Review: This classic is great news for OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro users

The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro phones are now getting the latest OxygenOS update which brings a number of tweaks and improvements as well as the cool Hasselblad Xpan mode for your phones. The camera-focused update also brings improvements with improved white balance accuracy, adjustments to how images are sharpened in auto and high-resolution modes, reduction of noise in low-light photos, and improved brightness and dynamic range for night mode and portrait mode photos. Don’t forget to check out Hasselblad Xpan mode, which will now appear as one of t photography modes in the camera app on your OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 9 phones. Spoiler alert: OnePlus has an asset up its sleeve.

The idea behind the Hasselblad Xpan Mode is to recreate the classic experience first introduced in 1998 when Hasselblad introduced the then revolutionary Xpan camera in collaboration with Fuji. I’ll allow Hasselblad to describe what the Xpan camera has been about over the years and dual format – “The XPan was an extremely unique camera, offering the benefits of the 35mm format, but also the ability to quickly switch to full panorama format without using a dual format, the XPan produced both full panorama 24x65mm format and conventional 24x36mm format on the exact same film.” Eliminate the film from the mix and you now get the same dual-format photography options on your OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro phones.

You get access to two focal lengths: 30mm and 45mm, just like with the classic camera. The way this works on your OnePlus 9 series phone is that for the Hasselblad Xpan mode, the aspect ratio remains the same 65:24 as before. Instead of the standard 12 megapixel photo mode on the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro phones, this mode uses the 48 megapixel main camera and 50 megapixel ultra-wide camera for the crops, meaning you can see the world in a much wider view with an image of 20 megapixels. megapixels. The resolution, OnePlus confirms, is 7552 x 2798 for the 30mm mode and 7872 x 2916 for the 45mm mode. Basically, you get the option for a variety of shots and take a call on which framing looks better for a landscape shot, for example.

That’s not all. You can choose the effects of a color film or a black and white film. It really doesn’t get much more realistic than this modern take on the classic cameras from another era. A really nice touch, if you tap the shutter button in the camera app you can see what looks like a negative film being developed. This is ephemeral and in a sense completes the walk through the memory strip. You can access Hasselblad Xpan mode in the OnePlus Camera app > swipe up (or left, depending on how you hold the phone) to open the mode menu > select XPAN. Once you are in the Hasselblad Xpan Mode interface, you can change the focal lengths and choose between color or black and white modes. That’s it, no further settings are available at this stage.

From what I’ve been able to experience with the Hasselblad Xpan mode on the OnePlus 9 Pro specifically, a lot of thought has gone into trying to recreate the experience of the simpler times while making full use of the extremely capable camera hardware available. on the OnePlus 9 series phones. In both focal length photos, the details that come through are impeccable. That’s where the 20-megapixel crops help, with more pixels displaying finer details that you wouldn’t otherwise get with a 12-megapixel photo. Mind you, if you’re using Hasselblad Xpan Mode, you’re also a bit more careful with panning and framing and with that extra second you take to get a good shot.

In the different focal lengths that the plants capture against a brick wall and the sky in the background, the realism of colors, how the shadows are well distinguished and the outline of the cloud in the sky comes through very well. Photos uploaded to this website, and the image size restrictions in effect, may not be able to see the finer details exactly as with an original sized image. In the Hasselblad Xpan Mode photos of the plants, the black and white mode completely changes the sense of place – it looks more like a winter morning shot than the bright summer day replicating the color version of the same photo. I’m particularly impressed with the shot of the late evening sky and how every ripple in the clouds is replicated with pristine brilliance – mind you, there’s inconsistent lighting to contend with, as well as a light source facing the camera. And you get the feeling that the sun is setting for the day, with the way the trees look.