Fujifilm X half Review

Summary Verdict

The Fujifilm X half is a delightfully compact camera that harks back to the charm of half-frame film photography while embracing digital creativity. It’s small enough to slip into a pocket but has a selection of features designed to help you enjoy photography for its own sake. It’s not one for spec obsessives and pixel-peepers, but for those who want to capture life as it happens in a unique and playful way, it’s full of appeal.

Score: TBC

For

• Creative, analogue-inspired features

• Incredibly compact and lightweight

• Integration with recent Instax printers

Against

• No raw shooting

• No continuous shooting mode

• The price seems on the high side

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What is the Fujifilm X half?

The Fujifilm X half is a compact digital camera inspired by vintage half-frame film models. It’s designed for creative photography in the digital age, capturing vertical-format images to suit TikTok and Instagram stories with a distinctive analogue flair. With a fixed lens and simple operation, but manual control if you want, it encourages a more intuitive, less technical approach to photography.

Fujifilm X half Price and Availability

The Fujifilm X half will be available from 12th June 2025, with a suggested retail price of £699 in the UK, €799 in Ireland, $840 in the US and AU$1349 in Australia. It comes in three colours: charcoal, silver and black.

The Fujifilm X half’s lens is a fixed prime lens, so it can’t be swapped for other lenses and you can’t zoom in our out. It’s designed for exploring the photographic opportunities by moving around the scene.

Fujifilm X half Specifications

• Camera type: Compact digital camera

• Announced: 22nd May 2025

• Effective pixels: 17.74 MP

• Sensor size: 13.3mm × 8.8mm (1-inch type, vertically oriented)

• Lens: Fixed 10.8mm f/2.8 (32mm equivalent)

• Aspect ratio: 3:4 (fixed)

• Viewfinder: Optical direct-view (no overlays)

• Monitor: 2.4-inch touchscreen, 0.92 million dots

• Film simulations: 13 modes Provia/Standard, Velvia/Vivid, Astia/Soft, Classic Chrome, Reala Ace, Classic Neg., Nostalgic Neg., Eterna/Cinema, Acros (with or without a yellow, red or green filter effect) and Sepia

• Creative filters: Including Light Leak, Halation, Expired Film, Toy Camera, Double Exposure, Retro, Canvas, Vignette and more

• Minimum focusing distance: 10cm from the front of the lens

• Video recording: Full HD 24p, 8-bit

• File format (Photo): JPEG only

• Battery: NP-W126S, up to 880 shots per charge

• Connectivity: Bluetooth (for pairing with the X half app and Instax Link printers)

• Mobile app: Dedicated X half app (launching end of May 2025)

• Other features: Film Camera Mode (with digital development in app), 2-in-1 image creation (photo or video pair), direct Instax printer support

• Weight (with battery and memory card): Approx. 240g

Key Features

Inside the Fujifilm X half is a 1-inch type backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor that measures 13.3 x 8.8mm and has a resolution of 17.74 megapixels. This sensor is mounted vertically to suit the camera’s 3:4 fixed aspect ratio, which is optimised for social media and vertical shooting.

The lens is a Fujinon Aspherical Super EBC 10.8mm fixed prime, giving a field of view equivalent to that of a 32mm lens on a full-frame camera. That's a nice focal length for a wide range of genres of photography, especially street, environmental and travel or holiday photography. Plus, the lens can focus as close as 10cm from the front element, which adds to the versatility of the camera.

While the Fujifilm X half doesn't shoot raw files, only JPEGs, it offers 13 popular Film Simulation Modes: Provia/Standard, Velvia/Vivid, Astia/Soft, Classic Chrome, Reala Ace, Classic Neg., Nostalgic Neg., Eterna/Cinema, Acros (with or without a yellow, red or green filter effect) and Sepia. There's also a long list of creative filter settings such as Expired Film, Light Leak, Halation and Double Exposure. You can even use the 'Date Stamp' function to imprint dates in the bottom right of images and movies.

The X half also sports a two-in-one image feature that combines two shots into one file with the images appearing side-by-side. This can be done in-camera using the physical 'winding' lever or post-capture using the accompanying X half app. The X half gives the options to select whether the first image appears on the left or right of the pair and the colour of the space between the two images.

While the X half is likely to appeal for stills photography, it ca also record video in Full HD at 24p in 8-bit. Stills and video can be combined into one file for a mixed-media output.

In a novel move, the Fujifilm X half can be set to 'Film Camera Mode' in which it acts like a film camera and shoots 36, 54 or 72 images with the same Film Simulation Mode and ISO setting. All of the images are written to the SD card, but you can't see any of them until you get to the end of the 'roll' of film - and then it's via the dedicated smartphone app, which shows a contact sheet.

The X half connects directly to Fujifilm’s recent Instax Link printers and offers seamless integration with the new X half app, due to launch ahead of the camera going on sale.

Despite its flat front, the Fujifilm X half is small and light enough to feel secure in your hand

Build and Handling

At just 240g including battery and memory card, the X half seems tiny, it's only slightly larger than a deck of cards, so it's highly portable. Its interface is also touchscreen-dominated so there are only a few physical controls, which means your fingers don't feel cramped when you hold the camera.

Most of the settings are accessed by swiping in different directions on the screen. Initially, I swiped from too close to the edge of the screen and the camera didn't respond, starting from a little inside from the edge solved that and I could access the settings quickly.

One setting that doesn't require the touchscreen to be adjusted is the aperture value. This is set using the lens ring which has markings running from f/2.8 to f/11, plus an 'A' for automatic option. As a result, the X half can be used in program, shutter priority, aperture priority or manual exposure mode.

There's an exposure compensation dial on the right side of the top plate. This allows the exposure to be adjusted by plus or minis 3Ev in 1/3EV steps.

Meanwhile, the 'winding lever', which pops out slightly when the camera is powered up, is used to activate the 2-in-1 mode. After capturing an image that you want to use as a 2-in-1, you simply flick the lever round and then shoot the second image.

The shutter speed and ISO setting are shown at the bottom of the X half's main screen. Tapping on either of them brings up their adjustment display.

In addition to the 2.4-inch 0.92 million-dot main touchscreen, there’s a small colour sub screen for selecting the Film Simulation Mode. You just swipe through the 13 options one-by-one until you get to the one you want to use.

Interestingly, the X half features a small direct-view optical finder. It’s essentially a window straight through the camera body, with no overlays or indicators. While I did find it helpful at times, it’s best treated as a rough guide rather than something to rely on for precise composition. That said, the X half is designed more for enjoyment than accuracy.

I found the X half's screen sometimes hard to see in bright ambient light and again, this has an impact on image composition. I had to trust the autofocus system would get the subject sharp and I'm happy to say that my faith wasn't misplaced.

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The small sub screen on the left of the back of the X half shows the selected Film Simulation Mode. Swiping up or down on that screen moves through the 13 options.

Performance

By modern standards, a pixel count of 17.7 million (3648 x 4864) is pretty modest. However, the Fujifilm X half makes good use of its sensor to produce attractive images with a very respectable level of detail. If you should decide to peep at the pixels, you'll find a decent level of detail without being too challenging to portray the subject's ego.

Naturally, the colours depend upon the Film Simulation or Filter settings that you select, but there's a good array and you can produce natural-looking hues if that's what you're aiming for.

Further good news is that the AF system seems fast and accurate, with the human eye detection working well. It's useful for social and street photography when you need to get your subject sharp quickly.

I’ll update this Fujifilm X half review once I get a sample in for longer testing and the dedicated app becomes available.

Fujifilm X half Sample Images

The Two-in-One feature in action. This becomes mildly addictive. If you don’t see a second subject to sit well with the first, the pair can be made post-capture using the X half app on a smartphone.

That date stamp is giving me flashbacks - it can be turned off.

Vibrant scenes like this call out for the Velvia Film Simulation Mode.

This 2-in-1 image was created in camera but the separate images (shown above this one) are also saved to the SD card in the X half.

When the Double Exposure filter is selected, the first image you capture is visible as an overlay on the preview of the second.

I struggled (and failed) to get this image level in the bright conditions.

The Fujifilm X half’s subject detection system was quick to spot the man in the frame here.

If I was going to be picky, I’d say that the out-of-focus area seen through the arch in the right-hand picture looks a bit mushy at close quarters.

I used the Toy Camera filter to boost the colour saturation and add some vignetting to this image.

Verdict

The Fujifilm X half is not a camera for pixel peepers or spec chasers. Instead, it’s for photographers want to reconnect with the joy of photography. Its pared-back controls and compact build make it ideal for capturing everyday moments, whether at home or on the move. With its tactile charm, creative tools and analogue-inspired shooting experience, the X half brings a refreshing perspective to digital photography.

At £699 / €799 / US$840 / AU$1349 the Fujifilm X half is unlikely to be an impulse purchase for many, but it's sure to be a fun one.