vivo X300 Ultra concert camera settings: getting the most from the 200 MP telephoto

The vivo X300 Ultra's standout feature for concerts is its telephoto camera: an 85 mm ZEISS lens on a 200 MP sensor with very strong stabilisation. Used well, it gives you sharp, steady close-ups from far back. Here's how to set it up.

The three cameras

vivo describes the X300 Ultra's built-in cameras by focal length:

Camera	Sensor	Best for
14 mm ultra-wide	50 MP	The whole stage, crowd, light shows
35 mm main	200 MP, large 1/1.12" sensor	Low light, wide shots of the stage
85 mm ZEISS telephoto	200 MP, gimbal-grade stabilisation	Close-ups of performers

The camera app's zoom buttons jump between these. For concerts, live on the 85 mm telephoto. Its 200 MP sensor leaves room to zoom in a little further with good quality, but like every phone, the picture softens the further you push digital zoom. Go in steps and check the result, rather than zooming all the way.

Video settings

• 4K at 30 fps for dim arenas: more light per frame, cleaner faces.
• 4K at 60 fps for fast choreography, when the stage is well lit.
• 4K at 120 fps is for slow motion. It's impressive, but needs lots of light and storage.
• Leave Log off unless you edit. The X300 Ultra can record 10-bit Log, which looks flat and grey until you colour-grade it on a computer. For videos you'll post straight away, use the normal colour profile.

Lock exposure on the performer

Concert lighting changes every second. Tap and hold on the performer to lock focus and exposure, then lower the brightness slightly so faces and coloured lights don't blow out. The telephoto also has fast autofocus tracking (up to 60 fps in Snapshot mode for photos), which helps when the artist is moving around.

Try Stage mode

The X300 Ultra's camera app has a Stage mode, built for concerts. vivo describes Stage mode as combining the telephoto camera with processing tuned for bright, fast-changing stage lighting, so performers' faces stay clear. It's the easiest way to get good results without touching manual settings. Find Stage in the camera modes (if it isn't in the main row, look under More), then zoom with the telephoto as usual.

If you prefer full control, use the video settings above instead.

What to leave at home

vivo sells clip-on telephoto extenders for the X300 Ultra (200 mm and 400 mm equivalent). They're impressive, but venues treat add-on zoom lenses as banned camera equipment. The National Stadium and Indoor Stadium, for example, don't allow professional cameras "including telephoto or zoom lenses". Stick with the phone's built-in cameras. Our rental doesn't include the extenders.

Battery and storage

• The X300 Ultra has a big 6,600 mAh battery, enough for a full show with plenty of filming. Bring a power bank for long days anyway.
• 4K video is large, roughly 20 GB per hour at 4K 60 fps on phones like this. The 1 TB rental phone has room for a whole concert and more.

Small things that help

• Flash off, and wipe the lenses before the show.
• Two hands, elbows in: steadier footage, and you don't block the people behind you.
• Check the venue's rules: most allow phone filming, but some shows ban recording. See our venue guides.

Afterwards, here's how to send your videos to an iPhone. The X300 Ultra's Quick Share works with AirDrop too.