How difficult is it to achieve the effect of a Zeiss image? Just take a look at the vivo X60

joins hands with Zeiss, vivo is committed to the new image path of miniaturization and color accuracy of the lens group.

​​has a current reality, everyone must be clear: "We cannot control the size of the mobile phone while pursuing top image performance and overall performance. And beauty".

​​Computational photography is a great invention of this era, but computational photography has also changed our perception of light and shadow to a certain extent. I don't deny that with ISP and NPU getting stronger and stronger today, algorithms can achieve the effects that can only be achieved with large-size photoreceptors in the past on a relatively small CMOS of a full-frame camera. Unfortunately, computational photography cannot truthfully or naturally reflect the relationship between light and shadow, especially the expression of emotions in images. If you use the metaphor in the field of writing, there is a negative evaluation called: "the technique of playing with words." Writers who play with words have produced bestsellers and hot-listed works all year round, but whether they can survive the long river of history is very doubtful.

​​There is no doubt that computational photography is a precious gift of the times for mobile phones and Vlog equipment. It gives resin lenses, general coatings and small photoreceptor equipment unlimited imagination. But this does not mean that computational photography is the only answer to image creation in this era. After all, the gap between computational photography and natural imaging is still obvious in terms of light and shadow effects, perspective relationships, and color performance. How big is the gap between

? Let me give you an example:

​​This is the resident singer I shot in a bar in Nanjing around 11 midnight. I used a Sony A7R3 full-frame mirrorless lens and a Zeiss 85mm F1.4 MF lens made in Germany in the 1980s. After Zeiss entered the new century, it first conducted in-depth cooperation with Sony on the T* coating and launched the F828 T* digital camera, and later helped Sony produce the Socay series of lenses. The 85mm F1.4 that I used can represent the most original features of Zeiss: the volume is only half the size of a Nikon 85mm F1.4 lens, the unparalleled extreme resolution, the natural circular halo, and the deep perspective relationship. And what did the computational photography of flagship phones look like during the same period? It's like this: the comparison result of

​​is relatively awkward and cruel. Compared with the camera, the mobile phone has unreasonable film exposure, almost no perspective relationship, and the level of out-of-focus imaging is completely algorithmic, dry and unnatural. Our basic cognition is that if the module (sensor + lens group + coating) on ​​mobile phones and portable devices does not face reality to further improve the physical properties, then the final boundary of computational photography is also limited. The algorithm cannot help a poor module that claims to be a big one, but is actually still small, to improve the image quality to the level of the camera's PK.

​​At the end of 2020, we have discovered some new trends. In addition to the announcement of vivo's cooperation with Zeiss, it is the consensus of many manufacturers to continue to improve the physical quality of the current modules under the premise of controlling the size and cost with the assistance of computational photography technology. For example, the second 2X2 OCL sensor jointly launched by OPPO and Sony recently is 1/1.56 inches in size, but the image quality is almost the same as those larger than it, and the benefits are obvious. The module can be made smaller than before. Many are the key factors for the thinness of the whole machine.

​​Back to today's protagonist, the Zeiss optical imaging system on the vivo X60 series should be called a milestone in the history of mobile phone development. In the past, , Nokia and Zeiss have cooperated with Zeiss on the mobile phone, mainly in the direction of coating and optical performance, with remarkable results.

​​By 2020, when SoC's ISP, NPU level, and basic computational photography algorithms are relatively high, Zeiss will cooperate with mobile phone manufacturers, and the technical foundation will be much more stable than a decade ago. There are several major flaws in current mobile phone images: the large-scale module caused by the crushing of people at the bottom level, the bricking of the mobile phone, the collapse of the image quality caused by the quality of the lens group, the outrageous aberration, the color distortion, and the out-of-focus caused by computational photography The imaging has emptiness, the perspective relationship is disordered, and the P picture rolls over. Some of these problems can be improved by algorithms, and some problems can only be improved by the overall polishing of the CMOS+ lens group.

​​And the core competitiveness of Zeiss optical system: miniaturization of lens assembly, color accuracy, T* coating, and mobile phone imaging systemThe just need coincides. The classic work of

​​Zeiss lens miniaturization: "Vario-Tessar", was first introduced by Sony into the consumer digital camera T1, and then still used on the black card RX100.

​​Among them, the black card RX100 series also has a miniaturized Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens and T* low-glare coating, which is known as the nuclear warhead in the card machine. Simply put, the biggest function of the Vario-Tessar lens group is the miniaturization of the lens, which is undoubtedly a huge temptation for mobile phone imaging systems.

​​As a Zeiss blue label mobile phone, the main camera of the vivo X60/Pro uses a Tessar lens group. This also makes this devil-grade polished IMX598 possible the ultra-powerful 1/2-inch mid-size main camera in the history, which has achieved the impossible task of crushing people across sizes.

​​In accordance with the high standards of Zeiss Tessar lens group, the camera design of the vivo X60 series smartphone draws on the iconic design elements of the Tessar lens, increasing the number of lenses in the lens and making it easier to correct aberrations. In the process of manufacturing the lens, the precision of the lens is 0.25μm or less, so as to ensure that the surface shape of the lens is consistent with the design. After optical manufacturing and adjustment tests, the modules used in the X60 series have reached the quality of the "Vario-Tessar" lens in the Zeiss specification.

​​In the early warm-up, we found that the X60 series is affixed with the Zeiss blue label, without the small red label of the T* low glare coating. Many players are also very sorry, thinking that Zeiss is proud of the T* anti-glare coating After all, technology has nothing to do with mobile phones. The

​​press conference today finally revealed the answer. T* anti-glare coating technology was applied to the Pro+ models of the X60 series. About T* coating, both Sony and Zeiss have introduced in the past, here is a brief review: In 1935, Zeiss engineer Alexander Smakula invented a kind of "T" by heating and evaporating low refractive index fluoride film in a vacuum. Coating, this is a coating process that can be used for anti-reflection on the lens surface. It greatly improves the transmittance of the lens and reduces the glare, thereby significantly improving the image quality.

​​The conventional coating process brings the reflectivity of the center area of ​​the lens surface to about 0.5%, while the reflectivity of the edge area is as high as 2%; the ALD process can achieve the average reflectivity of the lens center and edge areas of 0.25% , Which is equivalent to (the lens surface) the light reflectivity of the central area is reduced by 50%, and the reflectivity of the edge area is reduced by 87.5%. The decrease in reflectivity of

​​means that the transmittance of light is improved. The reflectivity brought by the conventional coating process is 0.5%, while the use of ALD coating technology can reduce the reflectivity to 0.25%, and the reflectivity is reduced by 50%, which means that more light can enter the lens. The

ALD coating process can effectively solve the problems of glare and ghost caused by reflected light. Glare and ghost images have always been a big problem for small imaging devices such as mobile phones to shoot under complex light, especially night light. When the quality of the lens set and coating is not significantly improved, powerful manufacturers will use algorithms to correct those inexplicable ghosts and glare in the picture, but this requires high accuracy of the algorithm. In fact, even if the image repaired by the algorithm can eliminate the glare, some scenes also lose the charm of the original image.

​​This time the standard version and the Pro version of the X60 still use the micro-head, which has evolved to version 2.0. In fact, this matter gave us new thinking about the technical route of the imaging system: can it be based on the range of 1/2 inch to 1/1.5 inch photoreceptor, through the improvement of the physical quality of the module and the assistance of algorithms, to achieve greater The effect of the size bottom? So as to overthrow the conclusion that the traditional definition is a big one? The sentence

​​is almost true under normal production conditions, and it is determined by physical characteristics. But the consequence of this feature is that the size of mobile phones is getting bigger and bigger. Obviously, the industry cannot endlessly expand the size of mobile phones to meet the needs of outsole modules, which ultimately distorts the role that mobile phones themselves should have. The idea and significance of the

​​X60 series to the industry is here: it uses a piece of 1/2 inch in size.The inch IMX598 achieves the miniaturization of high-quality lens groups and the improvement of image quality through the F1.48 aperture, the second-generation micro-head and Zeiss optical module. This is obviously a feasible idea, after all, it directly improves the appearance and texture of the X60 series, making the flagship image + ultra-thin appearance a partner for harmonious coexistence. The second-generation micro-pan/tilt system introduced at this conference saves about 40% of the board area of ​​the prototype micro-pan/tilt, and its thickness is reduced by 1mm. The “limit” reduces the distance between the micro-pan/tilt and the screen to 0.13mm. Good structural protection measures make it possible to combine the micro-head and Zeiss lens group to provide flagship image quality for thin and light mobile phones.

​​At present, my samples have not been finished yet. First, I borrowed the samples from Weibo Luka Lio Luka (reprinting authorization has been obtained) to show the effect of the X60, the devil-grade IMX598 Zeiss lens set. Intuitively, Zeiss has made two of the biggest improvements to vivo in imaging: the optimization of the relationship between depth of field and perspective; and a huge change in color style. The former is attributed to the Tessar lens group, and the latter is attributed to the Zeiss Biotar portrait style inherited by vivo through computational photography technology. Its most prominent feature is that while the central figure is clear, the out-of-focus blur presents a vortex, eye-catching and dreamlike surreal portrait photography effect. (Refer to my Zeiss 85mm portrait above)

​​I can only talk about the X60 image part here. After all, if it works, you have to use proofs instead of words.

teamed up with Samsung to improve the performance of the X series to the flagship level

​​As everyone knows, this time the X60 series uses the Exynos1080 processor, while the Pro+ may use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. This means that the X series has been upgraded from mid-to-high-end fashion phones to flagship phones.

​​I won’t say much about the performance of this chip. Based on ARM’s flagship architecture, Samsung’s 5nm EUV FinFET process is one of the best SoC products in the industry. And vivo from the X30 era, and Samsung Semiconductor is more than customizing an Exynos980. In the vivo part of the low-end products, not only Exynos980, but also Exynos880 configuration. This time using Exynos1080 and Snapdragon 888 at the same time, it is also a strategic route to walk on two legs while exerting strength. The exclusive Exynos1080 will get the first chance of shipments in the new year, while the later Pro+ will bring the Snapdragon 888 to occupy a place in the high-end market.

​​In addition, judging from the dramatic changes in the market in the past month or so, due to the share reorganization, the market at the price of 2500-4500 yuan in 2021 will usher in the largest share reorganization. There are more and more flagship SoC products in this price range. . Soon we will see the four flagship chips of Dimensity 1000+, Exynos1080, Snapdragon 865, and Snapdragon 888 competing in this market at the same time. With the increase of competing products, this market will no longer leave a chance for mid-to-high-end chips to survive.

​​Next, vivo’s Exynos1080 and Snapdragon 888 product lines may have: X60/Pro, iQOO7, X60 Pro+ and the new NEX stack of SKUs, rebuilding a competitive advantage in the 3000-5000 price range.

Unbreakable OriginOS, the blue factory’s new hope

​​To be honest, vivo made the system into this way, I was quite surprised and shocked.

​​If I had to choose only one operating system, I might still choose iOS. One of the most direct feelings iOS 14.3 gave me is integration. From the integration of application methods to the integration of information flow, it is always an interactive logic designed according to user needs and scene immersion. And Android11 ​​is still based on traditional single applications to reach user needs. This may not be a problem if you only have a mobile phone, but if you are in a certain ecological environment, this kind of interaction logic will be a bit awkward in 2021.

​​I certainly do not deny that iOS also has a lot of problems in interaction and details. I also draw on the design experience of native Android and these major manufacturers.But at this point in time, the overall sense of iOS from user needs to applications is indeed still ahead.

​​The basic logic of OriginOS is to try this kind of change. Not all manufacturers of Android platform release versions dare to do this. My biggest concern for OriginOS is the integration of interactive methods starting from user needs and scenarios. This integration allows users to not distinguish whether this is an APP or a Widget, or whether it is a push message. Users only need to pay attention to their own needs, and the system can give him the most necessary way to solve this need. This is the philosophy of OriginOS and the reason why the OS is named Yuan.

​​Of course, compared to iOS 14.3, the Android platform's Widget and message push methods have made very little progress in recent years, and most manufacturers are focusing on information flow advertising and pushing hot chicken news. OriginOS does this, it's an idea that doesn't break or stand. But as I said in that article, if OriginOS wants to succeed, it needs the whole industry to adapt, and the road is long.

Conclusion: When the market is undergoing restructuring, in recent years, may finally have the impact of :

​​From this month’s OPPO Reno5 series sales data, this may be the blue factory’s most important market restructuring opportunity in recent years. From the product side of the X60, there is no major problem, but whether consumers can deeply perceive these selling points and turn them into conversations in life determines the direction of the next generation. This may be the last historical opportunity to hit the high-end in recent years. From the perspective of mobile phone players, the X60 series already looks like a real high-end phone, and hope for a good result.