The release of new devices at the end of 2024 came earlier, and the competition was fiercer than last year. MediaTek was about a month earlier than last year, releasing the new flagship SoC Dimensity 9400 on October 9th. Less than a week later, vivo unveiled the X200 series phones equipped with the Dimensity 9400. The release of the new phones was even earlier than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Ultra Edition, helping vivo successfully gain a lot of attention.

However, fame brings controversy. While the vivo X200 series gained immense attention, it was also plagued by flare issues. Now that the X200 series has been on the market for a month, how is its real shooting experience? Here is a share of the X200 Pro experience.

The Camera is Incredible

On the day vivo released the X200 Pro, the camera configuration sparked much controversy. Its main rear camera changed from the 1-inch sensor of the X100 Pro to a 1/1.28-inch sensor, while the telephoto lens was upgraded to the same 1/1.4-inch large sensor as the X100 Ultra. Is this an upgrade or a downgrade?

However, after competing products were successively launched, everyone discovered that the camera configuration of the X200 Pro was actually the "emperor version" among its peers, and they all exclaimed, "It's incredible!" However, when sharing the photography experience of the X200 Pro, it is still necessary to review its camera specifications first, so that one can better experience the strengths and weaknesses of this phone's imaging capabilities.

The X200 Pro's rear triple-camera setup adopts an ultra-wide + main + telephoto design. The main camera uses the Sony LYT-818 CMOS sensor, with a size of 1/1.28 inches and a resolution of 50 megapixels. It is equipped with a 7P lens, equivalent to a 23mm full-frame perspective, with an aperture of F1.57, Zeiss T* coating, and supports OIS optical image stabilization, reaching up to 4.5 stops of effectiveness (CIPA standard).

The telephoto lens uses the Samsung HP9 CMOS sensor, with a size of 1/1.4 inches and a resolution of up to 200 megapixels. According to Samsung, the HP9 adopts Tetra²pixel technology, which can optimize the pixel array based on lighting conditions, capable of outputting either 50MP single pixels at 1.2 microns or 12.5MP pixels at 2.4 microns. On the HP9, vivo installed a Zeiss APO telephoto lens with an equivalent full-frame 85mm perspective, using a 1G+5P lens with an aperture of F2.67 and also featuring 4.5 stops of optical image stabilization. In the default camera menu, it appears in two forms: 3.7X and 10X. 3.7X corresponds to an 85mm perspective, while 10X is a 230mm perspective achieved through cropping, with a maximum magnification of 50X. In telephoto macro mode, the maximum magnification is 20X. Additionally, both the main and telephoto cameras support 4K 120FPS slow-motion shooting and Live Photo functionality.

Compared to the main and telephoto lenses, the X200 Pro's ultra-wide and front cameras are unremarkable. The former uses a Samsung JN1 sensor, measuring 1/2.76 inches with a resolution of 50 megapixels, equivalent to a full-frame 15mm perspective, an aperture of F2.0, and autofocus support. The front camera uses a 32-megapixel sensor with an aperture of F2.0.

Ultra-Level Telephoto

Currently, the vivo X200 series includes three models: X200, X200 Pro mini, and X200 Pro. The X200 and X200 Pro mini share the same camera configuration, but only the X200 Pro is equipped with a Zeiss 200-megapixel APO super telephoto lens. Many users choose the X200 Pro specifically for this telephoto lens. How does it perform? Let's start with a group of photos.

Taken through an airplane window at 85mm, the Tyndall effect in the sky is very prominent.

Fuji Mountain captured at 50X magnification. This is the same Fuji Mountain seen under the wing in the previous image.

On paper, the X200 Pro seems identical to the X100 Ultra, but according to vivo's announcement at the conference, the structure has actually been improved, resulting in faster and more accurate focusing, and large model technology has been added to enhance image quality. From the actual photos, the X200 Pro performs quite well in night snapshots and macro close-up focusing. Even when capturing sunset scenery through an airplane window, the color performance is quite solid, with excellent tone control, accurately reproducing the Tyndall effect. However, the devil is in the details. Next, we will analyze vivo X200 Pro's telephoto lens through more sample photos and comparative testing.

First, a comparison between the vivo X200 Pro and Xiaomi 15 Pro at the Zhuhai Airshow, where the latter uses a 120mm Leica periscope telephoto lens but also provides a 10X telephoto mode (240mm). During the shoot, the X200 Pro was in snapshot mode.

In terms of overall appearance, the X200 Pro has higher contrast and saturation, resulting in a better viewing experience. However, upon 100% magnification, jagged edges on lines become more noticeable. The Xiaomi 15 Pro's images appear grayish, and while there are no jagged lines upon 100% magnification, many details are lost. For example, on the same airplane, the Xiaomi 15 Pro captures fewer rivets than the X200 Pro. It can be said that the X200 Pro's telephoto lens captures significantly more details than its competitor.

Incidentally, in snapshot mode, the X200 Pro's maximum focal length is limited to 10X (230mm), significantly increasing shutter speed and ISO. As a result, when shooting against the light in hazy weather, color banding or noise reduction artifacts may occur, making the sky appear impure. However, if shot with the light, this issue almost disappears. Nevertheless, capturing the moment is more important than perfect execution, and these are minor issues.

Against the light, color banding or noise reduction artifacts may cause color patches in the sky.

With the light, the sky appears purer.

Next is a night photo taken with the telephoto lens at its native 85mm focal length. The scene is primarily illuminated by torches held by performers, creating a high-contrast environment with low brightness. The shutter speed was 1/381s, and the ISO was as high as 20492. Even when the photo is magnified to 100%, facial expressions and clothing patterns remain clear, demonstrating impressive performance.

The last photo is a 20X macro mode snapshot with a shutter speed of 1/298s and an ISO of 5552. When magnified to 100% to observe the lizard's eyes, the details remain clear even through the glass.

Without a comparison, it may be difficult to appreciate the high magnification of this photo. Therefore, we have also prepared a photo taken at an 85mm focal length, from which one can see the lizard's environment. Compared with the surrounding dead wood and gravel, the high magnification of the previous photo becomes apparent.

In addition to improving image quality, the X200 Pro's telephoto lens also includes a 135mm telephoto portrait mode. In traditional portrait photography, a 135mm prime lens is typically used for portrait close-ups, but as the aperture increases, more photographers are using it for full-body portraits. The following two photos were taken using the 135mm telephoto portrait mode, with natural bokeh effects. If you enjoy portrait photography, you must try this mode.

In summary, the vivo X200 Pro's telephoto lens is very impressive, with no shortcomings in snapshot, night, macro, or landscape photography. For the first time, a Pro model achieves the telephoto shooting capabilities of an Ultra model.

Undisappointing Main Camera

Flare is an unavoidable topic when discussing the vivo X200 Pro. At the end of October, Huang Tao, Vice President of vivo Products, acknowledged the issue on Weibo and promised improvements. Does this issue affect user experience? Based on our actual shooting, it has no impact. Below are photos taken with the main camera facing the sun:

Facing the sun directly, the flare produced by the X200 Pro is very slight, and the image contrast does not significantly decrease. To capture a crescent-shaped flare, the strong light must enter the lens at an angle nearly parallel to the focal plane, which is very particular about the angle. Even a slight hand shake can cause the crescent-shaped flare to disappear.

In terms of imaging quality, the main camera of the X200 Pro is quite solid. For example, in the following image, the central building is illuminated by light and stands out in the highlight area of the photo, while the trees in the corners appear darker due to backlighting. However, upon zooming in, one will find that both the building and the trees are rendered sharply and cleanly.

Conclusion

Today, the vivo X200 Pro has been on the market for a month. As mentioned earlier, the flare issue has not affected our shooting experience at all. The main camera, based on the Sony LYT-818 CMOS sensor, has consistently delivered excellent image quality, making it difficult to notice any significant difference compared to a 1-inch sensor. Moreover, the telephoto lens is particularly noteworthy, marking the first time a Pro model offers an experience akin to an Ultra model. In the past month, we have used the X200 Pro's telephoto lens to capture various images in Hawaii, Mount Fuji, concerts, and the Zhuhai Airshow, preserving precious moments.

Apart from its camera, the vivo X200 Pro also excels in other aspects. It is powered by the MTK Dimensity 9400 processor, scoring a high mark of 2,921,003 on AnTuTu. The 6.78-inch screen features an equal-depth micro quad-curved display with bezels as thin as 1.63mm. The battery capacity reaches 6000mAh, and a version with BeiDou satellite communication is available. A month after its launch, the vivo X200 Pro remains a highly competitive device.