I in contrast the Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely digicam to the Vivo X300 Extremely – and it was surprisingly shut

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The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is without doubt one of the finest telephones you should buy proper now. Nonetheless, exterior the US, it’s dealing with powerful competitors from Chinese language extremely telephones, the most recent being Vivo’s X300 Ultra.

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It takes on the Samsung cellphone with a digicam system that is filled with not one or two, however three large sensors. I used to be curious the way it’d evaluate to the Galaxy S26 Extremely, so I took the two phones on a photowalk. Whereas I anticipated Vivo to carry out higher, Samsung stunned me in a couple of areas.

Earlier than I dive into the outcomes from each units, here is an outline of how their specs evaluate.

By the numbers

	Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely	Vivo X300 Extremely
Principal digicam	200MP (OIS, PDAF), 1/1.3″ sensor with f/1.4 aperture and 23mm focal size	200MP (OIS, Laser autofocus, PDAF), 1/1.12″ sensor with f/1.9 aperture and 35mm focal size
Telephoto Cameras	1. 50MP (Periscope tele, OIS, PDAF), 1/2.52″ sensor with f/2.9 aperture and 5x optical zoom 2. 10MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF), 1/3.94″ sensor, with f/2.4 aperture and 3x optical zoom	200MP (Periscope tele, OIS, PDAF), 1/1.4″ sensor with f/2.7 aperture telemacro capabilities and three.7x optical zoom
Ultrawide digicam	50 MP (Extremely-wide, PDAF), 1/2.5″ sensor with f/1.9 aperture	50 MP (OIS, PDAF), 1/1.28″ sensor with f/2.0 aperture

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Principal digicam outcomes

Beginning with the primary digicam, Vivo modified its focal size to 35mm this yr, so that you get optical high quality as a substitute of counting on 1.5x digital zoom. Comparably, most different fashionable telephones, just like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely, have a smaller 23mm equal focal size on the primary sensor. Luckily, you possibly can all the time set 35mm because the default on the Samsung, for those who choose it.

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I discover myself zooming in at 1.2x and 1.5x for my day-to-day pictures, so I cherished taking pictures on the Vivo X300 Extremely. Nonetheless, there have been instances once I missed having 23mm by default (on the Vivo cellphone, you should utilize the ultrawide-angle lens and zoom in to shoot at 23mm).

General, I do not assume one focal size is objectively higher as a result of it is determined by what you are taking pictures, however I loved taking pictures with Vivo extra.

I took this photograph for example due to the layers on this body and the added purple patch with these flowers. On each of those Extremely telephones, you get to decide on a tone (heat or cool) while you arrange the system.

As soon as arrange, the distinction in look comes all the way down to the sensor and processing. On the above pictures in 1x, the X300 Extremely gave me extra depth — because of an even bigger sensor — whereas the Galaxy S26 Extremely shot suffered from oversharpening.

I needed to display the distinction in 35mm-equivalent optical and digital high quality. Within the above body, I did not want additional compression of the background, so I relied on the primary digicam.

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The 1x on the Vivo X300 Extremely gave me the proper body, whereas to attain the identical on Samsung, I needed to go to 1.5x digital zoom, which captured fewer particulars and produced a noisier photograph (see the reds of the yet-to-bloom flower). The larger sensor additionally allowed Vivo so as to add a pure bokeh to this shot.

Coming again to my earlier level about not choosing a focal size objectively over the opposite one: I might wish to have Galaxy S26 Extremely’s 23mm over Vivo’s 35mm on this case due to the background. I just like the Samsung framing higher as a result of it might hold the arc within the background on the similar place as within the Vivo shot.

Whereas it bought my pores and skin tone proper, the Galaxy cellphone struggled with colours of the sky and floor. It appears to be like slightly gloomy. Vivo, alternatively, lacks particulars within the sky however has higher readability and wealthy particulars, not less than on my face.

All of my pictures listed here are tap-and-shoot — with out manually adjusting the publicity or different settings. The Vivo X300 Extremely gave me extra distinction, character, and particulars in its 1x shot, as in comparison with the Galaxy S26 Extremely, which appears to be like overexposed and lacks the identical quantity of element.

In evening mode, I choose Samsung’s saturated colours over Vivo’s look. You may get extra saturation on the Vivo X300 Extremely by adjusting the filter (I used to be utilizing Pure, however Textured would offer you a extra dramatic look) however Samsung has extra distinction, which I particularly love on the signboard.

Telephoto and ultrawide

Portraits shot on the tele sensor have a extra pure bokeh on the X300 Extremely. It additionally managed to retain a close-to-real-life look (and bought the right coloration tone of my eyes), whereas the Galaxy S26 Extremely went for a hotter look.

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For the pixel-peepers, Vivo retained extra particulars on my beard, whereas, once more, Samsung oversharpened sure areas. Nonetheless, Samsung dealt with the highlights on my white T-shirt higher.

The pictures above have been taken at sundown. In these portrait pictures, Samsung dealt with the daylight on my face extra comfortably. Whereas it lacks the element within the shadows, the Galaxy S26 Extremely gave me a extra natural-looking sundown portrait. I famous this in my Galaxy Z Fold 7 review too; Samsung takes nice portraits below the setting solar and beats Vivo right here.

Vivo simply wins in telemacro pictures. This was a tough topic as a result of the small flower stored transferring within the slightest breeze. I needed to battle getting it in focus with the Galaxy S26 Extremely. As compared, the Vivo X300 Extremely targeted on it with a single faucet and even captured these white threads within the image.

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I zoomed in additional to 10x and Vivo gave me this:

I haven’t got a Galaxy S26 Extremely shot to match as a result of it could not focus at 10x digital zoom.

Each telephones have an excellent ultrawide digicam. The colours stay constant all through the lenses on each Samsung and Vivo, however the latter gives richer particulars, but once more. Nonetheless, I just like the Galaxy S26 Extremely’s shot higher on this case as a result of Vivo overexposed the sky.

Author’s selection

Each the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Vivo X300 Ultra have their strengths, weaknesses, and distinctive capabilities, however the latter will higher fulfill photographers.

Samsung is perhaps sufficient for most individuals (it has a friendlier person interface, for instance), however I most popular the X300 Extremely. The Vivo provides you extra character, permits for simple coloration profile switching, and the massive sensors seize larger element.

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The enjoyable half extends to video recording as properly. Vivo gives a movie mode that mimics the look of a film with a single faucet. Furthermore, for those who’re into Fujifilm or Ricoh recipes, you possibly can create an equal of these appears to be like and share them amongst associates with a QR code. I have not seen some other cellphone producer making this stuff so easy.

I’ve used all of the Extremely telephones launched this yr and would decide the Vivo X300 Extremely for its cameras. For my part, it’s the finest digicam cellphone of 2026.