vivo X200 Ultra: The Significance and Challenges of a 35mm Main Camera

vivo X200 Ultra: The Significance and Challenges of a 35mm Main CameraRecent leaks regarding the vivo X200 Ultra flagship phone bring both good and bad news. The good news is vivo seems poised to explore a 35mm main camera; the bad news is this 35mm lens might forgo a one-inch sensor

vivo X200 Ultra: The Significance and Challenges of a 35mm Main Camera

Recent leaks regarding the vivo X200 Ultra flagship phone bring both good and bad news. The good news is vivo seems poised to explore a 35mm main camera; the bad news is this 35mm lens might forgo a one-inch sensor. Following the X200 Pro's inheritance of the X100 Ultra's 200MP periscope telephoto lens, many anticipated even more surprises from the X200 Ultra. The absence of a one-inch main sensor, however, is unexpected. This isn't simply a "downgrade," but rather reflects a new direction in mobile phone imaging philosophy. This article will delve into vivo's imaging strategy and its underlying implications.

I. The One-Inch Sensor: Is it Really Gone?

According to the latest leaks, the vivo X200 Ultra's camera configuration is roughly confirmed as follows: Ultra-wide: 50MP LYT-818, 1/1.28-inch, 13mm equivalent; Main Camera: 50MP LYT-818, 1/1.28-inch, 35mm equivalent; Telephoto: 200MP HP91, 1/1.4-inch, 85mm equivalent. While the ultra-wide-angle sensor receives a significant upgrade from the 1/2-inch LYT-600 to the LYT-818, the main camera sensor is downgraded from the one-inch LYT-900 to the LYT-818. This "give and take" has sparked considerable questioning.

Nubia showcased a prototype phone with a one-inch 35mm main camera last year, but its thickness exceeded 19mm, clearly impractical. To understand vivo's change, we need to consider the concept of focal length in photography.

II. The 35mm Focal Length: What Does it Mean?

Focal length is a crucial lens specification. A longer focal length results in a narrower field of view, creating a telephoto effect suitable for distant subjects; a shorter focal length provides a wider field of view, capturing a broader scene. However, the field of view of the same lens differs on different sensor sizes, hence the introduction of "equivalent focal length" to facilitate comparative analysis. In mobile photography, equivalent focal length refers to the conversion of the physical focal length to the focal length that would produce the same field of view on a 35mm film camera.

Based on this principle, at the same equivalent focal length, a larger sensor size requires a larger physical focal length. The Sony LYT-818 has a diagonal size of 12.49mm, while the one-inch LYT-900 has a diagonal size of 16.384mm. The physical focal length of the LYT-900 at 23mm equivalent is approximately 30mm on the LYT-818. Therefore, the X200 Ultra's 35mm equivalent LYT-818 main camera requires a larger module than its predecessor's 23mm one-inch main camera.

III. A Return to a More Normal Field of View: A "Back-to-Basics" Approach?

Many wonder why the main camera focal length has shifted from 23mm to 35mm. From a simple sensor size comparison, it might seem counterintuitive. However, looking at actual photographs might provide an explanation.

Common equivalent focal lengths for current smartphone main cameras are 23mm or 24mm, falling into the wide-angle category with a wider field of view than the human eye. It's often said that 50mm equivalent is close to monocular vision, and 35mm is close to binocular vision, though not entirely accurate, this helps understanding equivalent focal length. Many phone camera settings also provide default lens focal length options to aid composition.

Switching the main camera to 35mm necessitates a larger ultra-wide-angle sensor to compensate for the potential loss of image quality at the wide-angle end. In fact, early smartphone main cameras didn't have such wide fields of view. For example, the iPhone 4's 5MP camera had a 35mm equivalent focal length. Recent trends in mobile imaging have focused on increasing sensor size and widening the equivalent focal length of lenses. Now, the iPhone 16 standard model's equivalent focal length of 26mm might be the "longest" among mainstream phones.

Nubia pioneered the 35mm "humanistic" main camera, mirroring the leaked vivo X200 Ultra configuration. With minimal differences in sensor sizes across the three lenses, the concept of a "main camera" might need redefining. All three lenses could be considered "main cameras," each corresponding to a different focal length. The ability to finely tune these three cameras for consistent image quality, truly realizing the "all-main-camera" concept, will be a test of the manufacturer's imaging technology.

IV. Video Recording Challenges: High Frame Rate Bottlenecks

When it comes to video recording, iPhone often comes to mind. The iPhone 16 Pro, leveraging its high-speed sensor, achieves 4K 120FPS video recording. However, due to significant differences in sensor size among its three lenses, only the 24mm main camera supports 4K 120FPS recording.

For still photos, various manufacturers offer flagship products, primarily differing in the balance between image quality and speed. However, high-specification video recording demands significantly more processing power from the phone's ISP and other components. The Sony IMX789 sensor in the 2021 OnePlus 9 Pro supported 4K 120FPS video, but the Snapdragon 888 struggled to maintain stable 4K 120FPS recording for extended periods. Even 4K 60FPS recording is often inconsistent and prone to dropped frames on many phones.

vivo aims to utilize its new self-developed chip in the X200 Ultra to minimize image jarring during focal length switching in video mode. The Sony LYT-818 is also a sensor optimized for video performance.

Currently, it's unclear whether the 13-35-85mm focal length setup will present practical issues, and its video performance remains to be seen. However, the new three-camera focal length configuration and balanced functionality are promising. Moving beyond a mere "specs race" and fully leveraging hardware potential is likely a key focus for future flagship mobile imaging phones.