X half as a Daily Camera

“I found it easy to use, and loved how small and compact it was compared to any other camera I usually lug around with me,” she begins. 

“I love the ocean and the beach, so I had to take it there. It fit into my pocket super easily, which made me want to reach for it more than my phone.” 

Smaller even than its FUJIFILM X Series siblings, at just 240g/8.4oz, X half is perfect for making daily memories – and doing that with a whole lot of artistic flair is where the camera excels.

Creating with Film Simulations and Filters

Kristina started with beautiful in-camera looks. There are 13 Film Simulations and 26 filters designed for instant creativity – no editing needed.

“Those features make X half so fun to use, and are why I kept making so many pictures.

“I loved the Velvia Film Simulation because the colors are so beautiful. I was stoked about them straight out of camera.

“I’m also a sucker for double exposures and light leaks, so I had to try those filters. The light leaks were so cool because you don’t know where the leak will be until you look back at the photo, just the same as film.

“I found the scene I wanted to photograph, then picked different filters or Film Simulations that I thought would be fitting. I wanted to play around and try all the options, and exploring that with X half was cool.”

Film-Like Digital Photography

Aesthetic is one thing, but the process of making images is just as important. Once again, X half brings old-school joy back to photography.

In Film Camera mode, creators can commit to making a whole roll of film (36, 54, or 72 images) using a single Film Simulation and with no chance to review images on screen. It’s deeply freeing, just like the days of analog.

Then there’s X half’s 2-in-1 feature, which places two stills or movies side-by-side in a single frame. It’s done in-camera, and it’s as easy as pulling the Frame Advance Lever.

For Kristina, the opportunity to create in different, more connected ways than digital cameras usually allow was exciting.

“I thought 2-in-1 was really cool. I made a lot of makeup and fashion stuff previously, and for an interest like that you could combine an image of your outfit and then a more detailed close-up. For a lot of other creators and influencers, that’s going to be a huge feature of X half. 

“I also played with Film Camera mode,” Kristina continues. “The whole beauty of film photography is that you don’t know what your photos are going to look like until you’re done with your roll of film.

“I loved having that option in X half, as a digital camera. It makes you live more in the moment. You get the photo you made, and it’s more about the memory created instead of a perfectly composed frame.”

The Importance of instax^TM Prints

There’s a final aspect of the analog era that X half brings back in an effortless way. Thanks to native compatibility with select instax^TM smartphone printers, creatives can produce physical prints mere moments after the image is made.

“When I made my first print from X half, I thought ‘what can’t this camera do?’,” Kristina recalls. “I love printing my film photos – that’s super important for every image maker.

“We live in such a digital world, where all our photos live on a phone or computer and are shared to social media, but then you’re just looking at them on a screen. With an instax^TM print, you can hang it on a wall or the fridge – and keep it.

“It was so easy to do on X half. You can pick the photo you want to print in-camera, which was unbelievable. It’s just like an instant camera, but in a little bit more of a controlled way. You have the best of both worlds, digital and printing.”

X half for Film Photographers

There’s no doubt X half will fill a special place in the creative lives of countless image makers. But, speaking as a film enthusiast, Kristina’s favorite aspect is clear.

“I fell in love with X half because of how much like an analog camera it is,” she concludes. “Someone who is more familiar with digital will still love it because of what it gives them access to.

“I’ve never seen a camera like this – it’s going to be really cool for both of those photography communities.”

Learn more about FUJIFILM X half.