Vivo X90 Pro Camera test - Sbenny’s Blog

We subjected the Vivo X90 Pro to our rigorous SBMARK Camera test suite to measure its performance in terms of photo, video and zoom quality from an end-user perspective. This article analyzes how the device performed in a variety of tests and several common use cases and aims to highlight the most important results of our tests with an excerpt of the data captured.

Overview

Main camera specs:

Main: 50.3MP 1/00″ sensor, 1.6μm pixel, f/1.8 aperture lens, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
Ultra Wide: 12 MP, f/2.0 aperture lens, 108˚ field of view, AF
Tele: 50 MP 1/2.4″ sensor, 0.7 µm pixels, f/1.6 aperture lens, OIS
Video: 8K, 4K at 60/30fps, 1080p at 60/30fps

Pros

High quality images across the entire zoom range
Good exposure and wide dynamic range in photos and videos
Good detail in outdoor portraits
Well controlled noise in videos
Effective video stabilization

Versus

Auto focus errors
Low contrast on faces in backlit scenes
Fine luminance noise in backlit scenes
Unnatural rendering of textures and artifacts, such as quantization and ghosting, in night mode
More limited dynamic range in preview than in capture
Autofocus occasionally choppy and jerky in videos

The Vivo X90 Pro makes good use of the 1-inch main camera sensor when it comes to photographic performance. The camera showed good results in the texture/noise trade-off in the photo, with a good level of detail and low noise level even in low light conditions. But when shooting backlit scenes, our tests showed that denoising might not always be efficient.

The other strong point of the Vivo X90 Pro was its exposure performance, where it managed to recover detail in both shadows and highlights thanks to its wide dynamic range. But even here the camera struggled with backlit scenes, with local tone mapping issues resulting in low contrast on the face.

One of the major downsides to the photo-taking experience was not only the time it took for the main camera to autofocus, but also the occasional lack of focus.

The camera provided a rich experience when shooting video, with good stabilization and generally accurate exposure. But sometimes focus instability and slight exposure adjustment problems were evident.

In many areas, the camera performance of the Vivo X90 Pro has come close to that of the more powerful version of the Vivo X90 Pro+. But there were some notable differences that could in part be attributed to the different chipsets in the models. (The X90 Pro features a MediaTek processor, while the X90 Pro+ contains Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor).

For example, while the Vivo X90 Pro kept image noise levels in check, they were still higher than the X90 Pro+ and you do notice some unwanted image artifacts at times. However, the X90 Pro’s photographic results were particularly impressive in night-time images of the cityscape.

In terms of zoom performance, the X90 Pro’s combination of a main camera with ultra-wide and dedicated telephoto modules produced good image quality at ultra-wide and medium telephoto settings. However, at long range, the level of detail was quite low.

When shooting video, the X90 Pro’s camera produced stable exposure and color while keeping video noise to very low levels and reproducing beautiful textures. This made the X90 Pro videos look more natural than the X90 Pro+ videos.

Trial summary

About SBMARK Camera Tests: SBMARK’s camera evaluations are conducted in labs and in real-world situations using a wide variety of subjects. Scores are based on objective tests for which results are calculated directly by the measurement software on our lab setups and perceptual tests where a sophisticated set of metrics allows a panel of image experts to compare aspects of quality of the image that require human judgment. Testing a smartphone involves a team of engineers and technicians for about a week. Photo, zoom, and video quality are rated separately and then combined into an overall score for comparing cameras from different devices. For more information on the SBMARK camera protocol, click here. More details on smartphone camera scores can be found here. The following section compiles the key elements of SBMARK’s exhaustive testing and analysis. Full performance evaluations are available upon request. Please contact us on how to receive a full report.

Vivo X90 Pro camera scores compared to Ultra-Premium

This graph compares the SBMARK photo, zoom and video scores between the tested device and the references. The average and maximum scores of the price segment are also indicated. The average and maximum scores for each price segment are calculated based on the SBMARK database of tested devices.

Photo

133

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

SBMARK camera photo test information

For scoring and analysis, SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate more than 2,600 test images in both controlled laboratory environments and outdoor, indoor, and low-light natural scenes using camera presets. The photographic protocol is designed to take into account the main use cases and is based on typical shooting scenarios, such as portrait, family and landscape photography. Evaluation is performed by visually inspecting images Cons a natural scene reference and by performing objective measurements on laboratory-acquired graph images under various lighting conditions from 1 to 1,000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300 K to 6,500 K.

The Vivo X90 Pro performed very well in our photo tests. Images were well exposed, even in low light. A wide dynamic range ensured good detail in highlights and shadows and pleasing colors, with a fairly neutral white balance. Outdoor portrait shots showed high levels of detail, and images were well under control in low-light conditions. The autofocus worked quickly but lacked precision in some situations. Our testers also observed some unwanted image artifacts, including ghosting and unnatural texture rendering in night portraits.

Photo scores of Vivo X90 Pro compared to Ultra-Premium

Photo tests analyze image quality attributes such as exposure, color, texture and noise under various lighting conditions. Autofocus performance and the presence of artifacts are also evaluated on all images acquired under controlled laboratory conditions and on real-life images. All of these attributes have a significant impact on the final quality of the images captured with the tested device and can help you understand the main strengths and weaknesses of the camera.

Exposure

111

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Exposure and color are key attributes for technically good images. For exposure, the main attribute evaluated is the brightness of the main subject across various use cases such as landscape, portrait or still life. Other factors evaluated are contrast and dynamic range, e.g. the ability to make details visible in light and dark areas of the image. Repeatability is also important because it demonstrates the camera’s ability to provide the same rendering when taking multiple images of the same scene.
For color, the image quality attributes analyzed are skin tone rendering, white balance, color shading, and repeatability. With regards to color rendition and skin tone, we penalize unnatural colors but respect the manufacturer’s choice of color signature.

The Vivo X90 Pro’s exposure was accurate in most conditions and outperformed both the Vivo X80 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, especially in low light.

Vivo X90 Pro: accurate exposure, wide dynamic range

Vivo X80 Pro: accurate exposure, wide dynamic range

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – slight underexposure, slightly limited dynamic range

Color

110

Google Pixel 7 Pro

Colors were accurate in most conditions, and white balance was good, despite some noticeable color casts, such as the example below. Pitch compression was evident on both the X90 Pro and X90 Pro+, resulting in more unnatural skin tones compared to the Huawei Mate 50 Pro. The unnatural rendering of skin tones was often evident in backlit scenes. In these kinds of conditions, the camera had trouble rendering the scene’s tones naturally.

Vivo X90 Pro – slight yellow cast, tone compression on the face

Vivo X90 Pro+ – yellow cast, tone compression on the face

Huawei Mate 50 Pro: neutral white balance and pleasant skin tones

Auto focus

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Autofocus tests focus on focus accuracy, focus repeatability, shutter lag, and depth of field. Shutter lag is the difference between when the user presses the capture button and when the image is actually taken. It includes the speed of focusing and the ability of the device to capture images at the right moment, the so-called “zero shutter lag” capability. While a shallow depth of field can be nice for a single-subject portrait or close-up shot, it can also be a problem in some specific conditions such as group portraits; Both situations are tested. Focus accuracy is also evaluated in all real-life images taken, from infinity to close-up objects and low-light to outdoor conditions.

Autofocus on the X90 Pro is an important area that needs improvement. Our testers pitted the Vivo Cons the Google Pixel 7 Pro in a natural test scene, where the photographer first focused on a point in the distance and then quickly panned the camera to capture a model at a closer distance. In the video, we can see that the capture time after activating the shutter button was quite short for both devices, but the autofocus failed on the Vivo.

Vivo X90 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro – autofocus comparison

The same behavior was also visible in our lab measurements, where we often encountered blurry shots. Compared to the Vivo X90 Pro+, the X90 Pro appears to use a different autofocus strategy. The X90 Pro tries to capture the subject as quickly as possible, even if the focus hasn’t locked completely yet. The X90 Pro+, on the other hand, takes longer to capture, waiting until full focus has almost been achieved. As can be seen in the video above, the Pixel 7 Pro delivered excellent results with fast and accurate autofocus.

Autofocus Ruggedness and Speed: 1000Lux Δ4EV Daylight Handheld

This graph illustrates focus accuracy and speed, and also zero shutter lag capability by showing edge acuity versus shooting time measured on the AFHDR setup over a series of images. All photos were taken at 1000 Lux with Daylight illuminant, 500 ms after blurring. In this scenario, the backlit panels in the scene are set to simulate a fairly high dynamic range: the luminance ratio between the brightest spot and an 18% reflective gray patch is 4, which we denote by an exposure value difference of 4 The edge sharpness is measured on the four edges of the Dead Leaves graph and the shooting time is measured on the Universal Timer LED.

Framework

Oppo Find X5

Texture tests analyze the level of detail and texture of subjects in images taken in the lab as well as real-life scenarios. For natural shots, special attention is paid to the level of detail in the light and dark areas of the image. Objective measurements are performed on map images taken under various lighting conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different types of dynamic range conditions. The charts used are the proprietary SBMARK (DMC) chart and the Dead Leaves chart.

SBMARK CHART (DMC) Detail Retention Score vs. Lux Levels for Tripod and Handheld Conditions

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score with lux level, for two retention conditions. The DMC Detail Retention Score is derived from an AI-powered metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendition on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.

Noise

104

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Noise tests analyze various noise attributes such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, texture on real-life images and lab-captured graph images. For natural images, special attention is paid to noise on faces, landscapes, but also dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Noise on moving objects is also evaluated on natural images. Objective measurements are performed on chart images captured under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different types of dynamic range conditions. The graph used is the dead leaves graph and standardized measurement such as visual noise derived from ISO 15739.

The X90 Pro delivered images with fairly low noise levels. However, compared to the X90 Pro+, more noise was visible in backlit scenes, resulting in a lower noise score.

Vivo X90 Pro+ – slight noise

Vivo X90 Pro – shadow noise

Vivo X90 Pro+ – shadow noise well under control

Artifacts

Google Pixel 6

Artifact assessment examines lens shading, chromatic aberrations, geometric distortion, ringing edges, halos, ghosting, quantization, unexpected color tone shifts, among other types of possible effects unnatural on photos. The more serious and frequent the artifact, the greater the deduction of points from the score. The main artifacts observed and the corresponding loss of points are listed below.

Major penalties for photographic artifacts

Bokeh

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Bokeh is tested in a dedicated mode, usually portrait or aperture mode, and analyzed by visually inspecting all images captured in laboratory and natural conditions. The goal is to reproduce a portrait photograph comparable to one taken with a DLSR and a wide aperture. The main image quality attributes paid attention to are depth estimation, artifacts, blur gradient, and bokeh blur reflector shape. Vertical image quality attributes (exposure, color, texture) are also taken into account.

The X90 Pro’s portrait mode worked well in our tests. achieving the same score as the X90 Pro+. However, bokeh scenes were rendered differently on the two devices. In this example, no spotlight enhancement was visible on the X90 Pro, while the X90 Pro+ captured less facial detail. Depth artifacts were sometimes visible.

Vivo X90 Pro – bokeh mode

Vivo X90 Pro – good detail, accurate depth estimation

Vivo X90 Pro+ – bokeh mode

Vivo X90 Pro+: Slightly lower detail, accurate depth estimation

Vivo X90 Pro: almost all objects in the plane of focus are sharp, but some defects are visible on the right side of the image

Preview

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

The preview tests analyze the image quality of the camera app’s image preview, with particular attention to the difference between the capture and the preview, especially regarding the dynamic range and the application of the bokeh effect. The uniformity of exposure, color and focus adaptation when zooming from the minimum to the maximum available zoom factor is also evaluated. The preview frame rate is measured using the Universal Timer LED.

Vivo X90 Pro – preview – highlight clipping (100 lux TL84 EV7)

Vivo X90 Pro – capture – best dynamic range (100 lux TL84 EV7)

Zoom in

141

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

About SBMARK Camera Zoom Tests

SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 400 test images in controlled laboratory environments and natural outdoor, indoor, and low-light scenes using camera presets and pinch zoom at various zoom factors from ultra wide to very long zoom. Evaluation is performed by visually inspecting images Cons a natural scene reference and by performing objective measurements of lab-captured map images under varying conditions from 20 to 1000 lux and color temperatures from 2300K to 6500K.

The Vivo X90 Pro captured good image quality across the entire zoom range, from ultra wide angle to long telephoto. While the top-of-the-line X90 Pro+ uses two tele modules, the Vivo X90 Pro has to make do with just one. In our tests, this resulted in slightly higher noise levels and less fine detail. At the ultra-wide zoom end, with a measured focal length of 16mm, the Vivo X90 Pro isn’t quite as wide as the top model at 14.5mm. However, in general, image quality was very similar between the two models except at the long-range tele settings.

Vivo X90 Pro Zoom Scores vs Ultra-Premium

This graph illustrates the relative scores for the different zoom ranges evaluated. The abscissa is expressed in focal length equivalent to 35mm. Zoomed scores appear on the right and zoomed scores on the left.

Wide

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

These tests analyze the performance of the ultra wide angle camera at different focal lengths from 12mm to 20mm. All attributes of image quality are evaluated, with particular attention to artifacts such as chromatic aberrations, lens softness and distortion. The images below are an excerpt from the tested scenes.

The ultra-wide module of the X90 Pro gave a result similar to that of the X90 Pro+. The only difference was in the X90 Pro’s narrower field of view, as shown in the example below.

Vivo X90 Pro – ultra-wide – good color rendering, low noise

Vivo X90 Pro+ – ultra-wide – good color rendering, low noise

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – ultra-wide – good color rendering, noise

tele

107

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

All image quality attributes are evaluated at focal lengths from approximately 40mm to 300mm, with an emphasis on texture and detail. The score comes from a series of objective laboratory measurements and perceptual analysis of real-life images.

Texture rendering was similar between the Vivo X90 Pro and X90 Pro+ at close-to-medium tele settings. For the X90 Pro, the detail retention score increased to 96mm in 100 lux and 1000 lux light conditions, which can be explained by the texture/noise trade-off that didn’t change at this focal length. Therefore, as the noise level increased, so did the level of detail.

SBMARK CHART Detail Retention Score (DMC) by focal length

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score versus the full-frame equivalent focal length for different lighting conditions. The x-axis represents the equivalent focal length measured for each corresponding shooting distance, and the y-axis represents the maximum detail retention metric score: higher value means better quality. Large dots correspond to the zoom ratio available in the camera application UI.

SBMARK CHART Detail Retention Score (DMC) by focal length

However, at longer telephoto settings, the differences between the two cameras became quite apparent.

Vivo X90 Pro – extra long telephoto (approx. 750mm)

Vivo X90 Pro – complete lack of detail

Vivo X90 Pro+ – extra long telephoto (approx. 750mm)

Vivo X90 Pro+ – loss of details

video

133

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

About SBMARK Camera Video Tests

SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate more than 2.5 hours of video in controlled lab environments and low natural light scenes, indoors and out, using the camera’s default settings. Evaluation consists of visually inspecting natural video taken under various conditions and performing objective measurements on lab-recorded graph video under various conditions from 1 to 1000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300K to 6,500K.

Video clips captured with the Vivo X90 Pro offered stable exposure and color in all conditions. Also, video noise was well under control, and the camera managed to get good exposure, even in low-light conditions. On the downside, our testers noted some slight instabilities and inaccuracies in focus.

Vivo X90 Pro Video scores vs Ultra-Premium

Video tests analyze the same image quality attributes as still images, such as exposure, color, texture or noise, as well as temporal aspects such as speed, exposure uniformity and stability, white balance and autofocus transitions.

Exposure

105

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Color

105

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Exposure tests evaluate the brightness of the main subject and the dynamic range, e.g. the ability to make details visible in light and dark areas of the image. The stability and temporal adaptation of the exposure are also analysed.
Image quality color analysis examines color rendition, skin tone rendition, white balance, color shading, white balance stability and its adaptation when the light changes.

Vivo X90 Pro – natural color but slight green/yellow cast

Vivo X90 Pro+ – good color rendering

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – good color rendering

Framework

106

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

Texture tests analyze the level of detail and texture of real-life videos as well as graphics videos recorded in the lab. Natural video recordings are evaluated visually, with particular attention to the level of detail in bright areas and dark areas. Objective measurements of card images taken under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux are performed. The charts used are the SBMARK (DMC) chart and the Dead Leaves chart.

Video clips captured with the Vivo X90 Pro contained better detail than those recorded with the X90 Pro+. Texture rendering was also less natural on the X90 Pro+, especially in low light.

SBMARK CHART (DMC) video score for detail retention versus lux levels

This graph shows the evolution of the video DMC detail retention score with the level of lux in the video. The DMC Detail Retention Score is derived from an AI-powered metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendition on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.

Noise

113

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

Noise tests analyze various noise attributes such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, texture, temporal aspects on real-life video recording, as well as graph videos taken in the lab. Natural videos are evaluated visually, with an emphasis on noise in dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Objective measurements are performed on graph videos recorded under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux. The graph used is the SBMARK visual noise graph.

The Vivo X90 Pro also controlled noise better than the X90 Pro+, especially in low-light conditions. Overall, the X90 Pro offered a better texture-to-noise ratio.

Vivo X90 Pro – slight noise, slight loss of detail

Vivo X90 Pro+: noise, unnatural texture on faces

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon): noise, unnatural textures on faces

Evolution of spatial visual noise with level of illumination

This graph shows the evolution of spatial visual noise with lux level. Spatial visual noise is measured on the visual noise table in the video noise setup. The SBMARK visual noise measurement is derived from the ISO15739 standard.

Time evolution of visual noise with level of illumination

This graph shows the evolution of visual noise over time with lux level. Temporal visual noise is measured on the visual noise table in the video noise configuration.

Stabilization

110

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

The stabilization rating tests the device’s ability to stabilize footage using software or hardware technologies such as OIS, EIS, or any other means. The evaluation looks at residual motion, smoothness, yellow artifacts, and residual motion blur in walking and running use cases under various lighting conditions. The video below is an excerpt from one of the tested scenes.

Vivo X90 Pro – quite effective stabilization

Vivo X90 Pro+ – effective stabilization

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – quite effective stabilization

Artifacts

Xiaomi 12S Ultra

Artifacts are evaluated with MTF and ringing measurements on the SFR graph in the lab, as well as frame rate measurements using the Universal Timer LED. Natural videos are visually evaluated by paying close attention to artifacts such as aliasing, quantization, blocking, and pitch shifting, among others. The more severe and frequent the artifact, the more points will be deducted from the score. The main artifacts and the corresponding point loss are listed below.

Overview

Pros

Versus

Trial summary

Photo

Exposure

Color

Auto focus

Framework

Noise

Artifacts

Bokeh

Preview

Zoom in

Wide

tele

video

Exposure

Color

Framework

Noise

Stabilization

Artifacts

Philip Owell

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Overview

Pros

Versus

Trial summary

Photo

Exposure

Color

Auto focus

Framework

Noise

Artifacts

Bokeh

Preview

Zoom in

Wide

tele

video

Exposure

Color

Framework

Noise

Stabilization

Artifacts

Philip Owell

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