Fujifilm has released a half-frame digital camera, along the lines of the old film-based half-frame cameras made primarily by Olympus. In the film days, it meant you could economically shoot 72 photos on a roll of 36-exposures, each photo captured vertically.

The new Fujifilm X half seems to be taking the same approach, but of course with the prevalence of social media and using our phones to capture video and photos in the portrait (vertical) format, the half-frame has a new and equally plausible reason for its existence!

The Fujifilm X half is retro-designed, continuing with Fujifilm's style mandate. Yes, it's a digital camera with a 32mm f2.8 (equivalent) prime lens. On the back there is the expected LCD screen for viewing and reviewing your image and videos, but there's also a second LCD screen which looks like a loaded film canister. It changes depending on which of the 13 film simulations you're using. And Fujifilm has introduced three new filters inspired by film photography: "Light Leak", "Halation", and "Expired Film". Not quite sure if the old film photographers would approve!

However, interestingly for a digital camera, the viewfinder itself is fully optical - just like the film cameras it is reminiscing. In fact, there are a number of features that wind us back to the good old days of film. For instance, the X half features a "Grain Effect" which adds natural grain to the entire image to create film-like textures. The X half is also equipped with a new "Date Stamp" function, making it possible to imprint dates in the bottom right of images and movies like film photos.

And the X half features a "Film Camera Mode”, recreating film photography in the digital era. By selecting a film simulation and the number of shots at the start, you cannot review images until all shots are taken. Winding up the frame advance lever on the camera’s top plate after each shot enables the next shutter release. And after taking the selected number of shots, you can transfer the image data to the new dedicated "X half app” to digitally develop, view, edit, and share the photos you have taken. Contact sheets are also saved after digital development.

The new dedicated "X half app” will allow users to view still images and movies as if appreciating a gallery or album, directly upload images to social media and print to an instax Link series printer. RRP AUS $1349.