In March this year, OnePlus entered into a three-year partnership with camera maker Hasselblad to co-develop next-generation smartphone cameras for OnePlus flagship devices.
Hasselblad was founded in 1941 as a manufacturer of digital format cameras and lenses. These cameras are known for their ergonomic design, image quality and performance. Hasselblad cameras have captured images similar to the first landing on the Moon.
Taking a step forward in this partnership, OnePlus is launching a new Expan Mode on its latest flagship smartphones, the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro.
Origin of XPan cameras
In the 90s, most cameras used the 35mm format. But this was a time when the transition to digital imaging was just beginning. With the introduction of better quality and wide-screen films, audience interest was heightened, and they were more inclined to know more about aspect ratio (for its look and feel) rather than other details.
Over time, portable cameras became increasingly popular, as they could take wide-format photos. But the biggest disadvantage was the image quality, which was far from superior.
With these insights in mind, the Xpan was developed, which served as a bridge to connect the 35mm format and the medium format. It was also able to convert to full panorama without changing the film.
According to the official Hasselblad website, the Xpan used a dual format, which can produce both 24x65mm formats, in addition to the traditional 24x36mm format.
Between 1998 and 2002, there were approximately 16,800 Xpan cameras manufactured by Hasselblad.
The XPan II was introduced in 2003, after the original Xpan was discontinued. Hasselblad further improved the shutter speed and exposure data, which could be viewed on the LCD display of the camera’s viewfinder. The exposure of the bulb was extended to 540 s.
Expan Mode on Hasselblad Camera for Mobiles
see full image
The XPan mode on the Hasselblad camera for mobile is designed to provide the experience of using the original Hasselblad XPan camera. It gives a unique field of view.
Images taken using Xpan mode have a ratio of 65:24. Through splicing and sharing, one photo can make up “three stories”.
Images taken on XPan mode are cropped with the 48MP main camera and 50MP ultra-wide camera instead of the default 12MP mode. The result is a high-resolution image of over 20MP. Xpan images feature 7552×2798 resolution at 30mm and 7872×2916 resolution at 45mm. Xpan mode for mobile also uses 65:24 ratio for preview.
Xpan BW Filter
OnePlus has worked with Hasselblad on two film simulation profiles for the Expan Mode – one is a color mode, while the other is a black and white mode. When you open the Xpan Mode on the OnePlus 9 series, it starts in Black and White mode, which is reminiscent of the original Hasselblad Xpan camera.
With its two focal lengths 30mm and 45mm, users can shoot panoramic images with a direct preview from the viewfinder on the OnePlus Camera app.
In XPan mode, when a user presses the shutter, the frozen picture will first be previewed as a negative film, and then converted to a normal photo before saving it. This is to provide the users with the original look and feel of film development.
To use the new Xpan feature, a user can follow these steps:
- open camera feature
- Swipe up to see multiple options
- Select Xpan and Click on Image
- You will first see a negative movie which will turn into a normal photo
- Then three photos will be saved in your phone.
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