocoder. This democratization of high-end recording follows Fender's acquisition of affordable recording brand PreSonus. PreSonus makes Studio One, another great piece of recording software, among our favorite digital audio workstations. With Fender Studio, users can get much of that same functionality, a boon for folks who don't want to splash out on fancy software to make demos or to record basic audio tracks. So far, it works great in my experience, with an easy-to-use interface that scales perfectly between PC, tablet, and cell phone. I like how similar it looks to Studio One, which has a clean and simple look, a key for recording software to be any good. — Parker Hall A Last of Us Guitar Taylor Guitars is making a limited run of replica model 314c acoustic guitars identical to the model used in HBO's The Last of Us . The guitar features Taylor's famous cutaway style, with a custom moth inlay on the third fret. It's a beautiful instrument that might end up being collectible someday, beyond fans of the show; the moth inlay is prettier than an HBO logo, and the tobacco sunburst and ivoroid accents give it a kind of modern vintage vibe. The guitar is available for purchase now for $2,799, and is built on demand with an expected delivery time of six to 10 weeks. They all come with a hard case. — Parker Hall Coros Introduces a Repair Program I consistently pick Garmin watches over Coros models in my Best Fitness Trackers guide. However, that margin is getting slimmer, and the news that you can now repair Coros devices gives the brand a boost. Coros' new repair program increases the lifespan of your expensive wearable. You can send in a damaged device, pay a nominal repair fee, and receive a refurbished replacement while your device is being repaired. Available repairs include replacing a broken screen, button, dial, or defective battery, and all Coros devices are eligible, including the latest Vertix 2S, all the Pace watches, and the solar-powered bike computer. Unlike comparable repair programs, like AppleCare, Coros owners do not have to pay into a separate warranty or coverage program in addition to the repair cost. Coros also posts the repair prices, with most well under $100. It's worth noting here that I've never had to fix a Coros device, and I've found them all to be pretty durable. But WIRED contributor Steph Pearson shattered her Coros Dura bike computer's screen while mountain biking, so the news that you can get it fixed for a reasonable price is welcome. — Adrienne So Paravel Goes Under Earlier this week, the official website for Paravel, a popular travel brand known for its stylish luggage, was taken offline without prior notice. Customers who recently ordered travel gear reported shipments canceled, with refunds provided only in some cases. Financial records indicate that the company filed for bankruptcy on May 19. Several third-party retailers still carry Paravel products (for now), including Amazon, Ssense, Net-a-Porter, and Bloomingdale's. You might be able to catch a discount while stock lasts. We've reached out to Paravel for comment. —Boutayna Chokrane
The Verge
24-05-2025
- The Verge
Fujifilm X Half hands-on: whimsical, refreshing, and simply fun
The first thing I noticed about the Fujifilm X Half is just how small and light it is. The camera is designed to give you no excuses — you should be able to bring it with you everywhere. And after spending a few hours walking around LA with the camera, I'm starting to understand why you'd want to. Fujifilm's latest doesn't necessarily impress on paper. The X Half is an $850 camera with a vertically oriented 1-inch sensor capable of taking 18MP photos. There's no electric or hybrid viewfinder, no stabilization, no hot shoe, and it can't even take RAW photos. It's very easy to look at that list of missing features and disregard the camera altogether. But the X Half's simplicity is very much the point. This is a camera for taking scrappy, quick photos and capturing memories. A lot of its flaws are masked with film simulations, filters, and superimposed grain. Its limitations are a feature, not a bug. The camera comes with a fixed 32mm equivalent f/2.8 lens. Even with all the added grain and filters turned off, I found it to perform very well. The dynamic range is acceptable with natural highlight falloff, edges are sharp, and there's even some bokeh if you plan accordingly. But I didn't want to take those kinds of photos with this camera. Fujifilm loaded the X Half with a number of its most popular film simulations, which mimic the look of classic films, and it also added a bunch of new filters. There's halation, mirror mode (throwback to Apple's Photo Booth, anyone?), selective color, dynamic tone, fish eye, and so much more. Some of these are downright silly, but some are endearing and whimsical. My favorite was the light leak. It adds light leaks to your photos in a random fashion, so you never know what you'll get until after you shoot. On the top of the camera is something unique: a digital 'film advance' lever. Cranking the lever is integral to two of the camera's new features, 2-in-1 diptychs and film mode. Diptychs let you merge two images side by side. This feature makes a whole lot more sense in a film camera, but Fujifilm is trying to replicate the idea for a digital world. You start a diptych by cranking the lever like you would on a film camera. (Although unlike a film camera, a digital camera can also record a video, so that can now be part of your diptych, too.) Then there's film mode, which is designed to more closely mimic an analog camera. It basically locks you out of using modern features and moving too quickly. There's no way to preview your shot on the main screen, you're forced to crank the lever to advance your imaginary film before taking the next photo, you're locked into a specific look until you've finished your 'roll,' and there's no way to play back the photos you've just taken either. It is easily my favorite mode here because it strips so much of what we're used to with digital cameras and makes us use this camera entirely differently. This mode perfectly encapsulates why I don't mind the exclusion of an electric viewfinder. Using the optical one in this mode makes you guess your composition and your framing, and you simply won't know the results until you're done with your whole roll. Once you're done, the digital roll 'rewinds' and you can look at your photos in the app. Unfortunately the app isn't finalized and wasn't available during my demo, but the files are still saved on the SD card. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge The only immediate negative, no pun intended, I have noticed so far is that the camera just feels a bit slow. Despite using a fairly fast SD card, write speeds seemed slow and took me out of the moment more than a few times. Creating a diptych with a photo and a video took a long time to save onto the SD. It also slowed me down when using Film mode, where you have to 'advance the film' after each shot. I found myself having to wait for the previous photo to save before cranking the lever. Even the main touchscreen, which is largely how you interact with this camera, wasn't as responsive as I'd want it to be. There are two screens on the back — a pill-shaped screen that lets you choose film sims and navigate menus, and a vertical screen for changing settings and previewing images. Some inputs weren't registering even after a few attempts, and I wasn't the only one at the camera event with the same issue. Despite those issues, I thoroughly enjoyed my brief time with the camera and was frequently delighted by the clever ideas the Fujifilm team implemented here. I hope to see more companies making bold decisions with hardware and software like this that alter the experience of using the camera. There are far more capable cameras at a similar price point. But if you're looking for something refreshing and joyful, the X Half is shaping up to be a brilliant little camera.
The Verge
23-05-2025
- The Verge
Fujifilm X Half hands-on: Whimsical, refreshing and simply fun
The first thing I noticed about the Fujifilm X Half is just how small and light it is. The camera is designed to give you no excuses — you should be able to bring it with you everywhere. And after spending a few hours walking around LA with the camera, I'm starting to understand why you'd want to. Fujifilm's latest doesn't necessarily impress on paper. The X Half is an $850 camera with a vertically oriented 1-inch sensor capable of taking 18MP photos. There's no electric or hybrid viewfinder, no stabilization, no hot shoe, and it can't even take RAW photos. It's very easy to look at that list of missing features and disregard the camera altogether. But the X Half's simplicity is very much the point. This is a camera for taking scrappy, quick photos and capturing memories. A lot of its flaws are masked with film simulations, filters, and superimposed grain. Its limitations are a feature, not a bug. The camera comes with a fixed 32mm equivalent f/2.8 lens. Even with all the added grain and filters turned off, I found it to perform very well. The dynamic range is acceptable with natural highlight falloff, edges are sharp, and there's even some bokeh if you plan accordingly. But I didn't want to take those kinds of photos with this camera. Fujifilm loaded the X Half with a number of its most popular film simulations, which mimic the look of classic films, and it also added a bunch of new filters. There's halation, mirror mode (throwback to Apple's Photo Booth, anyone?), selective color, dynamic tone, fish eye, and so much more. Some of these are downright silly, but some are endearing and whimsical. My favorite was the light leak. It adds light leaks to your photos in a random fashion, so you never know what you'll get until after you shoot. On the top of the camera is something unique: a digital 'film advance' lever. Cranking the lever is integral to two of the camera's new features, 2-in-1 diptychs and film mode. Diptychs let you merge two images side by side. This feature makes a whole lot more sense in a film camera, but Fujifilm is trying to replicate the idea for a digital world. You start a diptych by cranking the lever like you would on a film camera. (Although unlike a film camera, a digital camera can also record a video, so that can now be part of your diptych, too.) Then there's film mode, which is designed to more closely mimic an analog camera. It basically locks you out of using modern features and moving too quickly. There's no way to preview your shot on the main screen, you're forced to crank the lever to advance your imaginary film before taking the next photo, you're locked into a specific look until you've finished your 'roll,' and there's no way to play back the photos you've just taken either. It is easily my favorite mode here because it strips so much of what we're used to with digital cameras and makes us use this camera entirely differently. This mode perfectly encapsulates why I don't mind the exclusion of an electric viewfinder. Using the optical one in this mode makes you guess your composition and your framing, and you simply won't know the results until you're done with your whole roll. Once you're done, the digital roll 'rewinds' and you can look at your photos in the app. Unfortunately the app isn't finalized and wasn't available during my demo, but the files are still saved on the SD card. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge The only immediate negative, no pun intended, I have noticed so far is that the camera just feels a bit slow. Despite using a fairly fast SD card, write speeds seemed slow and took me out of the moment more than a few times. Creating a diptych with a photo and a video took a long time to save onto the SD. It also slowed me down when using Film mode, where you have to 'advance the film' after each shot. I found myself having to wait for the previous photo to save before cranking the lever. Even the main touchscreen, which is largely how you interact with this camera, wasn't as responsive as I'd want it to be. There are two screens on the back — a pill-shaped screen that lets you choose film sims and navigate menus, and a vertical screen for changing settings and previewing images. Some inputs weren't registering even after a few attempts, and I wasn't the only one at the camera event with the same issue. Despite those issues, I thoroughly enjoyed my brief time with the camera and was frequently delighted by the clever ideas the Fujifilm team implemented here. I hope to see more companies making bold decisions with hardware and software like this that alter the experience of using the camera.
CNET
23-05-2025
- CNET
I Tried Fujifilm's Adorable New X Half Camera and It's a Pocketful of Fun
After months of rumors, Fujifilm has finally, officially announced the X Half, a very compact camera designed to mimic half-frame film cameras and early 2000s point-and-shoots. It takes vertical photos and videos, aided by an optical viewfinder and vertical screen. I spent a few hours testing out the X Half, and it is, as Fujifilm hoped, quite fun. It's the kind of thing you'd bring on a night out with friends, kept handy in a purse or pocket, so you're able to capture moments without needing your phone. Its price might give you pause, though. Here's a little preview based on my little time with this little camera. The hardware It's positively tiny, though a bit bigger than the smallest digital cameras from the 2000s. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET 17.7 megapixels (3,648x4,864 or 7,296x4,864 for 2-in-1 images) 1-inch sensor 32mm f2.8 lens (35mm equivalent) Optical viewfinder Fujifilm film simulations 240 grams (8.5 ounces) Specs don't tell the whole story with this camera, but they're still interesting. A 1-inch sensor isn't unheard of in a camera this size. The Sony XV-1 II is basically the same size and has one, though it's even more expensive. Most have far smaller sensors, like the less expensive Panasonic ZS99. The X Half's sensor is oriented, like the rear screen, vertically. This speaks to the main design intention of the X Half. This is a camera to take photos that you can quickly and easily share on social media. Images have a 3:4 aspect ratio, as does video (1,080x1,440). The only dials are exposure and aperture. Yes, that's a film advance lever, and it actually has a use here more than retro style points. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET One of the X Half's main tricks is the ability to side-by-side images in the camera, which Fuji calls two-in-ones. You can see some examples of that later in this preview. Take a photo, "advance" the film using the retro film advance lever, and then take another photo. Both images are saved individually, but the camera also combines them into a third image where they're side-by-side, separated by a line with a style of your choosing. The same trick can be done with videos, and perhaps most interestingly, both photos and videos. The X Half next to the X100VI. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Being Fuji, the X Half has its famous Film Simulations. These alter the image in ways that you typically'd only be able to get with significant editing. More than just a filter you can add in Instagram, these change, sometimes dramatically, many aspects of color and tone. A small secondary screen on the back shows you the active simulation mode, like you were looking at a film roll inside the camera, and you can swipe through the different modes while looking at the main screen to see how it looks. In addition, there are "Creative Filters" which are more like what you'd find in other point-and-shoot cameras, like "Toy," "High-key," "Light leak" and so on. I wasn't able to test them all, but of those that I used, some were pretty fun. Vertical screen and optical viewfinder. The secondary screen on the left usually shows the active Film Simulation. It's also a touchscreen, so you can swipe through. This works as a secondary screen for some menus and settings as well. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET There's also Film Camera Mode, which locks the camera into a Film Simulation mode of your choosing, for 36, 54 or 72 images. In this mode, there's no preview, and other options are limited. It essentially forces you to use the X Half like a film camera. I know some photographers like these kinds of limiting challenges. I'm not a fan, perhaps because I grew up with the limitations of film, but I understand how many people enjoy them. The new X Half app wasn't ready for us to check out, but it should have some interesting ways to "develop" the images taken in Film Camera mode and make/adjust the two-in-ones. The X Half uses the same battery as other Fuji cameras, has an LED flash and is Bluetooth enabled. It can also be connected to one of Fujifilm's Instax printers for instant-film prints. The camera I tested had a silver top, but it will also be available in all black or with a charcoal top. Hands (well, "hand") on The side-by-side "2-in-1" format lets you juxtapose images for any number of creative reasons. This can be done in the camera (most of the following examples), with the upcoming X Half app, or if you capture two things you really want to put next to each other during your short time with the camera and you don't have the app yet (me), you can do this in most photo editing software later. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET This is an adorably small camera. A palm-of-your-hand device that can fit in your pocket when not in use. Walking around downtown LA, I found it practically disappeared when I wasn't using it, hidden from view, cupped in my hand. When I'd see something interesting, even if I'd turned it off after the last shot, it'd be ready to go in moments. Selecting different film simulations was super easy. All you need to do is swipe the secondary screen. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Using the X Half is surprisingly similar to using a GoPro. Almost everything is accessed via swipes and taps on the rear screen. The only dials are just for exposure and aperture. Personally, I love dials on cameras, but this was easy to navigate and probably more so for people not used to larger cameras. A switch on the side enables the built-in flash. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET The side-by-side images are a clever way to really tell a story. For instance, one image can be an establishing shot, the other a close-up. Or both can be versions of a theme, different angles and so on. Earlier, I said I didn't enjoy film camera-like challenges, but this kind of challenge I do like. I would find some interesting image, and then see if I could find some matching or contrasting image nearby. It was a different way to approach photography compared to what I'm used to, which is (here's that word again), fun. You in there, Deckard? Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Since I only had a few hours with the camera, I can't give a final verdict on the image quality. My initial impression is that it seemed decent, with good color reproduction. Low-light wasn't great, but seemed acceptable. The images you see in this preview are all unedited. One of the built-in filters lets you select a single color and strip out all the others. Not a particularly new concept, but it works well here. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Price, availability and who this might be for 2-in-1 created in Photoshop, otherwise unedited from the camera. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET The X Half is unquestionably for a specific demographic. If you don't understand why someone would want a small, vertical camera like this, have no fear: You're not the demo. I described the camera to a friend who is likely the demo, and she got the idea immediately and wanted one. Is it possible to do just about everything the X Half does with your phone? Sure, but that's true of any camera. The trick here is being able to skip the editing process, plus the benefit of not being on your phone all the time. That, and the fact that it's adorable. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET One concern, though, is the price. At $850, this might be well beyond the budget of the very people who would enjoy it the most. While testing it out at LA's Grand Central Market, one of the shop owners took an interest. After describing it to her, she seemed really interested, but asked, "Is it expensive?" I told her the cost, and her disappointed response was "Oh, yeah, expensive." Everything is getting more expensive these days, but for only a little more money, someone could get the Ricoh GR III, our current pick for best point-and-shoot travel camera, which has a much larger sensor and is also conveniently small. However, neither the GR III nor any other camera right now has the X Half's "fun" factor. Is that worth the premium? We shall see when I test one out some more after its launch in late June. In addition to covering cameras 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 Budget Travel for Dummies, his travel book, and his bestselling sci-fi novel about city-sized submarines. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
