As the first OPPO phone to collab with Hasselblad, is the Find X5 Pro worth the hype?

[This is a sponsored article with OPPO Malaysia.]

OPPO recently released the Find X5 Pro 5G, a smartphone manufactured in collaboration with Hasselblad, a Swedish camera-making company that is known for their medium-format cameras.

Did you know: Medium-format cameras are a type of camera that have a much larger sensor size usually at around 43.8mm x 32.9mm compared to a full-frame camera’s 35.9mm x 23.9mm. These cameras are usually much better at taking pictures with highly accurate colour reproduction, better dynamic range, and higher-quality pictures. Source: Hasselblad

On paper, the device comes with several noteworthy camera specs like a triple-camera setup at the back that consists of a 50MP f/1.7 main camera, a 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 13MP f/2.4 telephoto camera. The front, on the other hand, has a 32MP f/2.4 selfie camera.

Furthermore, the collaboration means that the phone comes with exclusive Hasselblad-enabled features like the Natural Colour Calibration while using the Pro mode, XPan, and many more.

With its 5,000mAh battery fully charged, I took it on a quick photography trip in Cyberjaya to test its features in different locations, and see whether this smartphone lives up to its expectations.

XPan Mode

First and foremost, I tested out the XPan mode, a feature that’s often used for capturing breathtaking ultra-wide panoramic shots. This mode recreates the experience of taking vintage-style pictures using a 65 x 24mm film format that’s usually for landscape, architecture, and specific portrait-style photography.

Since taking pictures of crowds makes me feel a little anxious, I opted to use the XPan mode for taking landscape photos.

The camera mode is relatively straightforward too. The UI mimics the experience of looking through the viewfinder of a vintage Hasselblad camera. 

It lets me tweak the exposure and also gives me the option to take pictures in black and white for an old-school look. 

Its simple interface lets me focus more on the picture composition and the subject I’m taking, instead of fumbling about just to get the settings right.

Hasselblad Master Styles

Other than the XPan mode mentioned above, another feature found on the OPPO Find X5 Pro 5G that was co-developed with Hasselblad is the Hasselblad Master Styles. 

This feature utilises colour filters known as Serenity, Radiance, and Emerald, which can be accessed by tapping on the wand icon towards the right of the shutter button, and choosing one of the Hasselblad Master Styles options in the filters section. 

Of the three, I like the look of Serenity the most, but that’s up to personal preference in the end.

I was bummed out that I couldn’t apply the filters after the pictures were taken. Hopefully this is something that can be done in the future.

Natural Colour Calibration

Depending on the look I am trying to achieve, I would gravitate towards using the phone’s Pro (manual) mode. That said, the Pro mode of the OPPO Find X5 Pro 5G was also co-developed with Hasselblad and calibrated to allow users to take natural and colour-accurate pictures.

Staying true to the Hasselblad spirit, the Pro mode features the same UI elements typically found on a Hasselblad digital camera. I like how it also played a mechanical camera shutter sound whenever I pressed the shutter button.

Do note that the Natural Colour Calibration feature is not available on the regular camera mode on the device though.

Other camera features worth mentioning

Even without the co-developed features mentioned above, it is still a capable camera phone.

For example, the Find X5 Pro 5G can handle photography in low light conditions quite well with pictures properly exposed and almost minimal motion blur with its 5-axis Optical Image Stabilisation.

On a separate visit, I had the opportunity to test out the phone where lighting was scarce on a trip to the Great British Circus in Bukit Jalil.

And this might sound trivial, but I’m happy the phone can launch the camera app within a second. There were many moments where I could have missed a good picture if the camera app had taken longer to boot up.

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At the end of my photography trip, I was surprised that the OPPO Find X5 Pro 5G’s battery endured the travel much better than my legs did. I’m quite happy with how the pictures I took, as most of them came out vibrant and sharp.

In addition, Hasselblad’s features made it easier to make my pictures more artistic and unique to me.

Charging the phone up was relatively quick too. After 47 minutes of charging, the phone is fully charged and ready to take on the next photography trip while my legs were still cramping up from having to walk close to 14,000 steps.

As for the price, the OPPO Find X5 Pro 5G retails starting from RM4,999, and it’s available in two colours: Ceramic White and Glaze Black.

• Find out more about the OPPO Find X5 Pro 5G here.