When OnePlus unveiled its flagship smartphones under the OnePlus 9 series earlier this year, the collaboration with camera maker Hasselblad was one of its marquee features. However, it is only after 7 months of the launch, that the company is utilizing the partnership to its potential.
The Chinese smartphone maker has announced that it is releasing a software update for both the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro that lets users experience Hasselblad’s’ iconic XPan mode using their OnePlus devices.
The images taken on XPan Mode are cropped from the [OnePlus 9 Series] 48MP main camera and 50MP ultra-wide camera instead of the default 12MP mode
For those unaware, Hasselblad's XPan mode was loved by photographers as it offered a cinematic photography experience. Introduced in 90’s this mode allowed users to shoot regular 35mm images on 35mm film and even 24x65mm panorama images without changing the film or sacrificing the image quality.
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OnePlus is now looking to emulate this same experience by introducing a new shooting mode that will capture images in a 65:21 ratio offering the similar panoramic view enabled by the XPan. This super wide-angle mode results in images that are cropped down to 20-megapixel and emulate two lenses – 30mm and 45mm.
These images will carry high resolution - 7552 × 2798 resolution on 30mm and 7872 × 2916 resolution on 45mm. The XPan mode will advantage from OnePlus’s 2-megapixel monochrome sensor and will take black and white images by default. However, there will be an option to switch to a coloured option as well.
Though the new XPan Mode may not alter the OnePlus 9’s image processing algorithm which means that the colour reproduction on the image shot in regular mode will be like the XPan mode, however, it’s the drama that the cinematic mode adds makes the image unique.
While OnePlus might feel that it is making the collaboration with Hasselblad worthwhile with the addition of this new mode, it might still appeal to a limited set of users who are mobile photography enthusiasts. For the rest, it might be just another feature that the phone packs and may not impact their purchase decision much.
A software update with the XPan mode is already out starting September 17, in case you've not got an alert, feel free to go check in the settings app for the OTA update.
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