Take one look at Vivo’s latest flagship smartphone, the Vivo X200 Ultra, and you’ll know instantly that it’s all about the cameras. It has the largest camera unit I have ever seen on a pocket-sized device, and considering there are already phones like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra on the market, that’s quite an achievement.
As a self-described camera nerd, I had been looking forward to testing the X200 Ultra more than any other smartphone, and after using it for the past week, it’s still exceeding my expectations. I’ve been so impressed by the Vivo X200 Ultra, in fact, that I’m willing to say it’s the first phone to make me feel comfortable leaving my mirrorless camera at home
Before you read on, a disclaimer: I managed to get my hands on an early sample, but officially, the Vivo X200 Ultra is only sold in China. I think that’s a real shame, but if you’re determined enough, you could always look at importing one.
A new approach to the triple camera setup
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So, what makes this camera phone so special? Well, one of the main things is that Vivo has taken a new approach to the multi-camera setup. Rather than having a main sensor with superior specifications and auxiliary lenses, all cameras on the rear have comparable specs.
Both the ultra-wide and primary camera use the same 50MP 1/1.28-inch Sony LYT-818 sensor, while the telephoto uses the 200MP 1/1.4-inch Samsung HP9 – just like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and the X200 Ultra’s brother, the X200 Pro.
Effectively, this means that you can use any of the cameras, in any lighting conditions, and not experience a drastic difference in performance. In a lot of my reviews, I encourage people to stick to the main camera at night, because that’s normally how you get the best results, but this is one of the first phones to buck that trend.
Vivo has also opted to use a 35mm-equivalent main camera, rather than the usual 24mm-ish focal length. Photographers like to use 35mm lenses because they produce images that are similar to what we naturally see with our eyes. There’s much less distortion to the images, and it forces you to be a little more considered with your framing.
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Of course, there are times when you want a wider shot, and the 14mm native focal length of the ultra-wide might be too much. In those situations, you can use a 2x digital crop to take you to 28mm, and you shouldn’t see much of a drop in quality.
Shooting with a 35mm primary focal length makes this phone immediately feel more camera-like, and the natural bokeh produced by the large sensor only adds to the effect. However, that’s not the only thing that makes the X200 Ultra feel more like a camera, there’s also an optional Photography Kit that completes the transformation.
Incredible accessories
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The kit works a lot like the one for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. There’s a case that’s compatible with 67mm filters, it has attachment points for wrist or neck straps, and there’s a removable DSLR-style grip that snaps onto it. The grip has a zoom lever, a two-stage shutter button, a control dial, and a dedicated video recording button. It also has a built-in 2300mAh battery to keep the phone charged up, and there’s a tripod mount on the base.
It’s a lovely kit, but we’ve seen similar offerings from Xiaomi for the past couple of years. What sets Vivo’s offering apart is the optional 2.35x Zeiss Teleconverter.
Honestly, when I first saw this lens, I presumed it was going to be a bit of a gimmick. External lens adapters for phones are nothing new, and typically, they result in serious image degradation. This one, though, is something special.
It attaches to the Photography Kit case with an adapter plate, and it’s affixed in front of the 85mm telephoto. With the extra magnification, you get a 200mm-equivalent native focal length, and you can digitally crop to 400mm, 800mm, and beyond.
It’s a bulky solution, but the results speak for themselves.
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Having such a long focal length is amazing for shooting wildlife and concerts, and the compression makes for an impressively shallow depth of field. With this setup, the resulting photos and videos look like they were taken on a mirrorless camera, rather than a phone.
It’s not perfect – stabilization can be challenging, and the autofocus is a little less reliable with the converter attached – but with results this good, I think it’s well worth the effort. Of course, it makes the X200 Ultra much bulkier, too, but compared to carrying an actual mirrorless camera, the phone and converter are still pocketable featherweight options.
What’s it like to use?
Since the X200 Ultra arrived, I’ve had a hard time putting it down. I’ve been snapping away at every opportunity, with or without the photography kit, and I’ve always been impressed with the results. The AI image sharpening can be a little heavy-handed at times, but Vivo gives you more options than most to dial things back, and you can also shoot RAW, which disables the majority of the image processing.
Video performance is great, too. There’s a LOG profile if you prefer to handle the color grading yourself, and you can shoot at up to 4K 120fps on all of the rear lenses for epic slow-motion shots. The microphones are still a step behind the likes of Apple and Samsung, but there is, at least, good support for external microphones.
There’s more to this phone than just the cameras, too. It has a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset at its core, so as you’d expect, it’s a gaming powerhouse. The display is excellent, the speakers are very decent, and the massive 6000mAh battery can last two days between charges.
On the software front, Origin OS is feature-packed, customizable, and pretty stylish. However, it’s not designed for a Western audience, and so there are some pretty significant caveats. By default, there’s no Play Store or Google Services, but setting them up is very easy.
Once you do, though, you’ll have other issues to contend with. Google Wallet works, but I wasn’t able to add a card for contactless payments, and I suspect you may have trouble with some banking applications, too. I have also heard mixed reports about Android Auto and Wear OS compatibility, plus there’s no Gemini or Circle to search.
The biggest issue I faced, though, was with delayed notifications. I spent a while disabling as many battery optimizations as I could, but even after all that, my notifications just weren’t as reliable on this phone. I’m sure none of this matters in the phone’s intended market, but using it in the UK isn’t exactly a flawless experience.
Could this replace my mirrorless camera?
While the Vivo X200 Ultra has astonished me with its quality and versatility, it won’t be replacing my full-frame Lumix S5 II anytime soon. However, I don’t think it’s supposed to. Instead, a phone camera is about convenience; it’s something you always have with you, and when you want to shoot more seriously, you can slap the extra accessories on.
When I’m travelling, I don’t always carry my full-frame setup. I’d love to have it on me at all times, but the reality is, with a couple of lenses in tow, we’re talking about 2 or 3kg of gear – and that’s a hassle to carry. For that reason, I sometimes travel with the compact Lumix GX9 and a couple of small, lightweight Micro Four Thirds lenses instead.
In many situations, I think the results from the Vivo look more impressive, and for video, it’s an easy winner. With the Photography Kit attached, the controls are almost as versatile, and it’s surprisingly even more ergonomic. The teleconverter gives me shots that rival my lightweight MFT zooms in a package that’s significantly lighter, and can actually fit in my pocket.
So, no, the Vivo X200 Ultra isn’t an outright mirrorless camera destroyer, but when it comes to compact cameras, it’s arguably a more sensible option. One thing’s for certain: next time I need to pack light, the GX9 is staying at home, and the X200 Ultra is coming with me.
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