A photo journey in Germany with the new vivo V40 series co-engineered with ZEISS

Carl Zeiss was a visionary; his construction of microscopes on a scientific foundation is the basis of today’s ZEISS, a global manufacturer of optical lenses, medical technology, semiconductors and of course, camera lenses. In December 2020, vivo and ZEISS announced a long-term strategic partnership, with the two brands co-engineering the camera systems on vivo flagship phones — the latest being the vivo V40 series.

Above: the vivo v40 pro in white, with a camera system created in collaboration with zeiss.

The partnership between vivo and ZEISS dives deep into mobile innovations in photography; it aims to push the boundaries of mobile imaging, and to give users the tools to capture moments in life with ease, convenience, and in the best quality possible.

Lee Chang Wei, Product Director of vivo Southeast Asia says, “Over the past four years, we’ve achieved significant milestones with ZEISS, and we are excited to continue our partnership to drive innovation and deliver the best imaging solutions to our users. In the long term, we will continue making breakthroughs in fundamental imaging technologies while also exploring exciting new initiatives such as 3D imaging and smart healthcare.”

Joint research between the two companies is at the core of this collaboration. Both vivo and ZEISS hold the same values in innovation and technology, and with their shared principles, each smartphone produced together is made to enhance life, and ultimately, be enjoyable to use.

Above: spot me taking pics of the vivo v40 pro phone.
photo courtesy vivo.

The vivo V40 has just been revealed in Singapore, with a focus on its ZEISS professional portrait camera system. On the vivo V40 Pro that we have for review, there’s a 50MP ZEISS Telephoto Portrait Camera, a 50MP ZEISS OIS Main Camera, and a 50MP ZEISS Ultra Wide-Angle Camera. This triple camera system is supported by an innovative ring light with dual colour temperature; it provides sufficient fill light for portrait taking in low light situations, and results in natural, pleasing-looking pictures.

To discover more about the camera system behind the new vivo V40 series, we visited the ZEISS headquarters in Oberkochen, Germany, and walked around the city centre of Munich and Aalen to capture stunning photos with the smartphone.

Above: the facade of the zeiss headquarters in oberkochen.

Above: view from the zeiss headquarters.

Portraits taken on the vivo V40 Pro have the “ZEISS look”, which is about portraying true colour, sharpness (high micro contrasts and clear visuals), and what the brand calls, “3D pop” (a clear separation from the foreground and background).

What’s unique as well is the inclusion of ZEISS Multifocal Portrait; these are golden focal lengths perfect for framing portraits effortlessly. There’s the 24mm landscape portrait, 35mm street portrait, 50mm classic portrait, 85mm figure portrait and it goes as far as a 100mm close-up portrait. All of these are easily selected under Portrait Mode.

The ZEISS bokeh is beautiful and natural too, plus it’s not overly processed by software. If you want to change the style, there are also seven different types of bokeh effects built-in.

With its collaboration with ZEISS, the V40 series produces vivid, cinematic portraits such as the ones shown below. These portraits were all shot on the vivo V40 Pro.

[Click on the images to enlarge.]

While the V series focuses on portraits, it’s a joy shooting street shots with the ZEISS camera system; the photos are given a cinematic feel, with clarity and punchy filters. The vivo V series has a more discreet camera than the brand’s X100 Ultra, so taking it to the streets doesn’t look intimidating. We set the volume button to trigger the shutter for the camera, so it’s even more convenient to hold and capture quick photos while walking through crowds.

Above: somewhere in the centre of munich.

These street shots were taken on the vivo V40 Pro.

[Click on the images to enlarge.]

During the press conference, ZEISS mentioned that it’s not their business model to have many collaborations, so this partnership with vivo is really a coming together of the same values and vision for both companies. With all their expertise in crafting the best lenses, ZEISS understands that the vast majority of the future of photography is mobile, hence the partnership with a mobile brand, and in this case — vivo.

The vivo V40 Pro smartphone co-engineered with ZEISS has an imaging system that captures portraits and street shots with a professional cinematic feel; you can easily snap away without overthinking your pictures, and you’ll still get incredible shots. This partnership between vivo and ZEISS truly brings back the joy of mobile photography.