Proof of Fujifilm's next compact camera tips remarkably small footprint, unorthodox 1-inch sensor, and hints of EVF

Fujifilm has long been rumoured to be introducing a half-frame camera, as we reported earlier this year, however solid evidence of the new camera has been scarce. Now, though, an FCC filing for the new compact camera has been discovered, giving us a more solid idea of what to expect when it eventually launches. 

First reported by Fuji Rumors, the FCC filing both confirms that there is a new Fujifilm half-frame camera on the way and it spills the beans on some design elements, features, and the overall size of the camera. For starters, and most notably, the sketches attached to the FCC registration reveal that the upcoming compact half-frame camera will come with a vertical LCD screen on the back, indicating that the sensor will also feature a vertical half-frame design. 

The other major detail is the size, which is an impressive 105.8 × 64.3 mm. The depth was not defined in the document, although the dimensions that were revealed make the half-film camera approximately 6 mm narrower and 1.7 mm shorter than the already compact Fujifilm X-M5 (curr. $822.59 on Amazon). More impressive still, the half-frame camera may actually pack an EVF, if the FCC filing sketches are any indication. That's a feature even the X-M5 skimps out on for the sake of cost and size. 

While it has not yet been hinted at or confirmed, it is expected that the oddball half-frame compact camera will have a fixed lens, making it an interesting option for travel photography and entry-level social media content creation — a portable, powerful alternative to a smartphone. The vertical sensor orientation would also be ideal for the latter use case, while flipping the camera 90° would make it something of a wannabe digital XPan replacement. Interestingly, the sketches in the FCC filing also seem to indicate that the new Fujifilm camera will have an accessory shoe. Although a hot shoe would make sense, cold shoes have become increasingly common among budget cameras, so that would not be a surprising outcome.