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Fujifilm tipped to launch the weirdest compact camera of 2025 soon – here are 5 things to expect
Fujifilm’s next camera is rumored to be a digital half-frame revival, featuring a vertical LCD display, fixed 10mm f/2.8 lens and 1-inch sensor.
- Fujifilm expected to launch a half-frame digital camera called the X-Half
- Online leaks suggest a 1-inch sensor, 10mm f/2.8 lens and vertical LCD
- Teaser trailer hints at upcoming release, with ‘See you soon’ line
Fujifilm is working on something peculiar. If rumors are right, it's set to release a half-frame digital camera that puts a contemporary twist on the classic film photography format. It’s expected to be called the X-Half – and it could be Fujifilm’s most unusual camera in years.
Fujifilm recently teased the new model’s release in an official clip, with the tagline ‘Half the Size, Twice the Story’. That caption adds weight to online speculation that the camera will shoot half-frame stills using a digital sensor. A shadowy silhouette shown in that video also suggests the X-Half will adopt the retro analog styling of recent Fujifilm cameras, including the X100VI.
What else can we expect from the X-Half? Fujifilm has teased at an imminent release with the line ‘See you soon’, but we don’t know exactly when the camera will be revealed. What we do have is a list of leaked specs, shared by reliable online sources. Taken together, these suggest that the X-Half will be a fun camera with potentially viral retro appeal, designed to tempt smartphone photographers into camera ownership.
Here are five features we’re expecting to see on the weirdest camera of 2025.
1. Half-frame photography
The headline feature of the X-Half is expected to be half-frame photography. Traditionally, this technique allowed analog cameras to capture two portrait exposures on a single frame of 35mm film, giving photographers twice the number of stills from a roll. The resulting composite images became known as ‘diptychs’, with two vertical scenes combined side-by-side.
Exactly how Fujifilm will execute this effect in a digital camera isn’t clear, but it’s expected to be the key selling point of the X-Half. Based on information from unnamed sources, Fuji Rumors has suggested that the new camera will allow you to press the shutter once to capture the first half of the image, then again to shoot the second.
2. 1-inch sensor
Fuji Rumors has also reported that the X-Half will feature a 1-inch sensor. This fits with its positioning as a premium point-and-shoot: that sensor size would be smaller than APS-C, allowing Fujifilm to package the X-Half with compact proportions, yet still capture more light and detail than the best camera phones.
There’s been a lot of talk around the orientation of the sensor. Several sources have suggested that it could be positioned vertically, allowing the X-Half to natively shoot portrait stills which are then digitally composited into diptychs. This setup would also lend itself to content creation: assuming the camera has a standard mode, vertical images are ideal for sharing on social medial.
3. Fixed 10mm f/2.8 lens
Recent șpec leaks have suggested that Fujiiflm’s half-frame camera will feature a fixed 10mm lens with an aperture of f/2.8. Combined with a 1-inch sensor, that would give it a full-frame equivalent of 28mm – a focal length we’ve seen put to good use in other premium compacts, including the Ricoh GR III. It’s a natural fit for street photography and one familiar to smartphone users.
The f/2.8 aperture is fairly slow for a fixed lens, especially paired with a 1-inch sensor. That combination will limit both low-light performance and the shallow depth of field effect. If accurate, that probably reflects the positioning of the X-Half as a fun, entry-level point and shoot rather than a serious photography tool.
4. Vertical LCD display
Another rumor circulating online relates to the LCD display. According to Fuji Rumors, the X-Half will have at least one screen oriented vertically. Based on the teaser trailer, we think we know why. In that clip, a Provia film logo is visible on the rear of the camera. We think this suggests the X-Half will have a digital film preview window to show the selected film mode, emulating the physical equivalent found on some analog cameras.
It’s a feature we’ve seen before: on the X-Pro 3, a mini display showed the chosen Film Simulation recipe. Given the X-Half’s core focus on analog emulation, including a rumored ‘film roll mode’ that locks in settings for 36 exposures, we wouldn’t be surprised to see an LCD dedicated to displaying the logo of the selected film. This might sound gimmicky, but it leans heavily into the hybrid analog aesthetic.
5. Optical viewfinder
So, too, does the suggestion that the X-Half will feature an optical viewfinder rather than an EVF. This would be another nod to analog half-frame cameras, especially if oriented vertically (as it is on the Pentax 17, a recent revival of the half-frame film format and one of the best film cameras you can buy in 2025).
Together with a physical exposure compensation dial, an optical viewfinder could give users the impression that they are shooting on film with an analog camera, despite the digital sensor inside. The question is how effectively Fuji is able to execute and pitch this proposition, without the X-Half feeling like a novelty camera – which some purists are already calling it.
