Vivo X200 Pro: A Telephoto Masterpiece in the Smartphone Camera Race
The Vivo X200 Pro sets a benchmark for telephoto photography on smartphones.
What sets the Vivo X200 Pro apart is its emphasis on the telephoto lens. Instead of distracting features, Vivo enhances the hardware to deliver impressive results. While the device features a 200-megapixel periscope lens, it maintains adaptability and usability, striking a balance between innovation and practicality.
Design and Build
The Vivo X200 Pro features a sleek, metallic finish with a flatter AMOLED screen. The inclusion of semi-matte aluminum sides enhances grip and ergonomics, making the phone comfortable to hold and use.
The camera module is large, but this is expected with modern flagship phones. The device also offers impressive dust and water resistance, with IP68 and IP69 ratings, providing peace of mind in various environments.
The front of the phone sports a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with Dolby Vision, offering vibrant colors and high peak brightness in certain content. The OnePlus 13 shares the same panel, which further emphasizes consistency in display quality.
Camera Features
The main camera of the Vivo X200 Pro is a 50-megapixel sensor, though it automatically bines pixels to a 12.5-megapixel resolution for improved low-light performance. The telephoto lens takes center stage, featuring a 200-megapixel Samsung Isocell HP9 sensor, offering a 3.7x optical zoom and f/2.7 aperture. This configuration sets the phone apart, providing versatility in various photography modes.
The phone’s Ultra-Wide camera is less notable, adopting the Samsung JN1 image sensor proportional to the X100 Pro. It retains a 15mm focal length and f/2.0 aperture, providing a 110-degree field of view. The front camera, also unaltered, remains a 32-megapixel Isocell KD1 sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and fixed focus.
Zeiss optics cover the entire rear array, ensuring high-quality visuals. However, some issues like lens flare are acknowledged, with a settings toggle for minor correction. The company also provides tools for deeper editing through its Album app, including a glare reduction feature via AI.
Software Features
The Vivo X200 Pro provides an extensive software suite for photo enthusiasts. Various color profiles, camera modes, and editing tools ensure versatility and creativity. The Zeiss Natural Color profile delivers authentic hues, while Vivid mode boosts saturation and contrast.
New modes like Stage and Snapshot offer enhanced action capture capabilities. Snapshot, originally for main and telephoto lenses, now works for all three rear cameras, including hybrid zooms. The Stage mode specifically enhances concert and event photography, with both photo and video options.
The editing suite within the Album app is feature-rich, though it may not match leading photo editing apps. The AI features, such as bokeh adjustment after portrait shots, highlight some of its strengths.
Image Quality
Main Camera
The main camera excels due to its flexible modes and solid dynamic range. However, the cropped 2x zoom at 46mm reveals slightly softer edges compared to the 23mm default range. Overall, the main camera remains reliable with features like HDR preview.
The camera’s handling of bright light sources is particularly noteworthy, maintaining detail and color even during challenging lighting conditions. Real-time HDR preview enhances the shooting experience, allowing users to anticipate the final shot better.
Telephoto Lens
The telephoto lens is the standout feature of the X200 Pro. At an 85mm equivalent focal length, it offers practical versatility, performing well in various shooting scenarios, from sports to landscapes.
The lens shines in both close-up and long-distance shots, outperforming many competing devices. Its hybrid zoom, especially at 10x and 20x, provides sharp, detailed images with minimal noise and blur, making it a standout telephoto lens in its class.
Pro and High Resolution Modes
HIGHLIGHT: The X200 Pro supports RAW and SuperRAW photography, allowing users to capture full-resolution images with 14-bit depth. Pro mode introduces key adjustments for fine-tuning brightness, saturation, contrast, and sharpness.
High Resolution mode limits telephoto shots to 50 megapixels, while full-resolution JPEGs are possible in Pro mode. High Resolution mode prioritize usability with basic settings, offering simplicity and efficiency for everyday use.
Special Modes
The Street Photography mode is a creative blend of Pro, Portrait, and Photo modes, featuring manual controls like spot metering and six focal lengths. Additional options like black-and-white styles and bokeh effects add versatility for diverse shooting needs.
