360 Camera News and Info Virtual Tour Cameras & Lenses

XPhase Pro S update: manual exposure + slow shutter speed + backfocusing fix

XPhase Pro (top) vs. XPhase Pro S (bottom, exposure decreased)
XPhase Pro (left, exposure adjusted) vs. XPhase Pro S (right)
XPhase Pro (left, exposure adjusted) vs. XPhase Pro S (right)

Last week, I got the new prerelease version of the XPhase Pro S (reviewed here).  I tested it over the weekend and here are my first impressions.

The XPhase Pro S is the upgraded version of the XPhase Pro, the highest resolution 360 camera on the market, with twenty-five 8mp BSI CMOS sensors (200mp total capture resolution) and a stitched resolution of over 150mp in PTGui.

App features

Here are the new features of the app (August 24 version):

1. Full manual exposure. 

You can now toggle between auto and manual exposure.  Auto is exactly as it was before, letting you switch between handheld (1/13 shutter speed or faster) or tripod (which tries to use the lowest ISO).

In manual mode, you can select both the ISO and shutter speed.  You can change the ISO from 100 to 1600, in 1/3 stop increments.  You can change the shutter speed from 1/4096 sec. to 8 seconds, also in 1/3 stop increments.   However, it appears that in manual mode, the camera won’t take an HDR shot.

2. Slow shutter speed.

The previous version was limited to a shutter speed of 1/2 sec. at the slowest.  With an 8 sec. shutter speed, it should be possible to take low light photos.

3. Two HDR modes.

You can choose between a 3-shot HDR with 2EV intervals (-2, 0, and +2EV), or 6-shot HDR with 1EV intervals (-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2EV).

Of these features, the only one that is working right now is manual exposure.  The firmware to enable the 6-shot HDR and the DNG Raw format is not yet available but will be released soon (they said next week).

Backfocusing begone?

The biggest reason for the update is to correct the backfocusing.  The previous version had some lenses that had backfocusing, resulting in inconsistent sharpness for nearby objects.

With the upgraded version, I’ve taken several shots in various conditions and so far I don’t see any evidence of backfocusing.  I took a shot inside a minivan.  Here are crops from those shots.  The top photo is from the original XPhase Pro and you can see the coins and the sunglass pouch are a bit blurred. With the Pro S, the coins and sunglass pouch are more detailed.

XPhase Pro (top) vs. XPhase Pro S (bottom, exposure decreased)
XPhase Pro (top) vs. XPhase Pro S (bottom, exposure decreased)

I’m looking forward to the new firmware that will enable Raw DNG mode and a 6-shot HDR.  If you’d like to order the XPhase Pro S, you can get a free extra 128GB drive using this affiliate link.

About the author

Mic Ty

5 Comments

Click here to post a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Hi Michael!

    The XPhase Pro app for Android is on the in included USB Drive but not in the Play Store.
    The XPhase Pro app for Android is in the App Store.
    But this are both old versions.

    Where is the “August 24 version” you describe here?

    • Hi Thomas. I got it direct from xphase because it’s still being tested. If you want the beta version, join the facebook group.

  • Hi Mic,
    does exist official page with new firmware versions? How do I know I have an actual firmware. I have Pro S version one week, but I have not a raw in the menu (6 layer HDR yes). There is only PNO JPG and PNG formats.
    Do I understand the new firmware upgrading proces means I copy “xphase” file to USB disk and “firmware” folder?
    Thank You

    • hi,

      i have the same problem and no facebook account to join the group, where i (and others also) might get some more information about the firmware update process and beta software versions. it would be great if you or someone else could make these links public, so that we can use the full potential of our new piece of hardware.

      it is very frustrating that the company hides these information so well for newly customers and i hope that you can help us solve this issue.

      have a nice day and thank you in advance for your time and your great blog at all.