vivo X500 Pro Max Camera Tested: ZEISS Telephoto Sets the Bar

vivo has launched the X500 series, and after several weeks of testing the Pro Max model in China, Madrid and Barcelona, its camera system looks like the strongest on the market right now. The phone was officially presented on Tuesday.

vivo has shipped flagships with strong ZEISS-tuned cameras for years, and last year's X300 series was already seen by many as a leader. This year, according to our testing, the remaining doubts are gone, particularly in the areas where rivals still show weaknesses: low light and image quality after zooming.

What is inside the camera module

The X500 Pro Max combines a 50-megapixel ZEISS TrueDynamic main camera, a 200-megapixel telephoto and a 50-megapixel ultrawide, all co-developed with ZEISS, plus a laser focus sensor. Professional-grade stabilisation helps with video and with long night exposures.

The Lock-On Subject system keeps focus on a person even if they briefly leave the frame, and video tracking runs at up to 60 fps. Pro AF Tracking Video works in 4K at 120 fps, while Auto Framing Video keeps subjects properly composed. For editing, the phone can record 4K at 240 fps, and Cinematic Pro Log Video and 4K Cinematic Portrait Video are available for more creative control.

The ZEISS APO telephoto offers an 85 mm equivalent focal length. An optional ZEISS telephoto extender, fitted via a dedicated case together with a shutter grip, reaches 400 mm equivalent. Where optics run out, AI reconstructs detail in a realistic way, and crops hold up with little loss of detail.

The rest of the phone

Performance comes from the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro, backed by a 6,750 mAh battery with 90W fast charging and the OriginOS 7 software layer. We also took the phone to a concert to try the Stage 3.0 mode, and we replaced a professional DSLR with it for social media content.

Pricing and availability were not covered in the material available to us.