Vivo and Oppo are launching similar phones with different priorities. However, it remains less well-known than rivals like Xiaomi and Oppo. The X500 Pro Max features attachable telephoto lenses, cage grips and a partnership with lens maker Zeiss.
Surprise, it's all about the cameras (again), but with a videography twist! As we saw with Oppo's Find X10 Pro Max, Vivo faces the challenge of being compared to its existing, more premium smartphone, the X300 Ultra, at a time when phone prices are soaring. The X500 Pro Max is a major upgrade over the X300 Pro, and it even bests the X300 Ultra in some areas. Vivo's camera obsession continues.
The biggest camera upgrade is a new 50-megapixel Sony Lytia 1/1.28-inch sensor with an f/1.6 aperture, which offers 17 stops of dynamic range, due to the sensor's LOFIC technology. It also packs a 50MP ultra-wide camera with a 1/1.75-inch sensor, while the telephoto camera uses a higher-resolution (and larger) 200MP 1/1.4-inch sensor for lossless zoom up to 10x magnification. Vivo goes hard on image stabilization again, with the main sensor using three-degree gimbal-grade stabilization, a clear highlight when comparing video footage against the Find X10 Pro, while the telephoto camera has CIPA 7-rated OIS.
Video is once again a very important part of the X500 Pro Max's feature set. The "Pro Video Mode" supports users' custom LUTs, with a real-time preview of how it will look. Vivo's log format also supports the ACES workflow for video professionals working with a smartphone camera.
All the gimbal advances ensured that the video footage recorded on the X500 Pro Max is some of the smoothest, judder-free footage captured without a dedicated gimbal. In low light, the footage lacked the pulsing pixel effect that often happens when a camera struggles to stay in focus. The pro camera interface looks professional, but on a 6.85-inch display, the on-screen buttons and readouts are a bit tiny.
Notably, the X500 Pro Max lacks an open-gate recording option, which Oppo does have on its Find X10 Pro Max. With an upgraded processor compared to the Ultra, the X500 Pro Max supports 4K recording at up to 240 fps, doubling the X300 Ultra's 120 fps cap. Vivo's X500 Pro Max supports both of its Gen 2 teleconverter lenses, co-produced with Zeiss.
The Gen 2 Telephoto Extender adds 2.35x magnification while the Gen 2 Ultra cranks it up to 4.7x optical zoom, on top of a 200MP periscope telephoto sensor. The results between the X500 Pro Max and competing flagship devices remain to be seen, but Vivo continues its push to redefine mobile videography capabilities.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing