Photo news: One and a half compacts, Nikon updates and historical news

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We've never had more retro in this column – No wonder, summer is coming soon, and affordable cameras for on the go need to be sold. And they have been particularly popular for years when they are based on classics. Some manufacturers are even refreshingly bold and don't just rely on designs from the 1960s to 1980s.

The functions of the X-HF1, alias "X half" from Fujifilm, are downright exotic. Although it is a digital camera, it has a transport lever, even though there is no room for a roll of film inside. So it simulates the operation of an analog camera when you switch to "film mode". Then you have to press the lever after each picture and choose a look for an entire virtual movie with up to 72 shots. The number and the name of the device give it away: The Fuji takes pictures in half format, which some analogs offered to accommodate two photos on a 35-millimeter frame.

The X half also has an aspect ratio of 3:4, which roughly corresponds to the portrait format of some smartphones. Fuji pulls this off, and the display on the back is also in portrait format. We have already described the rest of the technology in detail, so here is a look at the limitations, because they are considerable. With only JPEGs, not raw files, you could still live with the 1-inch sensor. Moreover, it is not what is usually referred to as a "half-format", i.e. half of a full-frame sensor, but half of an APS-C sensor, as is usually used in the X series.

X half turns analog feeling into expensive fun

However, the price of around 800 euros is even more serious, as this means that the Fuji is no longer an entry-level model that you can easily give to your children so that they can learn analog photography. This is especially true with regard to the Pentax 17, an actual and analog half-format camera for 35mm film, which is no bargain at 550 euros, but 250 euros extra for the digital Fuji even leaves room for a handful of films including processing.

So it's fair to say that the X half doesn't offer any special functions apart from its analog charm, built-in filters and a 2-in-1 combination that even a smartphone can handle. So the Fuji is hardly a "learning camera", more an exotic that can provide a bit of deceleration. And for a feeling of exclusivity. Its look, which is based on classic rangefinder cameras such as those from Leica, also adds a touch of luxury.

Ricoh announces APS-C compact camera GR IV

The Ricoh GR IV is also compact, but with state-of-the-art photo functions. It will be launched in the fall, until then the popular predecessor GR IIIx will still be available. It currently costs around 1100 euros, and Ricoh is keeping the price of the GR IV to itself for the time being. A possible surcharge should not be too high, as the key data remains almost unchanged: A fixed 28mm lens from f/2.8 and an APS-C sensor with now 25.7 instead of 24.4 megapixels are on offer. Thanks to this combination, the GR series has always been characterized by decent image quality in a small form factor.

Despite the new image processor, the video resolution remains at Full HD with up to 60 fps – 4K would be possible thanks to the sensor. The competition now offers more, even with system cameras in the same price range. So the GR IV, now with extended app connectivity, will probably remain primarily a pocket camera for on the go. It stands out from smartphones thanks to its large, five-axis stabilized sensor. Despite the cutbacks in video, it is pleasing that there are still new models among the compact cameras that have become rare in recent years. And the new Fuji is also a bit retro, as the design of the GR series has hardly changed in 20 years.

Bug fixes for Nikon's Z6 and Z7

Change of scene to the full-blown system cameras. In recent years, Nikon in particular has excelled in model maintenance. It is now clear that this not only applies to new cameras, where the smaller models have often been given functions of the larger ones. Nikon is apparently also taking bug fixes seriously, as new firmware was released this week for the company's first full-frame mirrorless cameras, the Z6 and Z7. They were launched back in 2018. What was wrong for so long?

Not much, actually: under certain conditions, incorrect values for the exposure time can end up in the EXIF data in the "Time" and "Bulb" exposure modes. This can cause trouble, especially for professional photographers, if a night shot looks as bright as if it had been heavily edited. The following links lead to the download pages for the Z6 and the Z7; the version number of the current firmware for both cameras is 3.80. The fact that Nikon is updating both cameras with the same version at the same time once again points to the platform concept in camera development, which is primarily implemented by this manufacturer.

New photo treasure from San Francisco

Two years ago, previously unknown documentary photos from San Francisco in the 1960s caused a sensation – They had been found in a box on the street. The author, a local teacher, was identified. Even more unusual and of a much higher quality is another find where the author is still unknown. Again, these are photos from San Francisco, but this time with a focus on the counterculture of the late 1960s. Concerts by the band Grateful Dead, protests against the Vietnam War, brightly painted cars - almost a cliché. However, the images that have now been developed for the first time are of great craftsmanship, very creative and simply beautiful to look at.

Instead of a single link for a long read at the weekend, this time we invite you to visit a real Rabbit Hole, because the story has many aspects. Firstly, there is the find itself, and how some of the undeveloped films were made available to the public via crowdfunding. The website is also worth browsing. The curator of the project, photographer and filmmaker Bill Delzell, has also given an interview to CBS in which he shows the untouched film cans, which are now to be professionally developed.

On the other hand, the big question remains: who was hanging around San Francisco from 1966 to 1970, taking such good photos – and then not even seeing them themselves? The identity of the photographer is probably the biggest mystery. Only a single image from the films developed so far provides a small clue. It shows a reflection of a person in a window pane who could possibly be a young woman. The detective work has only just begun; some people who are still alive have recognized themselves in the photos that have already been published, so it may be possible to find out who took them by looking at the locations and times of the photos.

(nie)