vivo X200 Pro review

Top-tier zoom camera, main unit is more of a side-step

The X100 Ultra showed us a glimpse of the zoom future, a future we couldn't quite have at the time because of that model's China-only availability. The X200 Pro is here to help out, bringing what appears at first glance to be the same 200MP 3.7x telephoto camera that we loved so much.

Now, it would appear that it's not quite the exact same telephoto setup, as the X200 Pro can't focus quite as close as the X100 Ultra, but the 14cm vs. 12cm minimum subject distance isn't all that dramatic of a difference and the X200 Pro will still be capturing remarkable close-ups (among other things). The 200MP Samsung sensor is seemingly the same and the lens focal length and aperture are also the same, as best as we can tell, so we're not exactly sure what that focusing distance discrepancy is all about.

A more significant change can be seen on the primary camera, where a new Sony Lytia LYT-818 replaces the previous Sony sensors (LYT-900 on the X100 Ultra, IMX 989 on the X100 Pro). New should be better, but this new one is also smaller - its optical format is 1/1.28" instead of the 1" type of the other two models. Sony and vivo insist that the new sensor should be as good as the old one, and possibly better in some respects. It feels to us like a compromise has been made here, whether for segmentation purposes (there better be an X200 Ultra down the line) or for some other reason (internal design, cost, supply, whatnot). We'll see how this one performs soon enough.

• Wide (main): 50MP Sony Lytia LYT-818 (1/1.28", 1.22µm-2.44µm), f/1.57, 22.7mm, PDAF, OIS; 4K@120/8K30
• Telephoto 3.7x: 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP9 (S5KHP9, 1/1.4", 0.56µm-2.24µm), f/2.67, 85mm, multi-directional PDAF (14cm - ∞), OIS; 4K@120fps
• Ultrawide: 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1 (S5KJN1, 1/2.76", 0.64µm-1.28µm), f/2.0, 15.4mm, PDAF; 4K@60fps
• Front camera: 32MP Samsung ISOCELL KD1 (S5KKD1, 1/3.42", 0.64µm-1.28µm), f/2.0, 25.6mm, fixed focus; 4K@60fps

The ultrawide camera is also not particularly great from a pure hardware standpoint, the ubiquitous 50MP JN1 being a decent option, but not one that elicits enthusiasm. The AF capability is still appreciated, though by this time is anyone still using fixed-focus ultrawides?

Similarly unremarkable is the front-facing camera - vivo opted to carry over the X100 Pro's unit instead of the superior one from the X100 Ultra. But perhaps we're focusing too much on the negative stuff, let's move on to some nice pictures.

Daylight photo quality

Main camera

Daylight photos from the main camera of the X200 Pro are easy to like. Exposures are on point and dynamic range is excellent. The auto white balance is consistently accurate and the color reproduction is very pleasing, with plenty of pop, without being over the top. Detail is very good too, the rendition being reasonably natural.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x)

Skin tones are also looking nice and lifelike, with only the occasional extra warmth. Portrait mode at 23mm equivalent adds a well measured amount of additional blur to the already decent separation from the lens.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), Photo mode

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), Portrait mode, 23mm

The full-res 50MP samples are looking quite soft to our eyes and we can't see much point in this mode.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), 50MP

In the past, we've gotten some spectacular results from vivos at 2x, so we approached the X200 Pro with high expectations, and it doesn't quite deliver. The photos are decent and will do in a pinch, but they don't have the crispiness and per-pixel detail of the X100 Pro or X100 Ultra at 2x - the X200 Pro's results are softer and more heavily processed.

Daylight samples, main camera (2x)

Here's a quick comparison against the Ultra.

Daylight samples, main camera (2x): X200 Pro • X100 Ultra

This relative softness applies to people shots as well, naturally. Again, they're not bad - it's just that we've gotten used to proper 2x excellence from vivos and now we've got this. The 35mm focal length in Portrait mode is on par with the 50mm one in terms of detail, so you get to pick the zoom level without worrying about quality.

Daylight samples, main camera (2x), Photo mode

Daylight samples, main camera, Portrait mode, 50mm

Daylight samples, main camera, Portrait mode, 35mm

3.7x telephoto camera

The 3.7x telephoto camera might be a little different from the Ultra's, but it's still a mighty impressive piece of kit. It captures sharp and nicely detailed shots that are also noise-free. Colors and dynamic range leave no grounds for complaint either.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (3.7x)

Naturally, the telephoto does great for people shots, thanks to its focal length that ensures favorable facial proportions and comfortable shooting distance. Detail is great, skin tones are nice, Photo mode already offers plenty of background separation.

Of course, by all means feel free to summon Portrait mode if you want extra blur or some beautification, plus there's the usual Zeiss-branded bokeh effects. Portrait mode also adds a 135mm equivalent focal length that you don't get directly in Photo mode.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (3.7x), Photo mode

Daylight samples, telephoto camera, Portrait mode, 85mm

Daylight samples, telephoto camera, Portrait mode, 135mm

The 50MP mode on the telephoto might be able to extract some extra detail given enough light and the right subject material. The 200MP mode, on the other hand, is more for completeness' sake than for actual usefulness.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (3.7x), 50MP

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (3.7x), 200MP

Unlike the X100 Ultra which has a 5.9x (135mm) sort-of shortcut when you tap on the 3.7x button in the viewfinder, the same action on the X200 Pro gets you to 7.4x (or 2x from the native zoom level, 170mm). The photos taken at 7.4x are both more detailed and cleaner than the 50MP 3.7x shots above and we wouldn't hesitate to use this zoom level.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (7.4x)

The 10x zoom level does up the sharpening and makes the detail strokes broader, but we wouldn't call these shots unusable. On the contrary, there's plenty of texture in distant foliage and man-made objects are also quite well defined.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (10x)

Close-ups

The X200 Pro's telephoto camera is seemingly not the exact same unit that the X100 Ultra got. The one most obvious difference is the minimum focusing distance, which is around 12cm on the older model, and around 14cm on the X200 Pro. That doesn't mean it's not a superb choice for close-up shooting, of course - quite the opposite.

Close-up samples, telephoto camera (3.7x)

The 7.4x zoom level also delivers respectable detail, while being able to fill the frame with even tinier subjects. The 10x zoom level might be stretching things a bit too much, but it could still be good enough for the right subjects and use cases.

Close-up samples, telephoto camera (10x)

Close-up samples, telephoto camera (10x)

The Super macro mode aims to help close-up shooting by giving you a manual focusing option, adding some simulated blur on top of the natural one, and offering sliders for image parameters.

Ultrawide camera

Ultrawides tend to be relatively low on the list of priorities for recent top-tier vivo cameraphones, and the X200 Pro also doesn't particularly excite at the wide end of its zoom range. Let's rephrase that - it's great in a few areas like colors and dynamic range, but it's not the sharpest, nor is it the most ultrawide of ultrawides. And with the already pretty wide 23mm main camera, a bit more extreme coverage would have helped here.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.6x)

The ultrawide's 50MP mode doesn't bring a lot of benefits - we don't see much point in using it.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.6x), 50MP

Selfies

The selfies from the X200 Pro are one of those instances where the number on the box sounds like a lot, but there isn't really anywhere near 32MP worth of detail and a more sensible downscaled option would have been welcome. The lack of autofocus is also rubbing us the wrong way. The X100 Ultra's 50MP camera that captures 12.5MP shots and features AF would have fit the X200 Pro a lot better (provided, of course, it could have fit).

Selfie samples

Low-light photo quality

Main camera

In low-light, the X200 Pro's main camera captures great photos. As is somewhat typical of vivo's processing, you'd get vibrant, colorful images, with well developed shadows and preserved highlights. Detail is very good here, but it's a step down from the X100 Ultra and X100 Pro's level of definition and fine textures.

Low-light samples, main camera (1x)

Here's a quick comparison against the Ultra.

Low-light comparison, main camera (1x): vivo X200 Pro • vivo X100 Ultra

The main camera's 2x results in the dark are alright. The older model didn't quite excel in these conditions so the difference is minimal between the new Pro and the old Pro or Ultra.

Low-light samples, main camera (2x)

3.7x Telephoto camera

The telephoto does an expertly in the dark, returning sharp and super detailed images. It's got excellent dynamic range and faithful color rendition too.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (3.7x)

The 7.4x zoom level results remain somewhere between usable and good when it comes to detail. The 10x mode, on the other hand, produces more water-color-like shots with strong sharpening, but it's still not entirely trash-grade.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (7.4x)

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (10x)

Ultrawide camera

The ultrawide camera does admirably from a global perspective. Exposures are bright, white balance is on point, saturation is quite pleasing too. It's just that detail isn't too impressive.

Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (0.6x)

Video recording

The X200 Pro has wide-ranging video recording capabilities. For starters, you get 4K30 and 4K60 on all four of its cameras - the three on the back, and the front-facing one. The main camera and the telephoto are also capable of 4K120, and the main one can do 8K30 at 1x and 2x.

The default codec is h.265 but you can switch to h.264. Dolby Vision capture in 4K30 and 4K60 is also on the menu, on all three rear cameras, and now also on the selfie camera. The 8K and Dolby Vision modes only work with the h.265 codec.

There is 'regular' video stabilization available in all resolutions and frame rate combos (including 4K120), and it can't be disabled. There's also 'Ultra stabilization' which offers added stability but limits your resolution to 2.8K (still, at either 30fps or 60fps), and it works at 1x, 2x and 3.7x zoom levels.

You can check out the playlist below, which includes multiple video samples.

Video sample playlist

The main camera footage in 4K is good at 30fps and 60fps, and slightly better at 120fps - it's just sharper at the high frame rate. Dynamic range is excellent, white balance is mostly accurate, and we're liking the saturation levels. The 2x zoom level's clips are softer than we'd like - usable in a pinch but avoid it if possible. The ultrawide is very good globally, and more in the alright category in terms of detail and sharpness. The telephoto is also the sharpest and most detailed at 120fps, with 30fps and 60fps clips slightly softer and more processed-looking, but pretty good still. At 10x zoom you won't be getting pin-sharp detail, though the footage is still decently usable.

The stabilization works very well on the X200 Pro and you can count on it to remove walking shake from the main camera and the ultrawide's clips. Just pointing the phone in one direction results in generally steady footage, and pans are smooth too.

In low light, the X200 Pro's main camera does pretty well - dynamic range is wide, colors are on point. Detail is good overall, but the darker areas are mushier than what we'd get out of the X100 Ultra. The ultrawide isn't breaking any records - it's on par with other unremarkable flagship ultrawides. The telephoto, on the other hand, is properly sharp even in the dark, and is a bit better than what the X100 Ultra can offer, at both its native zoom level and at 10x as well.