The Vivo V21 5G is a mid-range model in the Vivo smartphone range and falls into the high-end segment ($ 400 to $ 599). The device features a 6.44-inch AMOLED display with FHD + resolution and is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 800U chipset and 8GB of RAM. A 128GB internal storage offers plenty of space for photos and videos, and a 4000mAh battery should provide enough power for extended shooting and recording sessions.
The rear camera combines a primary module with a 64MP sensor, an 8MP ultra wide-angle camera and a 2MP macro. Let’s see how this combination performs in the SBMARK camera test.
Key Camera Specifications:
- Main: 64MP sensor, 25.80mm lens (measured) f / 1.79, AF, OIS
- Ultra-wide: 8MP sensor, 15.55mm f / 2.2 aperture lens (measured)
- Macro: 2MP sensor, f / 2.4 aperture lens
- Flashing LED
- Video: 2160p at 30fps, 1080p at 30 / 60fps (1080p / 30fps tested)
About SBMARK Camera Tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone camera reviews, SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 3000 test images and more than 2.5 hours of video in both controlled laboratory environments and indoor and outdoor natural scenes, using the default camera settings. This article aims to highlight the most important results of our tests. For more information on SBMARK Camera Test Protocol, please click here. More details on how we rate smartphone cameras can be found here.
Test summary
Pros
- Usually accurate photo and video exposure, especially in indoor and outdoor conditions
- Noise is usually well controlled, especially in bright light photos and videos
- Accurate white balance in videos
Cons
- Occasional inaccurate color rendition in photos
- Lack of detail in the photos
- Autofocus errors in photos, unreliable face detection in videos
- Lack of dynamic range in videos
- Loud noise in videos in low light conditions
- Matte video color
The Vivo V21 5G camera does a respectable job, earning a SBMARK Camera score of 105 which places it mid-chart in the High End segment.
This example shows good exposure and dynamic range, but the color is made too bright, causing inaccuracy. Although a slight luminance noise is visible, the noise is overall well under control. The image lacks detail, however, and the subject in the background is blurry.
Vivo V21 5G, backlit indoor portrait scene
Vivo V21 5G, crop: subject in the background out of focus
The camera performs well overall when capturing still images and is close to similarly rated segment competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy A72 or the Oppo A94 5G. Its main advantages over these competitors are better dynamic range (but HDR processing doesn’t always trigger when it should) and lower noise levels. In terms of detail it beats the Oppo but cannot keep up with the Galaxy A72, which also offers the best color of the three.
Preview image on display: lower dynamic range than final capture
Final capture: better dynamic range and highlight detail
Vivo V21 5G, crop: good exposure of the face, some artifacts in the estimation of the depth
In the Zoom category, the Vivo loses a few points Cons the competition. With an equivalent of 15.3mm, its fixed-focus ultra wide-angle camera offers an angle of view similar to that of the Oppo but is less wide than the Samsung. The lack of a dedicated telephoto lens means that all zooming in is done digitally, which results in a loss of detail and poor overall performance for this use case.
Vivo V21 5G, long range zoom
Vivo V21 5G, crop: lack of detail and some noise
When recording video, the V21 5G offers accurate exposure and white balance and is overall better than the aforementioned rivals for those test categories. Things go slightly downhill when looking at the autofocus, which failed on several occasions when tracking and showed sharp jumps in most test conditions. Other areas for improvement include dynamic range, which is limited and often results in highlight clipping, undersaturated colors, and lack of detail in all lighting conditions.
Limited dynamic range, autofocus tracking errors and jumps
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