X-Halfvs A9
Fujifilm
X-Half (2025)
Starting from £549 new
Best for Creative, lifestyle and travel photography with a film-like experience
View X-Half
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Creative, Lifestyle And Travel Photography With A Film-Like Experience — X-Half (2025): The X-Half isn't trying to compete on specs — it's a creative, lifestyle-first camera that recreates the fun and constraints of half-frame film photography in a digital body. For photographers who want a fun second camera for personal projects, travel diaries, or simply shooting without overthinking, it's a genuinely enjoyable and unique product.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
Who should buy what
X-Half (2025)
- Creative photographers who want a fun, film-inspired digital camera for personal projects
- Travel photographers who want a pocketable, simple camera for everyday memories
- Fujifilm fans who enjoy film simulations and want a unique format to shoot in
- Beginners who want an enjoyable, low-pressure camera that encourages considered shooting
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
Quick take: The a9 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the x-half is the most affordable; only the a9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | X-Half (2025) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £549 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 17.7MP 1-inch CMOS (vertical orientation) | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 17.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p, vertical video mode | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detection AF with face detection | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~880 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 240g (body with battery and card) | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 112.8 × 66.2 × 38.4mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical viewfinder (frame-line type) | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 2.4-inch fixed touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed lens (no interchangeable mount) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | microSD | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | X-Half | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wedding & Events | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with X-Half
Camera family history