I took over 100 photos with the Honor 200 Pro – here are 5 things I learned

Honor has officially launched new mid-range phones in Europe, with the Pro model coming to the region for the first time.

The Honor 200 (£499.99) and 200 Pro (£699.99) were both unveiled at an event in Paris, joining the 200 Lite (£279.99), which was already available.

Of course, given the distinct price points, there are plenty of differences between them. I’ve been testing the Pro model, which combines a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset with 6.78-inch 120Hz OLED screen and 5200mAh battery with 100W fast charging.

However, as is the case with so many mid-range and flagship phones, the cameras are the main focus. And with five lenses and a variety of software modes, there’s a lot to talk about. After taking over 100 photos using the Honor 200 Pro, here are my top observations.

Take portraits to the next level

Honor has collaborated with French portrait specialist Studio Harcourt to include its functionality directly within the camera app

Once you select portrait mode, you’re given three filters to choose from: Harcourt Vibrant (most similar to a regular shot), Harcourt Colour (with more muted, warmer tones) and Harcourt Classic (in black and white).

Alongside what Honor calls its ‘AI Portrait Engine’, the results are impressive. Even without any portrait expertise, I was able to get excellent, realistic shots without much effort. The separation between the subject and background was consistently very good, while the versatility to be able to shoot with the 2.5x optical telephoto zoom is great.

However, it’s worth noting that you can’t adjust the level of background blur after the shot is taken – only before. Other phones do offer this feature, so it’s a shame not to see it here.

A master of low light

The Honor 200 Pro takes very good photos when there’s plenty of light (natural or artificial), but it’s arguably even more impressive when things get darker.

Initially, I tested it out at dusk, where the contrast of dark shadows and brighter, detailed skies would be a challenge for any phone. It handled it impeccably, producing a shot that’s brimming with detail and still looks very natural.

Even when it was pretty much dark, the phone illuminated the sky in a really attractive way. It might not be true to life, but that’s not what I wanted from the photo anyway.

When it comes to low light, the 200 Pro is undoubtedly up there with the very best.

Detailed close-up shots

Interestingly, Honor markets the 12Mp rear sensor as both a 2.5x telephoto and a macro lens.

The latter isn’t a priority for most smartphone photographers, but the close-up shots the 200 Pro can produce are well above average.

I tested it on several different types of plants, and while the results weren’t always great, there were a few genuinely excellent close-up shots. Honor says you can get detailed images from as close as 2.5cm to your subject, a claim that seems to be accurate most of the time.

Great selfies – with or without background blur

The size of the camera cut-out on the front of the 200 Pro will divide opinion, especially as it lacks the Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor that makes 3D face unlock possible on the Magic 6 Pro.

However, Honor has still put the 200 Pro’s two lenses to good use when it comes to selfies. The 50Mp main camera delivers crisp, well-exposed selfies with generally accurate colours, while a separate 2Mp depth sensor enables realistic portrait-style shots.

There aren’t any Studio Harcourt modes available here, but edge detection and background blur are both still impressive.

Ultrawide not quite up to scratch

So far, so very good for the Honor 200 Pro’s cameras. But unfortunately, there’s still one thing holding it back: the 12Mp ultrawide.

Like so many phones, this third lens simply isn’t as good as the 50Mp main and 50Mp telephoto. When comparing them directly, there’s a noticeable drop-off in detail and colour accuracy, while exposure also proves more of an issue.

It’s a shame, as the flexibility of a 112˚ field of view is genuinely useful in some situations. But unlike the other rear cameras, I wouldn’t be confident in consistently taking high-quality photos using it.

Overall, the Honor 200 Pro is a very good camera phone, but hasn’t quite reached the elite level of some flagships.