We can confirm that the sensor gain has not been changed between firmware version 2.4 and version 2.5. To better understand the issue you’ve encountered, could you please send us one or more images where magnitude 8.0 stars appear saturated?
This will help us analyze the situation more accurately.
Additionally, we appreciate your suggestion about adding a 5-second exposure option for users doing photometry, and we will forward it to our development team.