galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

Camera Shootouts

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs vivo X200 Pro: Zoom Camera Shootout

Battle between 2025’s smartphone zoom monsters

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Ever since Samsung introduced ✨ 100x Space Zoom ✨ on the Galaxy S20 Ultra, other phone manufacturers have followed suit. They pushed the boundaries with their unique set of telephoto and periscope zoom lenses.

Five years later, we have the Galaxy S25 Ultra — and it’s not shying away from the spotlight. Samsung still markets it as one of the best smartphones for ultra zoom shooting.

But on the other side of the East Asian coast is where the vivo X200 Pro triumphs. Not only did it receive remarkable remarks in the smartphone world, it also received praises among full-on photographers.

Zoom Monsters

In this latest head-to-head camera smackdown, we’re focusing on two smartphones with amazing capabilities in zoom phonetography.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vivo X200 Pro
Wide 200MP f/1.7
1/1.3” Samsung ISOCELL HP2
50MP f/1.57
1/1.28” Sony LYT-818
Ultra-Wide 50MP f/1.9
120º FoV (Field of View)
Samsung ISOCELL JN3
50MP f/2.0
119º FoV (Field of View)
Samsung ISOCELL JN1
Telephoto 10MP f/2.4
3x optical zoom
1/3.52” Sony IMX754
Periscope 50MP f/3.4
5x optical zoom (70mm)
1/2.52” Sony IMX854
200MP f/2.67 ZEISS APO
3.7x optical zoom (85mm)
1/1.4” Samsung ISOCELL HP9
Selfie 12MP f/2.2 32MP f/2.0

Keeping our heads solely on the zoom game, the Galaxy S25 Ultra possesses two types of zoom cameras: a 10MP telephoto unit with an aperture of f/2.4 and a 3x optical zoom. The 5x periscope shooter is an entirely different unit — 50MP with a higher aperture count of f/3.4.

On the other hand, the vivo X200 Pro only has one dedicated shooter that’s capable of giving us 3.7x optical zoom. Notice how vivo used 200MP for its periscope lens while Samsung headlined its 200MP sensor as the main camera?

Since I’ve used 2x digital zoom in some scenarios, it’s also worth noting that each phone uses different types of image sensors for the main (wide) shooter.

Disclaimer: Most samples were taken in 3.7x zoom so the vivo X200 Pro’s periscope lens could be used all throughout this shoot. With the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I zoomed in digitally instead of sticking to its default 3x mode for the fairest results possible.

And like recent camera shootouts, photos were all taken using Auto Mode (otherwise stated) with AI scene detection turned on. For the vivo X200 Pro, the default color shooting profile was applied — ZEISS Natural to be very exact.

These images were collaged, resized, and labeled for faster loading and better preview. No color correction, zoomed-in cropping, nor any other type of photo manipulation were applied.

Wildlife

I dared and challenged myself as I clearly know how animals are the hardest things to capture with all their unexpected twists and turns.

The only way to preserve the best motion-filled moments on smartphones is none other than using their zoom cameras in the wild.

W1 | 5x Zoom

W2 | 10x Zoom

W3 | 10x Zoom

W4 | 10x Zoom

W5 | 10x Zoom

W6 | 10x Zoom

W7 | 10x Zoom

W8 | 10x Zoom

W9 | 10x Portrait

W10 | 10x Portrait

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

W11 | 10x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

P.S: I still remember how I blatantly stated in my vivo X200 Camera Review that the nearest zoo where I live was purely “unsanitary and inhumane”. Generalizations aside, my most recent trip to Barcelona introduced me to a zoo that offered the complete opposite.

Food

Good food always equates to good mood.

While already on the topic, all the food I’ve eaten during my Barcelona visit made me elated. Thus, having the energy to take both phones for some food shot battle.

F1 | 3.7x Zoom

F2 | 3.7x Zoom

F3 | 3.7x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

F4 | 3.7x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

F5 | 3.7x Zoom

F6 | 3.7x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

F7 | 3.7x Zoom

F8 | 3.7x Zoom

F9 | 3.7x Zoom

F10 | 3.7x Zoom

Architecture

Being a huge fan of anything related to architecture, using both phones’ zoom lenses made me appreciate even the most intrinsic detail of a massive structure — La Sagrada Familia being one of ’em.

A1 | 10x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

A2 | 10x Zoom

A3 | 10x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

A4 | 10x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

A5 | 3.7x Zoom

A6 | 3.6x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

A7 | 15x Zoom

A8 | 10x Zoom

Surroundings

Just capturing anything and everything in motion — while I’m also in motion.

S1 | 15x Zoom

S2 | 10x Zoom

S3 | 3.7x Zoom

 S4 | 3.7x Zoom

S5 | 10x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

S6 | 10x Zoom

S7 | 10x Zoom

S8 | 2x Zoom

The Golden Hour

Always my favorite time of the day. This is only a dry run of whether or not a smartphone’s zoom camera can actually keep up with its hardware capabilities against strong dynamic range and low-light.

GL1 | 3.7x Zoom

GL2A | 3.7x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

GL2B | 10x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

GL3 | 2x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

The Night Light

It was painstaking to take zoomed photos during the night — especially because light comes from a lot of artificial sources.

N1 | 3.7x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

N2 | 3.7x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

N3 | 10x Zoom

Extremities

Finishing everything off, I’ve gone past the limits and pushed how each phone performs past the 20x mark.

EX1 | 80x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

EX2 | 20x Zoom

EX3 | 20x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

EX4 | 30x Zoom

EX5 | 30x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

EX6 | 30x Zoom

EX7 | 30x Zoom

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

EX8 | 20x Zoom

EX9 | 30x Zoom

Results

While your picks for each set may vary, the phones used don’t.

Here are the results:

A — vivo X200 Pro

B — Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Conclusion

Samsung has continued to stick with its flagship legacy for the past four years. Whether it’s their phone’s overall aesthetics or the actual camera hardware, they’ve simply settled inside their safety net.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra, despite its combination of two zoom lenses, has somehow provided photos that looked underwhelming compared to the stellar-looking shots that the vivo X200 Pro nailed.

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

It’s a hit or miss for the latest Samsung Ultra flagship. There are times that the photos look okay but honestly speaking, it could have been so much better.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra also tends to reduce the overall highlights of an image — noticeable in Photos W1 / W2 / W3 / W10 / F3 / F6 / S5.

Surprisingly though, the opposite happens when you take zoomed shots past its lossless zoom limit or during the golden hour up ’til the night time kicks in (Sets GL1 / GL2 / GL3 / N1 / N2 / EX2 / EX7).

Not to mention, the Galaxy S25 Ultra even failed to capture a precise and focused shot of the parrot’s feathers I truly loved in Set W11 despite tapping the AF multiple times.

As I discussed with my colleague Rodneil (which he also agreed with), the Galaxy S25 Ultra lacks the ✨ flair ✨ , that extra ~ oomph ~.

And by that, I meant that Samsung tries so much to make its photos look flat. Aside from the lack of Depth of Field (DoF) or that creamylicious bokeh, they try hard to ramp up its overall exposure and shadows that often leads to a reduced image contrast.

X200 Pro… and Con

I’m not saying the vivo X200 Pro has a perfect score in this camera shootout.

There are times where vivo has overdone its AI-bracadabra magic in some of its output — evident in Sets W5 / EX7 / EX8 / EX9. It came to a point where the photos were obviously over-sharpened and also smudgy in favor of a noise-free shot.

However, there are also times where that AI magic helped bring out those zoomed stills without any frills — which are apparent in Photo Sets EX1 / EX4 / EX5.

It’s ironic though how Samsung started all this AI craze but cannot bring the best of their AI at least in their imaging department. The Galaxy S25 Ultra, much like its predecessor, only relies on the power of hardware when taking photos past its limits.

The Zoom Boom

Basing on the results, it’s safe to say that the vivo X200 Pro is the overall zoom champ no matter what type of scenario and shooting condition one could ever think of.

The default ZEISS Natural color profile keeps a great balance mostly in saturation and temperature. All while still giving us the right amount of exposure, highlights, shadows, and contrast.

While some may argue that the X200 Pro is going overboard with its color tuning and overall saturation, those are actually what I’ve seen with my two naked eyes in contrast to the blander photos of the Galaxy.

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

Furthermore, that great separation of foreground and background partnered with the plentiful DoF that makes zoomed shots in the vivo X200 Pro look like they were taken by a professional camera with an expensive telephoto lens used in sports and wildlife photography — at least when you post it in social media.

galaxy s25 ultra vivo x200 pro

More so, its ZEISS T* coating was beneficial in making every image crisp and clear — especially in nighttime scenes where light glare is rampant caused by various light sources out and around.

Lastly, it’s just the telephoto macro feature of the vivo X200 Pro that makes it a whole lot better shooter compared to the S25 Ultra that still relies on its ultra-wide lenses for macro photography — just like how its closest rival does ever since the arrival of the iPhone 13 Pro series.

SEE ALSO: OPPO Find X8 vs vivo X200: Night Camera Shootout

Camera Shootouts

Camera Shootout: HONOR 400 Pro vs TECNO CAMON 40 Premier

Camera battle of two midranger wonders

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In my previous camera smackdown, I clearly stated that we don’t have the HONOR 400 Pro to try out.

Months have passed, the odds were (finally) in my favor as I was able to test it against another midranger wonder, the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier.

Oh CAMON, your HONOR

I’ve decided to clash the HONOR 400 Pro and TECNO CAMON 40 Premier primarily because both phones offer the quintessential triple rear camera system.

HONOR 400 Pro
TECNO CAMON 40 Premier
Wide
200MP f/1.9
1/1.4-inch sensor
Samsung ISOCELL HP3
50MP f/1.88
1/1.56-inch sensor
Sony LYT-701C
Ultra-Wide
12MP f/2.2
50MP f/2.2
Telephoto / Periscope
50MP f/2.4
3x Optical Zoom
50MP f/2.2
3x Optical Zoom
Selfie
50MP f/2.0
50MP f/2.5

Hardware-wise, disparities are quite evident. The TECNO CAMON 40 Premier rocks quad 50MP cameras (including the selfie camera), whereas the HONOR 400 Pro has variations in its overall camera system.

It highlights its 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3 main camera while TECNO begs to differ as it packs a sensor made by the Korean giant’s Japanese rival — the newcomer Sony LYT-701C sensor that’s only used in two phones so far (2024’s realme 13 Pro+ being the other).

The opposite happens in HONOR 400 Pro’s ultra-wide lens as it features the smaller 12MP camera.

But, the biggest dealbreaker has got to be the existence of 3x zoom shooters that their base models lack.

Although both acquire the same megapixel count, the HONOR 400 Pro is equipped with a traditional telephoto lens structure while the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier boasts a periscope lens that utilizes a prism design / mirror system for capturing long-range subjects and objects.

Lastly, both phones have 50MP front-facing cameras with slight differences in aperture value.

Sticking with the Standard

Much like any other shootouts, I’ve opted to stick with the standard shooting profiles that both phones have right after setting ’em up: Standard for TECNO, Natural for HONOR.

Disclaimer: Photos were all taken using Auto Mode with AI scene detection turned on. These images were collaged, resized, and labeled for faster loading and better preview. No color correction, zoomed-in cropping, nor any other type of photo manipulation were applied.

Ultra-Wide Angle (UWA)

Similar lens diaphragm, totally different megapixel count.
Does that alone make a far cry?

U1

U2

U3

U4

U5

U6

U7

Main (1x + 2x)

The massive 200-megapixel main camera of the HONOR 400 Pro is four times larger compared to TECNO CAMON 40 Premier’s already capable 50MP Sony sensor. Obviously, that comes in very handy when taking zoomed shots via in-sensor cropping.

However, can you even tell which sample belongs to which smartphone?

M1

M2

M3

 

M4

M5

M6

M7

M8

M9

3x Optical Zoom

The crème de la crème of these two phones are their zoom shooters.

While lens structure are different (again, telephoto for HONOR while periscope for TECNO), which one gives THE better optically-zoomed shots?

ZO1

ZO2

ZO3

ZO4

ZO5

ZO6

ZO7

ZO8

ZO9

ZO10

ZO11

ZO12

ZO13

Beyond 5x Zoom

Given that both phones are capable of shooting optically up to 3x, how can each phone go beyond 5x zoom?

ZB1

ZB2

ZB3

ZB4

ZB5

ZB6

ZB7

ZB8

ZB9

ZB10

Food

Hardware is one. Software is for another.

Food shots are one of the best ways to know how good (or bad) a phone is when it comes to photo quality and color accuracy.

F1

F2A

F2B

F3A

F3B

F4

F5

Portrait Mode

Taking creamy~licious portraits shouldn’t be a rare feat among modern-day midrangers.

But can TECNO’s standard Portrait Mode compete with HONOR’s Harcourt prowess?

PM1

PM2

PM3

PM4

PM5

Low-Light

I said it before and I’ll say it again.

Taking shots in low-light is what makes or breaks a phone’s photography performance.

LL1

LL2

LL3

LL4

LL5

BONUS: Selfie

B1A  |  Ultra-Wide Portrait ON

B1B  |  1x Wide Portrait ON

B2A  |  1x Wide Portrait OFF

B2B  |  Ultra-Wide Portrait OFF

Results

Notice a pattern? Or lack thereof?

Well, the results are definitely consistent.

A — TECNO CAMON 40 Premier

B — HONOR 400 Pro

Conclusion

At first, it’s kind of hard to distinguish which phone is which.

For instance, the ultra-wide, 1x wide, and 2x photos of the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier leaned more onto the cooler side. However, the contrary happens in Sample Sets M5 / M8 / M9 where the shots are warmer than its HONOR counterpart.

If you zoom in further, HONOR 400 Pro’s 200MP main sensor doesn’t have a huge advantage — delivering somewhat the same amount of detail compared to the CAMON 40 Premier.

Except for Photos ZO6 / ZO8 / ZO9 / ZB7 / ZB8, consistency in warmness continues among photos taken in the CAMON 40 Premier’s 3x periscope zoom lens.

How natural is “Natural”?

Despite choosing the “Natural” Color Mode in the HONOR 400 Pro, Sets M4 / ZO12 / ZO13 / LL5 truly showed lack of saturation with its washed out photos. That same look is even evident in 5 out of 7 food shots.

It also struggles to capture a balanced dynamic range. Making Set M3 as an example, look at how blown-out the highlights of the night lights have turned out in HONOR versus TECNO.

There were times when HONOR takes brighter photos but at the expense of amping up shadows and losing contrast (M4 / M8 / ZB2 / ZB3). Inconsistently, the results turned out the other way around in Sets U1 / U2 / U4 with lower exposure and darker shadows.

Photos taken at night also looked dimmer versus TECNO’s post-ready low-light takes.

HONOR’s “Natural” color profile doesn’t look natural at all with its inaccuracy and inconsistencies compared to how I / we perceive the actual subjects in real life.

That’s not to say the HONOR 400 Pro produces bad photos. Honestly, there are times where I preferred the HONOR more — Samples ZO6 / ZB7 / ZB8 / ZB9 are living proof to that.

If there’s a category where I think HONOR has nailed, it’s definitely the Portrait Mode with better shots and depth segmentation, properly showcasing its Harcourt specialty. Additionally, selfies looked better no matter where and how you look at it

Higher price ≠ Higher performance

Reiterating what I’ve said in my HONOR 400 vs vivo V50 camera showdown, the HONOR 400 Pro and TECNO CAMON 40 Premier are also two midrangers positioned in different levels of the same sailing ship.

Price-wise, the HONOR 400 Pro costs more at PhP 32,999. Meanwhile, TECNO’s CAMON 40 Premier is heaps cheaper at just PhP 21,999. That makes it a very contending smartphone in the upper-midrange space.

For the same price, you’ll only get the HONOR 400 at PhP 22,999 along its absence of a dedicated telephoto lens.

While there are more factors to consider in this huge price gap such as a faster chipset, bigger battery capacity, larger internal storage, and several other hardware nuances, it’s safe to say that a higher price tag isn’t always synonymous to having the best cameras. This camera shootout alone is just one among many testaments to that.

READ: It’s the little things that make the HONOR 400 Pro 5G a daily wonder

At the end of the day, it’s your choice as a consumer which smartphone camera (both in image quality and overall look) dominates your priorities and overall purchasing power.

Now, if you’d ask me, the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier ultimately bags that “bang for the buck” title for offering the better camera flexibility despite its more affordable price tag.

SEE ALSO: TECNO CAMON 40 Premier review: Cảm ơn, CAMON!

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Camera Shootouts

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 vs OPPO Find N5 – Camera Shootout

Foldables, fight!

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Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

It feels like just yesterday we were comparing three foldables in one big camera shootout. In reality, it’s been a full year — and a lot has changed. This time, it’s down to two powerhouses: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and the OPPO Find N5.

Both are book-style foldables launched globally in 2025 — Samsung in July, OPPO earlier in February. Both also come with major physical changes: they’re slimmer, taller, and in the Fold7’s case, slightly wider too. But the real battle lies inside: the cameras.

Samsung brought over the 200MP main shooter from the Galaxy S25 Ultra to the Fold7. The rest of the system, however, didn’t see major changes. Meanwhile, OPPO gave the Find N5 a full-on imaging overhaul.

On paper

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 OPPO Find N5
Main Camera 200 MP, f/1.7, 24 mm (wide), 1/1.3″, PDAF, OIS  50 MP, f/1.89, 1/1.56″, OIS (HyperTone wide-angle) 
Ultrawide 12 MP, f/2.2, 120°, 1.4 µm, PDAF  (Not specified in source – likely none or under 50 MP)
Telephoto / Periscope 10 MP, f/2.4, 67 mm, PDAF, OIS, 3× optical zoom  50 MP periscope telephoto with macro (~10 cm macro) 
Video Recording 8K@30 fps, 4K@60 fps, 1080p@60/120/240 fps, 720p@960 fps, gyro-EIS, 10-bit HDR10+  LivePhoto with enhanced EIS; video specs not detailed 
Selfie Cameras Dual 10 MP front cams (cover + inner display)  Not detailed in provided source

Specs tell part of the story, but photos reveal the truth. As always, the only edits applied were for cropping and resizing to fit our format.

So how do they compare in real-world shooting?

W (1x)

w1

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

w2

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W3

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W4

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W5

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W6

W7

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W8

W9

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W10

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W11

W12

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

Zoom A (2x-3x)

ZA1

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA2

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA3

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA4

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA5

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA6

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA7

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA8

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA9

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA10

ZA11

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZOOM B (6x and up)

ZB1

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZB2

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZB3

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZB4

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZB5

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZB6

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

Selfie (Outer Camera)

S1

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

S2

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

S3

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

S4

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

Low light

L1

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

L2

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

Blind test reveal & first impressions

Did you guess which was which?
A is the OPPO Find N5. B is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7.

Now that you know, a few things stand out:

  • The Find N5 consistently produced brighter images, especially in low light. OPPO’s post-processing really flexes here.
  • The Galaxy Z Fold7 leaned toward a more natural, life-like output, a noticeable shift from Samsung’s traditionally saturated look.

That said, using the Fold7’s main camera at 1x felt… off. The focal length feels awkward — too wide for most shots but just right for taking main-camera selfies. I found myself constantly switching to 2x or 3x, which makes up a big chunk of the samples here.

Flat or flavorful?

One of the biggest differences is in how the two phones handle processing and depth.

Take the Brooklyn Bridge photo through cyclone wire (W8):

  • The Find N5 nailed it with more pronounced depth and contrast.
  • The Fold7 came off a little flat in comparison.

But this wasn’t always the case. In the shot of the yellow vehicle (w5) and in main-camera selfies (W12), the Fold7 delivered bokeh that looked more organic.

Overall, the Find N5 clearly does more processing after you hit the shutter, while the Fold7 gives you what it sees, almost instantly. Your preference between a more “finished” photo and a natural one will really show here.

Zoom zoom

Let’s be real — this wasn’t even close.

At 6x and beyond, the OPPO Find N5 easily outclassed the Fold7. Detail, sharpness, and clarity all went to OPPO’s corner. Samsung’s telephoto performance just didn’t keep up.

Final thoughts

If we’re talking eye-catching, the OPPO Find N5 wins out of the gate. Brighter shots, better zoom, more punch overall.

But the Galaxy Z Fold7 holds its own. At 1x to 3x — and especially in low light — it sometimes captures a mood the Find N5 over-brightens. The beer glass in a dimly lit bar is a perfect example: OPPO lit it up; Samsung kept the vibe.

At the end of the day, this comes down to what you value.

  • Want bright, punchy, more dramatic photos? Go OPPO.
  • Prefer subtler, moodier, more natural output? Samsung’s your bet.

That said — if we’re choosing a winner in camera versatility and polish, the OPPO Find N5 edges ahead.

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Camera Shootouts

HONOR 400 vs vivo V50: Camera Shootout

Comeback camera showdown of the two Chinese mids

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Just like a year ago, HONOR and vivo both step on the arena again for a head-on midrange camera showdown.

Although the HONOR 400 Pro exists, we clearly don’t have it. This just means we have to compare it to the next ideal candidate, the base HONOR 400.

This is up against vivo’s one and lonely V50. After all, the “vivo V50 Pro” simply doesn’t exist in vivo’s 2025 glossary.

HONOR thy vivo

The best reason to compare these two are none other than their similar 1x wide + UWA camera combo.

HONOR 400
vivo V50
Wide
200MP f/1.9
Samsung ISOCELL HP3
1/1.4” sensor
50MP f/1.88
OmniVision OV50E
1/1.55” sensor
Ultra-Wide
12MP f/2.2
50MP f/1.9
Selfie
50MP f/2.0
50MP f/2.0

Both phones possess a main shooter with a wide aperture closing to f/1.9. But, numbers-wise, HONOR 400 offers four times the megapixel count offered by the vivo V50 (200MP vs 50MP).

The equipped Samsung sensor is also a tad bit larger compared to its OmniVision counterpart.

The opposite happens in their ultra-wide modules. The vivo V50 has the upper-hand with its wider and bigger 50MP f/1.9 unit. Meanwhile, the HONOR 400 has a 12MP f/2.2 shooter.

One thing they obviously met head-to-head is none other than their 50MP f/2.0 selfie cameras.

All Natural

Both the HONOR 400 and vivo V50 feature a trio of color profile options when shooting photos in the default camera mode: Natural, Vibrant, and Authentic for the HONOR 400.

On the other hand, ZEISS Natural, Vivid, and Textured for the vivo V50.

vivo V50 | 2025

For the second midrange camera shootout of the year, we’re going to stick with the “Natural” mode of both phones. They’re both set by default anyway.

HONOR 400 | 2025

Disclaimer: Photos were all taken using Auto Mode with AI scene detection turned on. These images were collaged, resized, and labeled for faster loading and better preview. No color correction, zoomed-in cropping, nor any other type of photo manipulation were applied.

Ultra-Wide (UWA)

How does a smaller or bigger megapixel count affect the overall quality of the phone’s UWA output?

U1

U2

U3

U4

U5

U6

Wide (1x)

Now onto the main filling: 200MP vs 50MP — does megapixel count really matter?

W1

W2

W3

W4

W5

W6

W7

W8

W9

W10

2x Lossless Zoom

Just because we don’t have a dedicated zoom unit, it doesn’t mean we cannot take photos past 1x.

LZ1

LZ2

LZ3

LZ4

LZ5

LZ6

LZ7

LZ8A

LZ8B

LZ9A

LZ9B

LZ10

Beyond Zoom

Going beyond the lossless zoom limits just to see how far can these two phones take the cake in digital zoom imagery.

BZ1

BZ2

BZ3

BZ4

BZ5

BZ6

BZ7

BZ8

Good Mood for Food

It won’t be a complete camera chow down without a food-dedicated section.

F1

F2

F3

F4

F5A

F5B

Right at Night

Night Mode algorithms make or break a phone’s camera performance.
In this case, which phone is the best when there’s already an absence of natural light?

N1A  |  1x Wide

N1B  |  2x Zoom

N2A  |  1x Wide

N2B  |  2z Zoom

N3A  |  1x -Wide

N3B  |  2x Zoom

N4

N5

N6

N7

BONUS: Portraits and Selfies

Harcourt or ZEISS?
Also, which is the selfie expert among these two midrangers?

P1

P2

S1

S2

S3

S4A  | Regular Selfie

S4B  |  Ultra-Wide Selfie

S5A  | Regular Selfie

S5B  |  Ultra-Wide Selfie

Results

It’s honestly hard to discern which is which, even if you’re familiar with how both phones process photos.

Nevertheless, here are the consistent results:

A — HONOR 400

B — vivo V50

Truthful Thoughts

After spending a Taipei-filled photo session with these two, I can truthfully say no one is a solid final winner as the results were pretty much a mixed bag.

Sometimes, vivo is victorious over its HONOR counterpart — and vice versa.

Starting with their ultra-wide shooters. Sets U1 / U2 / U4 both showed how the V50’s output leans more into the cooler side. However, the opposite happens in its other shots. Honestly, this can be fixed in post if it’s not your cup of tea.

That said, the vivo V50 still has the overall upper-hand with its larger megapixel count and wider aperture. Such configuration creates UWA images that are clearer and less noisy when zoomed in.

Quite an Oddity

Now, when it comes to their main cameras, you’ll notice right away how the HONOR 400 always captures the tighter shot.

That’s due to the fact that it uses an odd focal length of 27mm versus the 23mm found on the V50 — and pretty much any normal smartphone camera would.

Again, something that’s user-preferential as others like it wider. While some like it tighter than ever 👀

Personally, I prefer the wider focal length for overall flexibility — whether preserving the negative space of a photograph or completely cropping it to fit in the perfect aspect ratio when posting on socials.

In the 1x wide category alone, the vivo V50 is my overall pick over the HONOR 400.

HDR and rightful exposure is just one. The color accuracy and consistency is for another.

HONOR 400’s lackluster shots in some parts just proves my unending point that having a larger megapixel count doesn’t necessarily equate to better-looking images.

While the HONOR 400 admittedly has an extra 0.15-inch in its sensor size, vivo still lives with its better color calibration and software algorithms. A true testament to their long-lasting partnership with ZEISS.

Speaking of, ZEISS Style Portraits are just way ahead of the game compared to HONOR’s Harcourt partnership meant for Portraits (P1 / P2).

Some confusion in the conclusion

The 200MP Samsung shooter of the HONOR 400 comes at an obvious advantage when it comes to taking photos in 2x zoom with its heavy reliance on in-sensor cropping.

If you’ll click in one of the shots above and zoom in, the details are clearer compared to what the V50 shows. The latter looks smudged in favor of a noise-free result.

 

Weirdly enough, the HONOR 400 tends to produce brighter shots when taking past 2x in most zoomed shots (LZ1 / LZ2 / LZ3 / LZ8A / LZ9A / LZ9B / BZ1 / BZ5 / BZ6). That’s despite having photos with lower exposure and highlights in the 1x category.

Now when it comes to food, the HONOR 400 delivered unexpected results with its muted colors that made food barely appetizing (F1 / F3 / F5A). Surprisingly, the contrary happened in Sets F4 and F5B as the HONOR 400 had the more scrumptious shots.

Once the sunlight goes out and moonlight fades in, each of the phones’ Night Mode algorithm both kick in.

Honestly, both took equally acceptable photos that are also quite alike in overall exposure, contrast, sharpness, and saturation. Then again, the HONOR 400 always had the tighter shot between shots in 1x and 2x (or beyond).

Last but definitely not the least, selfies.

While I’m never the selfie type of guy, my eyes are crystal clear and aren’t deceitful.

Even if the HONOR 400 brought the “natural-looking” selfies outdoors, it failed big time when used indoors (S1 / S2 / S3). Again, the color inaccuracy and inconcistency is ever-present in this category.

No one would simply use that as their profile photo (or even as their featured portrait in the matchmaking app of their choice).

Kudos though for bringing ultra-wide angle selfies that other flagships fail to bring.

Just A Little Bit Caught in the Middle 🎵🎶

Deciding which of these two midrangers is the true marvel when it comes to photo-taking is simply something you’d be stuck in the middle.

Both phones and their camera systems had some fair share of pros and cons that might make you pick one over another.

Other notable hardware specs such as display tech and size, overall battery capacity and charging standards, plus the familiarity, user-friendliness, and overall software experience are the factors that will make you stay or sway.

One thing’s for sure. both the HONOR 400 and vivo V50 run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC with the 512GB configuration being offered around the same price range: HONOR 400 at EUR 549 while less 39 Euros for the vivo V50 at around EUR 510

It’s just a matter of which phone you’re willing to spend on, which phone is closer to what your heart desires.

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