Vivo’s telephoto extender makes the world’s finest telephone digicam higher

When Xiaomi and Realme each rocked as much as February’s Cell World Congress with idea smartphones that includes attachable digicam lenses, Vivo’s executives should have had a quiet chuckle realizing they had been able to launch the actual factor simply two months later.

Its flagship X200 Extremely went on sale in China a number of weeks in the past. Even by itself, it’s most likely the most effective digicam telephone on the earth proper now, but it surely’s made even higher by a singular accent: a custom-made 2.35x telephoto extender lens, which attaches to the telephone’s present 3.7x telephoto for a complete of 8.7x optical zoom, or the equal of a 200mm lens. It sounds (and appears) absurd, but it surely’s arguably a pure transfer for Vivo, which has constructed its model round a long-running partnership with Zeiss and a rising fame for crafting among the finest digicam programs in any Android telephone.

From a design standpoint, Vivo has break up the distinction between the 2 ideas I noticed in Barcelona earlier this 12 months. Realme imagined attaching full-size DSLR lenses on a telephone’s present digicam, and Xiaomi pitched a {custom}, compact lens with its personal built-in sensor that might magnetically snap onto a telephone’s again.

Vivo echoed Xiaomi in creating {custom} {hardware} — co-engineered with Zeiss — however adopted Realme by piggybacking on the sensor and different {hardware} already within the telephone. This sits on high of the 200-megapixel telephoto, mirroring its f/2.3 aperture, however consequently has to make do with its 1/1.4”-type sensor, which is massive for a telephone, however undeniably small by digicam requirements. The cynic may say this can be a extra extravagant model of the clip-on lenses firms like Second have been promoting for years, or that Nothing sells as low-cost add-ons to its funds CMF Cellphone 2 Professional, although neither operates on fairly this scale.

The X200 Extremely is an excellent digicam in its personal proper, simply edging its closest rival, the Xiaomi 15 Extremely, and that’s earlier than you strap on this additional lens. With the extender, I’ve taken photographs and filmed movies I scarcely consider got here out of a telephone, and made my peace that I’m going to get some stares whereas doing so.

It excelled at taking pictures in situations starting from brilliant daylight to the variable lighting of a Feeder live performance, with pure depth and impressively correct colours. It has limits, and efficiency drops in correct darkness — road scenes at night time regarded higher with out the lens connected, particularly when shifting topics like individuals and site visitors had been concerned.

There’s additionally a barely synthetic sheen to some pictures, indicators of aggressive sharpening and different post-processing. The nearer you zoom in, the extra apparent that’s, and pushing pictures to the app’s most 1600mm choice creates all of the telltale indicators of heavy digital zoom. However that also doesn’t detract an excessive amount of if you’re taking photographs that exhibit every hair on a bumblebee’s again, or the translucent texture of its wings.

That’s one motive I’m extra impressed with the video capabilities, which lack most of that artificiality however are not any much less detailed. Wonderful stabilization performs its half right here, holding output regular even at zoom ranges the place the slightest hand motion might break a shot.

The X200 Extremely is already an enormous, heavy telephone, and strapping a telephoto lens to 1 finish does nothing to assist its weight or steadiness. It’s higher than you may suppose, although, as long as you employ it with the remainder of the digicam package it’s bought as part of, which features a clip-on digicam grip, filter ring mounts, and each wrist and shoulder straps, all for CNY1,699 (about $240) together with the lens, although US importers like Giztop are providing it for $399 all in.

Vivo has taken extra than simply inspiration from Xiaomi’s images kits for its Extremely flagships, transport an virtually similar digicam grip, proper right down to the button format and included battery, in order that it doubles as a compact energy financial institution. It might not be authentic, but it surely’s a ok design to be price stealing, and all of the extra vital when paired with the add-on lens, balancing the load and serving to to maintain this comfy to make use of. With out the grip, this feels awkward and weighty, unnatural to carry; with the grip, it simply looks like a barely odd digicam.

Vivo outsourced a lot of the package’s design to PGYTech, and the standard has suffered. After only a few weeks of use, my case has fractures in every nook, the kickstand feels flimsy, and the quick-release button for filter rings and lens mount sometimes will get caught. That’s an issue given the lens can’t be mounted with out the case — I’d be fairly apprehensive that the case will break earlier than too lengthy, leaving the lens fully ineffective. A minor peeve is that the lens mount is capital-U Ugly, so I refuse to depart it on the telephone 24/7. Meaning I can’t swap the lens on and off with out altering the mount on the identical time, including just a bit bit extra friction to the method.

And friction, or lack thereof, is important to this telephoto’s attraction. It lives and dies by the concept it’s extra handy (and infrequently cheaper, even counting the telephone itself) than a completely fledged digicam. I’ve met lots of people who appear skeptical about that, but it surely’s already gained me over in only a few weeks. I don’t carry a digital digicam round by behavior, however I carry an outdated ’70s movie SLR once I journey. It’s cumbersome, heavy, and takes up half my backpack, or it has to hold round my neck all day. I adore it, however I can’t assist however resent it just a little, too.

Carrying this round feels totally different as a result of it’s simple to disassemble. I’m already carrying the telephone and it’s just a few seconds’ work to slide the lens and digicam grip off. They’ll match into my sling bag with room to spare for sun shades and earbuds. And on the threat of some “Is {that a} Vivo X200 Extremely telephoto lens in your pocket or are you simply comfortable to see me?” jokes, I’ve even managed to stuff the entire set inside my denims. You’ll be able to’t do that with a DSLR.

And yeah, after all, a DSLR would take higher photographs. So would a mirrorless, and possibly even the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III that TikTok has been surprisingly obsessive about. However that isn’t the purpose. As a result of this may not be pretty much as good as a digicam, but it surely’s for certain higher than any telephone on the market on the identical zoom distance. It’s a halfway level, a half-step past the telephone and towards the total digicam, whether or not for a budding fanatic contemplating investing in a bigger setup or an skilled photographer who desires one thing lighter.

This isn’t a digicam, but it surely’s not attempting to be — it simply desires to satisfy photographers within the center.

Pictures by Dominic Preston / The Verge