There’s a new firmware update for the Fujifilm X half, and some of it is quite interesting. Before we dive in, let me briefly explain why I like the camera. There’s been a lot of negativity around the X half, mainly in Europe and especially America. Most of it has to do with the price, and also because you cannot shoot RAW or even Fujifilm Recipes. There are plenty of legitimate criticisms, but looking past that, the X half is a great “digital 110” pocket camera for casual snapshots. Last year, on an epic RV roadtrip up the east coast, the X half was my most-used camera. It’s so much fun, and we often fight over who gets to use it in my household. It offers a unique experience not possible with other cameras.
The firmware update offers a few new options. There are other improvements, too, but I’m just going to talk about the new features in this article. The X half has Film Simulations and Filters. The Filters are the Advanced Filters from X-series cameras, plus some carried over from Instax Evo. Well, Fujifilm just added a new Filter called Soft Glow, which is Provia but the bright highlights bloom. It’s kind of like a Glow Mist filter, or maybe a Pro Mist or CineBloom, but it only affects bright highlights and nothing else. Think of Clarity set to -5, except only applied to white or near white. I actually really like this, and would love to see it available for Recipes on other X-series cameras, with Off, Weak, or Strong as the options (as it is on the X half would be Strong on the X-series). Here are two examples of the Soft Glow filter:
With the update, in Film Camera Mode you can now choose 12 or 24 frames. Before, the minimum was 36, which was a good option to have, but a lot to commit to. The other two are 54 and 72—the former is a strange number, which I guess comes from that you can technically squeeze an extra three frames onto a 24 exposure roll of film (such as on disposable cameras), so two pictures per frame equals 54; the latter is two pictures per frame on a 36 exposure roll, which my kids nicknamed the 72 picture challenge because it takes a long time to complete. I’m really surprised that 24 wasn’t initially included, as it seems like the right length that you can commit to it yet not too long that it feels overwhelming (it’s Goldilocks), plus it is two pictures on each frame of a 12 exposure roll of film. The 12 frame option seems like for when you just want to try it out or demo it to someone, and not something you’d choose on the regular. I can definitely see the 24 frame option being the most chosen going forward. Below you’ll find my first attempt at using the 24 frame option in Film Camera Mode using Nostalgic Neg.:
A feature that I would like to see added is in the X half app: long press on the contact sheet, and it gives the option to save a selected number of frames (from 1 to 10) with the film strip border. So you could save a whole strip, two or three frames, or even just one picture. As it is now, you have to crop the contact sheet, which greatly reduces the resolution and is slightly a pain to do. This seems like it would be fairly easy to implement, and would be really cool to have available.
Anyway, if you have a Fujifilm X half, be sure to update the firmware to get these new options. You can do it from the X half app or the old fashioned way by putting it on an SD card.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Fujifilm X half in black:
Amazon, B&H, Nuzira
Fujifilm X half in silver:
Amazon, B&H, Nuzira
Fujifilm X half in charcoal:
Amazon, B&H
Cool to get an firmware update v2.0 from Fujifilm for the X Half with new features 🎉
I love too the X Half, but the price at launch was definitely way too high, my biggest reproach, would never get it for the price tag requested, fortunately get it as a family birthday gift, along that the poor parallax for the optical viewer which is off a bit, quite unerving at times and forcing me to go back to the rear screen so to frame correctly. So I’m not using much the optical viewer, meaning the camera could have been smaller and cheaper…
Now that it’s price went down, I can only urge people to grab one as indeed it is a VERY fun camera to use!
I customized it heavily via the SmallRig accessories making it very usable and comfortable + good looking.
And now I’m bringing it to all my events, parties and concerts as it is supet fun and quick to snap good shoots of people and print immediately and effortlessly strait out of the camera to BT Instax printers.
People really love to received Instax in those occasions and are amazed that I’m not using my phone at all but directly my camera!
It’s blazing fast on X Half! Hence a pleasure to use those features on my side too.
I would wish, appart from the X-E5 that all Gen 5 Fuji camera could do the same!
I fail to understand why Fuji is not pushing this to the whole fleet of Gen V camera including the GFX100FR !
Common Fuji! It’s a firmware feature! Don’t force people to wait for Gen 6.
Even worse the latest BT Instax Mini printer (a great update for getting better resolution prints) compatiblity did went immediately on release to the X Half but not on the X-E5 ! 😡
I really hate this ‘artificial’ market segmentation or lack of consistency! Really messing around and tell people Instax is one thing while X and GFX series are another. And Fuji is pushing / advertising rightfully to print and use it’s (not cheap) Instax… WTF not integrating every where this (cashcow) core feature?!? It’s been years I’m asking and waiting. Really astonishing knowing how small the different departments are. They are really not speaking to each others on ‘daily’ basis. Or this is really a marketing department make of perspective (will not astonished either). I’ve say so to our big Fuji bosses at every Fujikina event I attend too! I hope they will listen and it will change at last.
I’m curious to see the firmware of Gen 6 camera. I’m pretty sure the options will be there like on the X-E5 / X Half. Firmware builds iteration. But I do not want to step up only for that!
Nevertheless, I really hoped that the bug in time sync from app be resolved in v2. 0 for the X Half. Aka setting back the camera clock to -1h when in summer time during the initial automatic sync, which is quite irritating to say the least.
Have to ask again 😓
But Hurrah! My biggest wish was at last added in v2.0 : the 12 & 24 frames option! Yeah! 🥳
As I unfortunately do not have the spare time, luxurey or patience to go on the venture for 36 anf even more the ‘dreaded’ 72 frames option, way too much for me! As a pure software limitation it was frustrating for me not to be able to choose the wide range of the ‘old’ film possibilities. A more than very welcome change 😃
I’d love and now be able to set to 12 frames only, which will be for me my default roll setting. Enabling a quick series during my short walkouts (30min to 1h shooting session when I’ve the spare time to hangout and take pictures as I would wish more being able to do too).
Those 2 additional frame options, will make me use way more this core feature of the X Half, as before the upgrade, we’ll to be honest, I only used it a few time and always stopped the program at 12 or 24 out of the 36 to simulate myself the possibilities. So extra cool now to have option at last.
Thanks Ritchie for featuring and detaileling the upgrade, as on announcement I zapped totally them, focusing only on possible bugs fixing.
I love to test my Fujifilm cameras after firmware upgrades (and also to check if nothing as been broken in the process).
And I’ve upgraded this time! As I’ve stopped doing it systematically since Fuji removal of old WiFi SP Instax printers compatiblity on Gen 5 cameras without bringing the BT replacement like done the X-E5 and X Half (common Fuji ! 🤬 ‘Just’ a firmware feature / coding that is taking the size – You’ve done it on the X-E5 ?!? 🤯). I’ll be glad to test my X Half over this possible sunny WE 😎
Enjoy your updated X Half Ritchie 👋