Flashback, the company behind the disposable-inspired One35 digital camera, has announced its next offering, the One75. The new digicam takes on the half-frame format and brings a more premium aesthetic.

Flashback says the One75 is inspired by classic half-frame film cameras, and, like those, it produces vertical photos. The company says it takes 13MP photos, though it doesn’t specify a sensor size or sensor resolution. It also didn’t specify the lens’s focal length, though the sample photos suggest a fairly wide-angle view. Unlike its vertical frame competitor, the Fujifilm X half, the One75 can capture Raw photos (in DNG format), though you’ll have to plug it into a computer to access them, rather than using the Flashback app, which can access the JPEGs.

Flashback

There are other film-inspired features, too. The camera supports up to 27 photos at a time (like a small roll of film), with a frame counter on the OLED display and a mechanical winder for advancing the “roll.” Users then need to transfer images to the app or a computer using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or USB-C. That transfer triggers a reset on the camera, like putting in a new roll.

Photographers can choose to wait 24 hours to view the photos (using Film Camera Mode) or use Digicam Mode to see photos instantly in the Flashback app. The camera also offers a double exposure mode and eight built-in film types for different looks, which can be changed on-camera.

Flashback

The One75 isn’t technically screen-free, as it features an OLED display on the top of the camera for adjusting settings. However, it lacks a display for viewing photos. Users will need to use the free companion app or transfer the files to a computer to see them. There is a portrait-oriented optical viewfinder for composing images.

Instead of a full plastic build like the One35 and many other film-inspired digicams, the One75 features aluminum top and bottom plates and brass controls. It also offers a tripod mount and self-timer, giving photographers more flexibility with how they use the camera. In addition, the lens features a 25mm threaded mount, making it compatible with filters and add-on lenses. It also includes a xenon flash.

Flashback

The Flashback One75 is available for pre-order now for $179 (no, that’s not a typo, it doesn’t cost $175), with the company stating that pre-orders will arrive before Christmas. It comes in Brushed Aluminum (silver and black) or Noir (all black).

The Micro Four Thirds standards group recently posted a warning on its site saying that it can’t guarantee that products made by companies not in the group will work as expected. The message, a link to which is prominently displayed in the site’s top navigation bar, doesn’t name any specific brands or products, but comes at an interesting time for the Micro Four Thirds system.

The official statement says that “the Four Thirds Office does NOT guarantee that products manufactured or sold by non-member companies comply with the Micro Four Thirds System standard or are compatible with individual devices.” It also tells users to check specific compatibility information with the manufacturer or seller of whatever gear you’re trying to buy.

Micro Four Thirds

When we first saw the warning at DPReview, we thought it might be related to the recent GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS. That camera has a Micro Four Thirds mount, but without any electrical contacts, so most of the lenses for the system from OM System and Panasonic won’t work, since they require those contacts to control aperture and focus.

That’s something potential buyers of the camera should be aware of, and it’s probably the most prominent instance of a product that uses the mount but that’s incompatible with many other products in the system. However, it also seems unlikely that the warning is referring to the ILS: while GoPro wasn’t a member of the group when that camera launched, it has since joined, and the warning explicitly calls out products from non-member companies.

So why was it issued? Honestly, there’s no clear answer. We’re not aware of any major scandals in the Micro Four Thirds world recently, though there have been rumors swirling around Insta360 using the mount for the cameras it’s currently working on. As of the time of writing, it isn’t listed among the supporting companies on the Micro Four Thirds website.

There’s also, as was pointed out several times in a Reddit thread, the case of SG-image, a budget lens company which is also not part of the Micro Four Thirds group. It has released one lens for the system that, according to several reports, doesn’t work at all with older cameras, and has some limitations on several newer models too. However, that lens has been out for a few months, so it would be a bit odd for the group to issue a warning about it only now.

Of course, it’s also possible that it’s just a general message, issued as a standard bit of housekeeping as an increasing number of companies release gear with Micro Four Thirds-shaped mounts without official support. As always, it’s worth reading a variety of reviews before spending your money on a product, especially if you’re going a bit off the beaten path.