For years, phone brands have strived for camera image quality that rivals that of professional cameras; DSLR cameras, mirrorless cameras and more. For regular consumers like me, this is somewhat of a given given the photos we take on the phone screen. While phone photography has improved dramatically (even some mid-range phones take great photos), some brands are constantly trying to outdo each other. Chinese brands are particularly adept at releasing new (and sometimes flashy) features that make the Asian phone market competitive and exciting.
The latest app in this group is Vivo with these specs and a large curved AMOLED display. But aside from its powerful specs, the Vivo X100 has one of the most impressive camera features I've tested so far, and I think you should check it out too.
Why is Vivo X100 special?
Vivo's X series has a long history of impressive low-light camera performance. I tried the Vivo X90 Pro last year and found that the viewfinder captured more light than my eyes could process. I also found that it captures significantly more light than the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro.
While the X90 Pro's large 1-inch (cropped) sensor is the cornerstone of its photography capabilities, Vivo's imaging also relies on a special image processor called "V2" built into the phone's chipset.
With the latest generation X series devices, the X100 and X100 Pro, Vivo says the image quality has improved. I tested the X100 (not the Pro version) mainly to test the special features that Vivo has added for portrait photography. That's why I was pleasantly surprised.
The Zeiss partnership makes a difference
Zeiss is no stranger to the world of smartphone photography, and Vivo isn't the first brand to partner with it. The German company has already helped Nokia improve photography in the N series and later Lumia phones, and has regularly helped Sony with the cameras on its Xperia phones.
This is also not the first Vivo phone with Zeiss optics. it is actually the fourth generation of the partnership. And unlike Nokia or Sony, where Zeiss' role was limited to providing camera lenses, Vivo deepened that integration by helping to recreate the effects of popular Zeiss lenses for professional cameras.
This approach may surprise Zeiss purists, as the brand is aimed at maximalists who prefer to control a wide range of settings rather than taking fast, automatic shots. I say this because even at this age, most Zeiss camera lenses are manual focus only, making them no longer suitable for beginners and casual hikers. Its lenses are known for producing sharp yet gorgeous images, especially in the background. Additionally, Zeiss lenses are relatively more expensive than comparable models from other camera manufacturers such as Nikon or Canon, making them a bit more exclusive to professionals and enthusiasts.
Vivo's partnership with Zeiss means that these dreamy effects are recreated in the X series phones (mostly replicated through algorithmic improvements). Of course, the latest X100 and X100 Pro models have newer, more concise versions of these effects.
The Vivo X100 reproduces the Zeiss effect in two important ways. First, it simulates the same effect as Zeiss' six prime lenses. These include Biotar, B-Speed, Sonar, Planar, Distagon and Cine-Flare. Each of them is an icon
Second, Portrait mode offers preset zoom levels with three cameras to match typical focal lengths of professional camera lenses. If this sounds confusing, let me explain further. Instead of the standard 1x, 2x, 3x or similar intermediate zoom levels of the Vivo zoom levels, Portrait mode allows you to choose from different focal length options: 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 100mm, corresponding to the most common focal length range. Zeiss digital cameras. Camera lens.
Finally, the Vivo X100 offers presets for various portrait photography scenarios using the above features together. It tries to produce the same image as a Zeiss lens using combinations of focal length and lens effects in different situations.
I hope this makes you curious about the real results of portrait mode on Vivo X100. Let's start with how different lens flares work.
What can the Vivo X100 camera do?
All images taken with the Vivo Tiny or distant light sources make the portrait effect more apparent. What do they do in daylight or bright conditions?
For a first comparison, let's look at different background effects inspired by Zeiss lenses. Notice the shapes around the light sources behind me to see the differences
With true Zeiss lenses, these effects are created by physical changes to the aperture or shutter that control the amount of light entering the lens. For example, B lenses use a triangular aperture, making background light sources look like a triangle, but with curved edges instead of straight. Likewise, the biota lens effects have a true convex lens shape, while the distagon effect is a hexagon shape.
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However, when the conditions are favorable, we can expect strong and noticeable supporters in the background. Interestingly, these portrait effects work without a face or live subject in the frame, making the Vivo X100 a great camera for still-life photography, not just for capturing faces.
Another aspect I have to highlight is the Vivo X100's perfect edge detection, even in low light conditions. This power
You can use all of these effects at any focal length setting, depending on the distance to the subject and the depth of field and depth of field you want for your images. Also, each effect allows you to manipulate the intensity of the background blur, but I left the default settings.
All of the examples I shared above are set to the 35mm setting, which is about 1.5x magnification. Due to the constant bad weather in my city for the past few weeks and the lack of adequate visibility, especially at night, I have refrained from choosing longer focal lengths as they require images at greater distances.
However, if you don't want to mess with the settings, you can opt for Vivo's preset portrait pack.
More portrait magic!
In addition to the Zeiss camera effects we saw in the previous section, the Vivo X100 also offers preset combinations that select the appropriate lens, zoom level, and Zeiss effects based on popular lens formats. For example, there are dedicated modes for landscape and street portraits, a classic mode for retro tones, a portrait mode to keep you in focus from a distance, and a close-up mode for further zooming. your face If you want a simple portrait photo without any distractions, natural mode is for you. In addition to the Zeiss effect in each of these modes, the blur intensity is also selected for each of these camera presets. You can use mods or play around to find a setting you like.
Here is the first set of images taken at different focal lengths (as shown). In each photo, you can see not only the distance, but also the color (note the blue color in classic mode), background effects and blur intensity.
Due to the fog in the background, the lights in the background appear more diffused than in the previous comparison. So let's turn our search around for the following comparison.
The lack of space in the room forced us to move the camera closer to my face instead of shooting a larger area. In addition to various camera effects, this comparison shows how focal length affects the shape of objects in focus.
Check out the subtle changes in my face shape at different focal lengths. This is because the curvature of the lens changes at the edges as you move closer to the object. Photographers use the same technique to capture more flattering portraits.
In addition to the variations in my face, you can also see different bokeh effects around the fairy lights in the background. Each of these effects above is automatically swapped with the preset.
With these features, the Vivo X100 can open the door to the world of Zeiss (or other professional prime lenses). Even if you don't want to, the photos are so convincing that you'll wonder if they were taken with a phone or a real camera, and you can guess the other person as many times as you want.
But is it worth buying?
I hate to admit it, but my skills with real cameras are limited. Although I know my F-values from my shutter speed, I'm not as familiar with the camera as a professional. That's why I rely on smartphones to capture moments, and I think I'm like most people out there.
So, can phones like Vivo replace it with a professional camera? Or what phone can replace a professional camera? There are no absolute or easy answers. I think the Vivo X100 phones (or the X100 Pro with the larger 1-inch sensor) can replace the camera in many situations, especially when the user can't play dynamic games with different camera settings.
The Vivo X100 is ideal for those who take a lot of photos and want higher quality than most phones, as we've shown above.
Vivo X100 eliminates the need for Pro mode.
But despite these attractions, there are aspects that prevent me from recommending it to everyone. First, even though Vivo has one of the most advanced cameras on a phone, its user interface still lacks sophistication. You'll see a chaotic mess of incompatible graphics, a lackluster user experience, and a ton of pre-installed bloatware (which may vary by region). These charges seem unreasonable for a phone that costs around $1,000 (based on Hong Kong prices). The second challenge, as you can imagine, concerns the availability of the Vivo X100. Even if you buy the phone from AliExpress (Amazon in China) and get a whopping 35% off, there's no guarantee. While you can always find a way to get your phone repaired in Europe, Latin America, or Asia if something goes wrong, since Vivo sells in these regions, North Americans may be in luck.
At its best, the Vivo X100 is a great second phone that doubles as a great camera. If you just want to dive into the world of Zeiss lenses and effects, the X100 can be a starter or litmus test before spending thousands of dollars on an actual Zeiss lens. Not to mention a decent camera with a sensor that can justify a respectable lens.
