For years, phone manufacturers have been chasing image quality that can compete with professional cameras: DSLR, mirrorless, etc. For regular consumers like me, looking at the photos we take on our phone screens, that's kind of acceptable. While phone photography has improved dramatically (even some mid-range phones take great photos), some brands are constantly trying to outdo themselves. Chinese brands are particularly good at introducing new (and sometimes flashy) features that make the Asian phone market competitive and exciting.
The latest addition to this group is Vivo. These specs and the large curved AMOLED display make the X100 a close competitor to the OnePlus 12. The highlight is undoubtedly the rear camera system, customized in collaboration with German optics giant Zeiss. But aside from its powerful features, the Vivo X100 has the most impressive camera features I've ever tested, and I think you should too.
Why is Vivo X100 special?
The Vivo X series has a rich history of impressive low-light camera performance. Last year, I tested the Vivo X90 Pro and found that the viewfinder caught more light than my eyes. I also found that it required significantly more light than the Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro.
While the X90 Pro's large 1-inch (cropped) sensor is inferior to the camera quality, Vivo's image processing also relies on a special image processor called "V2" that powers the phone's chipset and chipset.
Vivo claims that the latest generation of X series devices - X100 and X100 Pro - have improved picture quality even further. I specifically tested the X100 (the non-Pro variant) to evaluate the special features added by Vivo for portrait photography. Here are the reasons why I was pleasantly surprised.
Cooperation with Zeiss is key
Zeiss is no stranger to the world of smartphone photography, and Vivo isn't the first brand to partner with it. The German company already helped improve photo quality on Nokia's N-series phones during its heyday and later on the Lumia line, and also occasionally helped Sony with the cameras of its Xperia phones.
This isn't the first Vivo phone to feature Zeiss optics: it's actually the fourth generation of the partnership. Unlike Nokia or Sony, where Zeiss's role is limited to camera lenses, Vivo deepens this integration by helping to recreate the effects of the famous Zeiss lenses for professional cameras.
This approach may surprise Zeiss purists, since the brand is aimed at maximalists who like to control a wide range of settings instead of shooting quickly and automatically. I say this because most Zeiss lenses today are still only manual focus, which puts them out of reach for beginners and casual enthusiasts. The lenses are known to produce sharper images, but give a ghostly feel, especially in the background. Additionally, Zeiss lenses are relatively more expensive than similar models from other camera manufacturers such as Nikon or Canon, making them more upscale for professionals and serious enthusiasts.
Thanks to Vivo's partnership with Zeiss, these ghostly effects are recreated (mostly through algorithmic improvements) on the X series phones. Of course, the latest X100 and X100 Pro include the latest and most detailed version of these effects.
There are two important ways in which the Vivo X100 features Zeiss effects. First, it simulates the effects of six popular Zeiss lenses. These include Biotar, B-Speed, Sonnar, Planar, Distagon and Cine-Flare. Each of them is symbolic
Second, Portrait mode offers preset zoom levels for the three cameras, corresponding to the typical focal lengths of professional camera lenses. If this seems confusing, let me clear things up. Instead of the Vivo Standard 1x, 2x, 3x or similar intermediate zoom levels, Portrait mode allows for different focal length options (24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 100mm) to accommodate longer focal length ranges. Extensive use of Zeiss digital cameras. camera lenses.
Finally, the Vivo X100 offers presets for various portrait photography scenarios using the above features together. It uses a combination of focal length and lens effects for different scenarios, aiming to produce the same images as Zeiss lenses.
I hope you will be interested to know the real results of Vivo X100 portrait mode. Let's start by learning how different lens effects work.
What the Vivo X100 camera can do
All images of the Vivo X100 are deliberately taken in low-light conditions for two reasons: first, to make the portrait effects clearer to showcase small or distant lights. what they will do in daylight or bright light.
For our first comparison, we'll look at some background effects inspired by Zeiss lenses. Notice the shapes around the lights behind me to see the differences.
In real Zeiss lenses, these effects are created by physical changes to the physical aperture or shutter, which controls the amount of light entering the lens. For example, a B-Speed lens uses a triangular aperture so that background light sources are triangular but have curved edges rather than straight ones. Likewise, Biotar lens effects are shaped like true convex lenses, and Distagon effects are shaped like hexagons.
In vivo
However, under favorable conditions, you can expect solid and distinctive trinkets in the background. Interestingly, these portrait effects work even without a face or live subject in the frame, making the Vivo X100 a great camera for capturing still lifes, not just faces.
Another thing I have to mention is how perfectly the Vivo X100 detects edges even in low light conditions. This capability of the X100 helps create a clear distinction between the subject and the background, making images look like they were taken with a professional camera rather than a still camera.
You can use all these effects at each focal length setting, depending on the distance to the subject and the level and depth of field you want in your images. Also, with each effect you can control the intensity of the background blur, but I kept the default settings.
All of the examples I've shared above are set to the 35mm setting, which equates to about 1.5x zoom. In recent weeks, the constant bad weather in my city and the lack of visibility, especially at night, have stopped me from choosing wider AF points, because it requires longer shooting distances.
However, if you don't want to play with the settings, you can opt for Vivo's pre-installed portrait packs.
More portrait magic
In addition to the Zeiss camera effects we looked at in the previous section, the Vivo X100 also offers preset combinations that allow you to select the appropriate lens, zoom level and Zeiss effect based on popular lens formats. For example, there are special modes for landscapes and street portraits, a classic mode for retro colors, a figure mode that allows you to focus on yourself from a great distance, and a close-up mode that allows you to zoom in on your view even more. face . If you want a simpler portrait without too many frills, Natural mode lets you do just that. In addition to the Zeiss effects in each of these modes, you can also choose the intensity of the blur using each of these camera presets. You can use the modes as is or play around to find the settings you like.
Here are our first pictures taken at different focal points (as shown). In each photo, you can see the differences not only in the distance, but also in the colors (pay attention to the blue color in Classic mode), background effects and the intensity of the blur.
Because of the fog in the background, the light in the background is very diffuse, as in the previous comparisons. So we'll use our internal research for the next comparison.
The limited space inside the room forced us to move the camera closer to my face instead of capturing a larger area. In addition to differences in various camera effects, this comparison demonstrates how focal length affects the shape of objects in focus.
See the subtle changes in the face at different focal points. This is because the curvature of the lenses tends to bend the edges as they get closer to the subject. Photographers use similar techniques to create more attractive portraits.
In addition to the changes in the face, you can also see different bokeh effects around the string lights in the background. Each of these effects changes automatically depending on the preset, as mentioned above.
With these features, the Vivo X100 can be your gateway to the world of Zeiss (or other professional prime lenses). Even if you don't want to, the pictures are attractive enough to make you wonder if they were taken with a phone or a real camera, and you can keep the other party guessing as long as you like.
Is it still worth buying?
I hate to admit it, but with a real camera, my options are limited. Although I know the aperture from the shutter speed, I'm not as skilled with the camera as the pros. That's why I rely on smartphones to capture moments, and I think I belong to most people.
That's why phones like Vivo wink. Can it replace a professional camera? Or can any phone replace a professional camera? There is no absolute or simple answer. I believe phones like the Vivo X100 (or the X100 Pro with a larger 1-inch sensor) can replace cameras in many scenarios, especially when the person using them can't play dynamically with different camera settings.
The Vivo X100 makes a lot of sense for those who take a lot of pictures and want better quality than most phones. As we've demonstrated above, the X100 has it all when it comes to night and low-light portraits, especially thanks to its flagship chip and dedicated photo processor.
The Vivo X100 eliminates the need for Pro mode.
But despite all these appeals, some aspects prevent me from recommending it to everyone. First, while Vivo has one of the most advanced cameras on a phone, the UI still lacks polish. What you're looking at is a chaotic mix of mismatched images, a poor user interface, and a lot of pre-installed bloatware (may vary by region). For a phone priced around $1,000 (Hong Kong prices), these stressors seem unreasonable. The second problem, as you might have guessed, is the affordability of the Vivo X100. Even if you buy the phone from AliExpress (Amazon of China) and get a huge 35% discount, there is no guarantee. While you can still find a way to get your phone fixed in Europe, Latin America or Asia, if something goes wrong, North Americans may be in luck as Vivo is sold in these regions.
So at its best, the Vivo X100 is a great second phone that works as a great camera. If you're just looking to enter the world of Zeiss lenses and effects, the X100 can also be a gateway or litmus test before spending thousands of dollars on real Zeiss lenses. Don't forget a decent camera with a sensor that can compete with great lenses.
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