Vivo’s telephoto extender makes the world’s greatest cellphone digicam higher

When Xiaomi and Realme each rocked as much as February’s Cellular World Congress with idea smartphones that includes attachable digicam lenses, Vivo’s executives will need to have had a quiet chuckle realizing they have been able to launch the true 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 in all probability the perfect digicam cellphone on the planet proper now, nevertheless it’s made even higher by a novel accent: a custom-made 2.35x telephoto extender lens, which attaches to the cellphone’s current 3.7x telephoto for a complete of 8.7x optical zoom, or the equal of a 200mm lens. It sounds (and appears) absurd, nevertheless it’s arguably a pure transfer for Vivo, which has constructed its model round a long-running partnership with Zeiss and a rising popularity for crafting a number of the greatest digicam techniques in any Android cellphone.

From a design standpoint, Vivo has cut up the distinction between the 2 ideas I noticed in Barcelona earlier this 12 months. Realme imagined attaching full-size DSLR lenses on a cellphone’s current digicam, and Xiaomi pitched a {custom}, compact lens with its personal built-in sensor that might magnetically snap onto a cellphone’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 cellphone. This sits on high of the 200-megapixel telephoto, mirroring its f/2.3 aperture, however because of this has to make do with its 1/1.4”-type sensor, which is massive for a cellphone, 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 Telephone 2 Professional, although neither operates on fairly this scale.

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

It excelled at taking pictures in circumstances starting from shiny 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 — avenue scenes at night time regarded higher with out the lens connected, particularly when transferring topics like individuals and visitors have 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 possibility creates all of the telltale indicators of heavy digital zoom. However that also doesn’t detract an excessive amount of whenever you’re taking images that showcase 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 aren’t any much less detailed. Glorious stabilization performs its half right here, retaining output regular even at zoom ranges the place the slightest hand motion might wreck a shot.

The X200 Extremely is already an enormous, heavy cellphone, and strapping a telephoto lens to 1 finish does nothing to assist its weight or stability. It’s higher than you may assume, although, as long as you utilize 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, delivery an virtually equivalent digicam grip, proper right down to the button format and included battery, in order that it doubles as a compact energy financial institution. It is probably not authentic, nevertheless it’s a adequate design to be price stealing, and all of the extra essential 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 seems 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 anxious that the case will break earlier than too lengthy, leaving the lens totally ineffective. A minor peeve is that the lens mount is capital-U Ugly, so I refuse to go away it on the cellphone 24/7. Meaning I can’t swap the lens on and off with out altering the mount on the similar time, including just a bit bit extra friction to the method.

And friction, or lack thereof, is important to this telephoto’s enchantment. It lives and dies by the concept that it’s extra handy (and infrequently cheaper, even counting the cellphone itself) than a completely fledged digicam. I’ve met lots of people who appear skeptical about that, nevertheless it’s already received me over in only a few weeks. I don’t carry a digital digicam round by behavior, however I deliver an previous ’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 find it irresistible, however I can’t assist however resent it a little bit, too.

Carrying this round feels completely different as a result of it’s straightforward to disassemble. I’m already carrying the cellphone and it’s only some 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 may’t do that with a DSLR.

And yeah, after all, a DSLR would take higher images. 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 won’t be pretty much as good as a digicam, nevertheless it’s for positive higher than any cellphone on the market on the similar zoom distance. It’s a halfway level, a half-step past the cellphone and towards the total digicam, whether or not for a budding fanatic contemplating investing in a bigger setup or an skilled photographer who needs one thing lighter.

This isn’t a digicam, nevertheless it’s not attempting to be — it simply needs to fulfill photographers within the center.

Pictures by Dominic Preston / The Verge