In recent years, a wave of nostalgia has sparked a resurgence of interest in film photography, not only in the analog enthusiast community but also among young people who love retro aesthetics. If in the past, film photography was considered a "luxury" hobby and quite selective of its players due to the cost, time and complicated techniques, now with the development of the community, social networks and new art trends, film photography is truly making a comeback.

Along with that revival, a series of new film camera models were launched to serve this trend, notably half-frame cameras such as the Kodak Ektar H35 or Pentax 17. Although it was popular in the mid-20th century, the half-frame format is now being "dug up" again, making many new players curious about what a half-frame camera actually is, what is so special about it and why it has become such an attractive choice in today's context. Before going into details, let's learn about the half-frame format, how it works, its advantages and disadvantages, and why it is once again sought after in the modern film photography community.

1. What is a half-frame camera?

A half-frame camera is a film camera that uses a standard 35mm roll of film. Instead of taking a picture on the entire 36 x 24mm frame, it splits the frame in half and takes two side-by-side pictures, each measuring 18 x 24mm. Because of this division, a typical 36-frame roll of film when used with a half-frame camera can produce up to 72 pictures.

This means that film players can save a significant amount of money while still maintaining the original analog photography experience. If with a 36-frame roll of film, you have to carefully consider each moment you want to preserve, then with half-frame, the number is doubled, giving you more freedom to experiment, record more details or simply reduce the pressure of "consuming" the roll of film too quickly.

Another interesting point of half-frame lies in its ability to tell stories through images. During the film development process, users can choose to keep the half-frame format to create diptych pairs, which are two adjacent frames printed or scanned in parallel, telling a small story by pairing images. This is the method used by many photographers to create highly suggestive and creative photo sets, when one photo is not enough, but two adjacent frames complement each other, creating new emotions. If you don't like diptych, you can still cut and scan each frame separately to get a single image, similar to photos from a regular 35mm full-frame camera.

The aspect ratio is also a notable difference. While a traditional 35mm camera produces photos in a horizontal ratio of 3:2, a half-frame produces photos in a vertical ratio of 3:4. This is very close to the standard display ratio of today's smartphones, especially on social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok, where vertical photos and videos dominate. Because the film sensor is split horizontally, if you hold the camera horizontally as usual, the resulting image will be vertical. To take a horizontal photo, you need to rotate the camera vertically, which is completely opposite to the habit of traditional film cameras. This "contradiction" creates a new experience, making the process of taking half-frame photos a different journey of discovery than with a regular camera.

The half-frame format was popular in the 1960s, associated with brands like the Olympus Pen, a legendary line of cameras at the time. Although no longer new, in the context of a strong revival of film photography, half-frame is back as a cost-effective and interesting option for content creators in the digital age. With the ability to capture more images, a social media-friendly aspect ratio, and a characteristic nostalgic image quality, half-frame is quickly winning over the hearts of both new and experienced photographers.

Nowadays, it is not difficult to come across new half-frame models appearing on the market. Fujifilm with the X-half, the newly launched Pentax 17, the Kodak Ektar H35 loved by young people, the unique Alfie Tych+, or the colorful Lomography Lomourette, all are contributing to bringing half-frame back as a prominent trend in the analog enthusiast community.

2. What is the function of a half-frame camera?

In essence, a half-frame camera works just like any traditional 35mm film camera. You still need a roll of 35mm film, you still load it, you still set the aperture, shutter speed, exposure, and take the shot as usual. The big difference is the way the frame is divided in half.

Thanks to this division, each roll of film will produce twice the number of photos. A roll of 36 can take up to 72 photos, a roll of 24 can take up to 48 photos. This is an outstanding economic advantage, especially at the present time when film prices are increasing, film development is not cheap and sometimes film supply is unstable. With half-frame, film players can make the most of each roll of film, significantly reducing the cost per shot while still maintaining the appeal of analog photos.

In addition to the economic factor, half-frames also bring a unique creative function: diptych. Diptych is a term used to refer to two adjacent images on the same frame of film. When scanned or printed intact, they become a pair of parallel images, which can complement each other in terms of content or aesthetics. One image can be a landscape, the other a portrait; one captures a moment in the day, the other a night scene; or sometimes both are simply two consecutive moments, creating a sense of continuity and storytelling. This is what makes half-frames so attractive to many photographers who love to tell stories through images.

If you don’t care about diptych, you can still process half-frame images as normal images. Film labs now support scanning each image separately. This makes the half-frame experience both flexible and creative, depending on how you want to use it.

3. Does a half-frame camera give lower image quality than a full-frame camera?

This is a question that many people are interested in when starting to learn about half-frame.

The answer is: yes and no.

Technically, because each frame is split in half, the film area for a half-frame image is only half that of a full-frame 35mm image. This results in grain being more noticeable, especially when you enlarge the image or scan it at a high resolution. The actual resolution of a half-frame image is also lower, simply because it is recorded on a smaller area of ​​film.

However, you can’t judge quality by just looking at the parameters. In fact, half-frame photos can still be beautiful, unique, and have high artistic value. Many film players even consider grain an important part of creating analog quality. Film grain makes photos realistic, vivid, and evokes a nostalgic feeling that digital photos cannot naturally reproduce.

Of course, half-frame has its limitations. In low light, full-frame images often have an advantage because the larger film area captures more light, which results in better detail and contrast. Full-frame images are often sharper, but this depends a lot on the quality of the lens, the way the film is developed, and the scanning technique. If technical perfection is your priority, full-frame is still the best choice.

But if what you’re looking for is creativity, economy, and a distinctive look, half-frame offers an experience that’s hard to replace. Some even argue that the limitations of half-frame are what make it so appealing, forcing photographers to think differently, using its weaknesses to their aesthetic advantage.

4. Can a half-frame camera use regular 35mm film?

The answer is yes. Half-frame cameras are fully compatible with standard 35mm film, the most common type of film on the market. You can use any roll of film you want, from classic black and white film, traditional color film to special films with fancy effects. The only difference is the way the camera exposes and rolls the film: instead of using the entire 36 x 24mm frame, the camera only uses half (18 x 24mm) to create two images on the same frame of film.

This is a huge advantage, as you don’t have to hunt for a specific film for half-frame. With film stocks sometimes scarce, the widespread use of 35mm film makes it easier for hobbyists to access and maintain this hobby.

However, there is one detail you should note: when sending your film to the lab for development, be sure to mention that it is a half-frame film. This is because the lab will need to adjust the scanning or printing method to accommodate the smaller frame. If you want to keep the diptych pairs intact, ask the lab not to split the images. Conversely, if you want the images to be as separate as a regular full-frame image, you can ask the lab to split each frame.

It is this flexibility that makes half-frame an “easy to play” format that doesn’t require much preparation but opens up a wide range of creative options.

5. Conclusion

Half-frame cameras are not a new invention, but with film photography experiencing a resurgence, the format has found a new home in the community. With its affordability, ability to shoot more photos, social media-friendly aspect ratio, and distinct retro vibe, half-frame has become an attractive option for both newbies and seasoned photographers.

While the image quality is limited compared to full-frame, the aesthetic difference makes half-frame more of an experience than a direct replacement. The fact that it uses the popular 35mm film makes half-frame even more accessible to everyone.

In a world where digital photography has become so perfect and ubiquitous, the return of the half-frame is like a breath of fresh air, a way to remind us that sometimes beauty lies not in perfection but in randomness, in the sparkling grains on film, in pairs of diptychs that tell a small story, and in the irreplaceable feeling of analog shooting.