Vivo X300 Ultra Debuts With Mind-Blowing 400mm Zeiss Extender And 200MP Sensor
Indeed, the X300 Ultra will be an imaging beast with its onboard 200-megapixel telephoto sensor (likely a Sony IMX90E), which can be enhanced with a first-of-its-kind 400mm-equivalent ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen2 Ultra. The extender allows for a roughly 17x optical zoom, but thanks to the sensor size, Vivo claims it can achieve a 1600mm
digital crop. This reach is supported by supposedly gimbal-like optical image
stabilization (OIS) and motion-tracking focus, so even long range subjects should remain rock steady.
To emphasize its video credentials further, Vivo showcased the phone and extender alongside a cage developed in collaboration with SmallRig. This expandable aluminum frame features dual-hand grips, cold shoe mounts for microphones or lights, and physical shutter and zoom buttons for some tactile control. Perhaps most critical for creators is the inclusion of an integrated multi-level cooling fan, which ought to address thermal throttling that often plagues other phones during 4K 120 fps or Dolby Vision HDR recording.
Beyond the hardware, the X300 Ultra supports the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) natively, which helps creators integrate phone footage into editing software like DaVinci Resolve without the messy color conversion processes of typical mobile files. The phone is believed to run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset with up to 16GB RAM and 1 TB storage (non-expandable).
So yes, the undeniable physical footprint (and look) of the 400mm lens attachment likely makes it a niche accessory that targets independent filmmakers, concert-goers, and wildlife photographers. But we're glad such a thing exists.
Another thing of note, while previous Ultra models from Vivo were
largely confined to the Chinese market, the X300 Ultra is going global,
although how North America factors into that plan is somewhat hazy. Even if it doesn't make it to U.S. shores, Vivo is taking aggressive stance against competitors like Samsung and Xiaomi on an international level.
Pricing is still unknown, but if the preceding X300 Pro's roughly $1,100 MSRP is any indicator, you can expect the Ultra will be right there near the top of the premium price bracket, telescopic extension excluded.
