Vivitar Vivicam 8300s 8.1-Megapixel Digital Camera with 2.5-Inch LCD Screen

Average customer rating:

Too slow

ehhh...

First Class Graduation Gift

Same problem as previous reviewer

Okay, except...

Vivitar Vivicam 8300s 8.1-Megapixel Digital Camera with 2.5-Inch LCD Screen

Manufacturer: Vivitar
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

All | Vivitar | Custom Brands | Custom Stores | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics
Digital Cameras | Vivitar | Custom Brands | Custom Stores | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics
Digital Cameras | Used Photo & Camera | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics
All Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Under 4x Optical Zoom | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Product Features:

8.1-megapixel digital camera with 24-bit color CCD image sensor and oversized 2.5-inch LCD display

Maximum resolution of roughly 3,250 x 2,500 pixels; 3.x optical zoom with 7.5 to 22.5 mm range

Macro mode focuses on objects as close as 2 inches; selectable 4x digital zoom; auto focus with spot and multi-point metering

Captures 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 (at 24 frames per second) movie clips with audio; includes 64 MB Secure Digital card

Comes with rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack and charger; 3.7 x 2.2 x 1.1 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

ASIN: B000CDKHOY
Release Date: 2005-11-16

Product Description

image Resolution Up To 3250 X 25004x Digital Zoomslim Attractive Designautomatic White Balance With Presets For Daylight Incandescent Fluorescent 1 Fluorescent 2 And Cloudyrecords Short Movies With Sound In Avi Format2- And 10-second Self-timerultra-close Macro Mode: 2-30 Wide-angle 12-30 Telephoto3-mode Auto-flash3 5/8 W X 2 7/16 H X 1 1/8 Duses Li-ion Batteryuses Sd Memory Up To 512mbincludes 32mb Sd Card 3.7v Li-ion Rechargeable Battery And Charger Camera Pouch And Software

Amazon.com Product Description

The super-slim, feature-packed Vivicam 8300s digital camera is ideal for all your digital imaging needs. The camera is equipped with an 8.5-megapixel, 24-bit color CCD image sensor that delivers a maximum resolution of approximately 3,250 x 2,500 pixels, along with a 3.x optical power zoom lens that ranges from 7.5 to 22.5 mm. Add in the vast selection of exposure modes and controls and a small chassis that fits easily in most pockets and you have a camera that lends itself to both creative photographers and snapshot hobbyists. In addition, the oversized 2.5-inch LCD is big enough to make critical framing evaluations during recording and playback.

While the zoom lens captures photos from afar, the macro function lets you take a much closer look--as near as 2 inches--without losing focus. The macro mode is great for shooting insects, flower petals, and other detailed but tiny objects. Beginners and casual photographers, meanwhile, will appreciate the Auto Exposure mode, which instinctively assigns shutter speeds from 1/2 to 1/1,500 of a second using center weighted or spot metering so you don't have to adjust the settings yourself. And should the 3.x optical zoom prove insufficient, the camera also includes a selectable 4x digital zoom.

In addition to taking topnotch still images, the Vivicam 8300s captures movie clips with audio. The recording quality ranges from 640 x 480 to 320 x 240 (at 24 frames per second) until the memory card is full. Users can also add voice memos after the images are recorded thanks to the built-in microphone and speaker.

Finally, the Vivicam 8300s comes with photo editing software. The software is particularly convenient, as it preps the photos for e-mail, posting to the Web, or printing. And because of the camera's high-resolution output, you can rest assured that even large print images will look detailed and vivid. Additional features include auto focus with both spot and multi-point metering, automatic white balance with five presets and manual override, exposure control, built-in auto-flash, and a self-timer with 2, 10, or 10+2 second settings.

The Vivicam 8300s, which measures a mere 3.7 by 2.2 by 1.1 inches (W x H x D), comes with USB and video output cables, a lithium-ion battery pack, and an AC adapter/charger. It's also backed by a one-year warranty.

What's in the Box
Vivicam 8300s digital camera, photo editing software on CD-ROM, USB cable, video output cable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack, AD adapter/charger, user's manual.

Customer Reviews:

Too slow.......2007-08-10

This camera looks amazing... the many megapixels for the price, the rechargable battery, but the truth is that this camera is slow. There is no such thing as spontaneous portraits with this. It is "ask subject to pose" with this one. A pre-flash sometimes ruins a shot by tricking subjects into thinking the shot has already been taken.

Also, the large LCD monitor uses a lot of battery power. Unfortunately, I had to decide when to take photos instead of being free to leave my camera on during an event.

ehhh..........2007-07-13

The camera is heavier than I'd expected which is a bit of a nuisance. The first time I was able to upload the pictures without a problem but the second time I got errors and they were all erased from my memory card. (Uploading has been fine since then but I don't feel like this camera is reliable anymore.) I also had the LCD screen freeze on me a few times. Considering that I've only had the camera for a few weeks, this is very disappointing. The pictures tend to come out blurry unless I hold the camera very still. I know the shutter speed is adjustable but I can't seem to find a setting where it takes a quick picture and comes out clear and even the quicker shutter speeds seem too slow. All in all, I'm not too happy with it.

First Class Graduation Gift.......2007-06-18

My youngest daughter just graduation from RISD College for the Arts in RI and we wanted to get her a special gift that she could use to continue her talents as an Art Printmaker and Photographer. While at college she used the schools 10 megapixel Camera but told me that anything above 5 is good. My wife wanted a really good camera with enough pixels to do the job. When we gave her this gift this past weekend she loved it.
Right away she started using it and even had me on a short movie(we sure have advanced since the Polaroid Swinger that I had in the 60's!)
I'm certain with all the features that this sturdy little camera offers it will always be one of my daughter's finest gifts and one that will get a lot of good use!
By the way my first 35mm camera that I bought over 20 years ago was a Vivitar and I took more pictures with that camera then Carter has liver pills. Thinking back how many remember that it was our old TV friend Arthur Godfrey that was the spokesman for Vivitar ptoducts back on his show in the 50's...and we all trusted Mr. Godfrey !!
"ENJOY" Joe Kopeck - Parkville,MD - USA

Same problem as previous reviewer.......2007-05-24

I agree with the reviewer who wrote somthing similar to this:

It can't focus reliably. Only half of my photos are in focus. It doesn't matter if I use a tripod and timer to avoid blurr, and forget action shots. I wouldn't travel with it cause I can't afford to not be able to trust my camera. I wish Vivitar would come out with a software upgrade fix.
I had Vivitar replace the camera with no improvement. Don't waste your money!

Okay, except..........2007-03-16

I've owned this camera for over a year now, and I love everything about this camera, but I do have two small grievances.

The first, and most major one is the flash -- there is little leeway for it to be modified to a faster/dimmer shoot, and I nearly always have to provide some external white balance if I'm shooting portraits, particularly those of myself (I'm dark-skinned). It's exasperating, sometimes.

Second is the battery life: I wish that it was a little longer, and a little more consistent, but I also understand the impact of repeatedly turning the camera on and off. Regardless, I still wish that it was a little bit more constant in that regard.

Aside from these two little buggers, this camera takes excellent photos, and is quite versatile. The options and settings are, for the most part, user friendly, and I'm very satisfied with the overall purchase. Even at the highest resolutions, I can still get close to 450 pictures on a 1GB card.

Vivitar Vivicam 5385 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Average customer rating:

Good camera, but more is spent on batteries than the camera itself
Not even a good starter camera
An average camera!
Good at first
Little beauty

Vivitar Vivicam 5385 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Manufacturer: Vivitar
ProductGroup: Photography
Binding: Electronics

Digital Cameras | Used Photo & Camera | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics

All Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

5 to 5.9 Megapixels | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Under 4x Optical Zoom | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Accessories:

Product Features:

Image resolution up to 2560 x 1920
3x digital zoom
Records short movie clips in MPEG1 format
10-second self-timer
4-way automatic flash

ASIN: B00080M816

Product Description

Customer Reviews:

Good camera, but more is spent on batteries than the camera itself.......2007-08-03

I got this camera for my birthday two years ago and I loved it! It takes really good pictures and it has an automatic stabilizer so if the camera is moving, the picture won't come out blurry. The only bad thing about this camera is that it eats up batteries really quick. If you buy non brand batteries, the camera won't even turn on. So you usually end up spending more money buying the more expensive batteries just so the camera would work.

I still use the camera to this day. Unfortunately I dropped it by accident last summer so the screen gets black here and there, but it's still a good camera. Just make sure you have enough money to buy extra batteries.

Not even a good starter camera.......2006-12-10

I have disliked this camera from the moment I first used it. Unfortunately I didn't do any research before buying it, I bought it spontaneously at WalMart for about $150. It eats up the batteries really fast, if the batteries aren't brand new, forget getting any kind of decent picture if the lighting isn't perfect. I am going to sell this thing on ebay for whatever I can get out of it. If somebody offers me a dollar, I'll take it. I would like to say that this is a great starter camera, but I am sure there are cameras out there on the market for the same price, or cheaper, that take better pics and don't eat batteries.

An average camera!.......2006-11-19

This is an ok camera in my opinion. Not a bad camera, just didn't meet my standards! When I first got it I was just so excited to have a camera since my last one was stolen, that I loved it. After a while of using it I noticed a few flaws that I was dissappointed with! At times the flash can be really harsh, and if you turn the flash off, you are 90% guarenteed to have a blurry picture! The 10% chance of a decent picture is if it is completly still like on self timer mode, but still the quality just isn't that great with out the flash. Close ups are not much of an option!! I like to take pictures of flowers but that was near impossible with this camera, you couldn't get close enough without it being blurry and over exposed from the flash! But on a good note, I have gotten some good pics from this camera, it's easy to use and it's not too big. It's a good choice if you just wanna take average photos of friends and family and just everyday life, but for those artistic photographs I love to take, I just wasn't satisfied. I am now lookig for another camera to meet my needs!

Good at first.......2006-11-13

I bought this camera about 7 months ago and thoguht it was great, except for the pictures were somtimes discolored. But now it is broken. The camera will lock up when the zoom button is pressed. Overall i was not happy with this camera and got a new one and differnt brand more reliable.

Little beauty.......2006-03-08

My first digital camera was a Sony Mavica, the photos were OK but after a few yrs I started to get disapointed in the quality. While in Walmart I seen this 5 MP Vivitar for only $147. I got it along with some batteries and a 128 SD card all for $200. Ive had the camera for almost a year now and Im just blown away with the quality of the photos, sunrises are unbelieable. Its always worked, very rugged and durable, and yea the thing is battery hungry, so I buy my AA's in bulk and also hav the rechargables. The movie mode I dont use it much I hav a mini DV for that. I was a little embarassed cuz its not a name brand high dollar unit, but if you can liv with that, its a great little camera and how u gonna beat that price? You cant!

Vivitar 5.0 Megapixel Camera with 2X Digital Zoom and 1.7" Tft LCD

Average customer rating:

Vivitar 5.0 Megapixel Camera with 2X Digital Zoom and 1.7" Tft LCD

Manufacturer: Vivitar
ProductGroup: Photography
Binding: Electronics

All Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Under 4x Optical Zoom | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Product Features:

Image resolution up to 2560 x 1920
Fixed focus lens
Functions as PC cam
Built-in auto-flash with red-eye reduction
10-second self-timer

ASIN: B000BX43E0

Product Description

Image resolution up to 2560 x 1920Fixed focus lensFunctions as PC camBuilt-in auto-flash with red-eye reduction10-second self-timerAutomatic white balance with settings for Daylight Cloudy Tungsten and Fluorescent3 1/5 W x 2 5/16 H x 7/8 DUses 680mAh rechargeable Li-Ion batteryUses SD memoryIncludes 16MB internal memory Li-Ion battery case USB cable and software

Vivitar 5.0 Megapixel Camera with 3X Optical Zoom and Large 2.5" Tft LCD

Average customer rating:

Just right for my needs.
Vivicam 3945s review, Rick Frost

Vivitar 5.0 Megapixel Camera with 3X Optical Zoom and Large 2.5" Tft LCD

Manufacturer: Vivitar
ProductGroup: Photography
Binding: Electronics

All Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Under 4x Optical Zoom | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Product Features:

Image resolution up to 2560 x 1920
4x digital zoom
Records short AVI movies (640 x 480) with audio
Automatic flash with red-eye reduction
USB 2.0 connectivity

ASIN: B000BNY0MA

Product Description

Image resolution up to 2560 x 1920 4x digital zoom Records short AVI movies (640 x 480) with audio Automatic flash with red-eye reduction USB 2.0 connectivity 2 and 10-second self-timer 3 1/2" W x 2 1/8" H x 1 1/8" D Uses recharge

Amazon.com Product Description

The Vivitar Vivicam 3945s 5.0 Megapixel Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom is a super slim, feature-packed camera that is an affordable choice for anyone seeking a versatile, high quality digital camera that will be easy to carry anywhere. The camera offers a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1920, and is equipped with a 5.2-megapixel, 24-bit color CCD image sensor. Its 3x optical power zoom lens ranges from 5.4 to 16.2 millimeters and has a macro function that allows you to take shots as close as three inches.

With automatic exposure setting, you can get up to 1/1000 second shutter speed. The optical zoom is supplemented by a 4x digital zoom, giving you an effective 12x zooming capability. In addition to providing outstanding still images, the Vivicam 3945s also offers movie clips with sound. Clips may be recorded at 640 x 480 at 15 fps or 320 x 240 at 20 frames per second until the memory card is full. A built-in microphone and speaker allow voice memos to be added after recording.

What's in the Box
Vivicam-3945S digital camera, 32 MB SD card, rechargeable lithium ion battery, AC adapter, USB cable, video cable, case, and software.

Customer Reviews:

Just right for my needs........2006-07-19

After breaking my trusty APS camera, I wanted to purchase digital which was simple, would take a decent picture, and would be rechargeable. This camera meets my needs perfectly. It is simple to use, not having a bunch of features I would never need or use, it takes a decent picture, takes a bit of practice to learn its limitations but does wonderful for my everyday family pictures of the kids, and the greatest benefit, it is fully rechargeable, no batteries to buy. I am enjoying this camera and I would recommend it to the casual photographer and those just needing to preserve the daily memories of childhood.

Vivicam 3945s review, Rick Frost.......2006-04-16

After searching for a decent digital camera at a reasonable price i managed to stumble along this camera. I purchased it just before going to Australia and Hongkong, NYE just gone.

The pitcures were of superb quality and the fact that it has such a large screen is fantastic. You get a much better idea of the pitcure your taking/taken. I had one of them enlarged to A3 without any distortion! I got hold of the camera for ?175, which seemed outstanding value compared to similar spec cameras. With a 256 SD card i managed to get just over 100 highest quality pitcures. The video function takes up memory like a thirsty human does water though!! I did however manage to get decent footage of the fireworks on sydney harbour bridge.

Definately a good buy!!!

Vivitar MagnaCam 10x25 Binocular and 2MP Digital Camera

Average customer rating:

Vivitar MagnaCam 10x25 Binocular and 2MP Digital Camera

Manufacturer: Vivitar
ProductGroup: Photography
Binding: Electronics

Binoculars | Used Photo & Camera | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics
ASIN: B0002ZUBFW

Product Description

Vivitar MagnaCam is a unique combination of a binocular and digital camera. It is designed for simple operational utility with these features:. Fully functional binocular . Integral Digital Camera offering: . Digital-still image capture of the scene . Continuous shooting (movie) mode up to 140 seconds . PC/Web cam mode (for PC users) . USB Connectivity to your computer . Self-Timer with 10 second delay . Automatic exposure and white balance control . Automatic Power-off/Power Management Whats Included: Digital camera/binocular Binocular carrying pouch Binocular neck strap Two AAA batteries Cleaning cloth CD ROM with application software USB cable Lens hood Instruction Manual Warranty cardSpecifications - MagnaCamDigital CameraImage Resolution (still images)High = 640480 (Hr) Low = 320240 (Lr)Image Storage130 images (High res) 380 images (Low res)Internal Memory8 MB (7MB available for image storage)Lens Aperturef/3 fixed focus lensFocus Length27mmAngle of View (degrees)Horizontal: 4.96 Vertical: 3.72Range of Focus45 feet to infinityExposure & White BalanceAutomaticPower2 x AAA batteries BinocularMagnification10XAngle of View (degrees)3.65 (383 feet at 1000 yards)Objective Lens Diameter25 mmNearest Observing Distance6 meters (20 feet)Exit Pupil Distance & Diameter10.5 mm 2.5 mmProduct Dimension Size135 x 130 x 50 mm (5.3 x 5 x 2 inches)Weight (without batteries)340 grams (12 ounces)

Average customer rating:

horrible camera
Quality Photos, Inexpensive Price, Decent Camera
This is a great camera!
BATTERY EATING MONSTER
Solution to short battery life (and this camera's flaw)

Vivitar Vivicam 3715 3MP Digital Camera

Manufacturer: Vivitar
ProductGroup: Photography
Binding: Electronics

Digital Cameras | Used Photo & Camera | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics

All Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

3 to 3.9 Megapixels | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Under 4x Optical Zoom | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Accessories:

Product Features:

3-megapixel sensor captures 2048 x 1536 pixel images for prints up to 11 x 14 inches
2x digital zoom
8 MB internal memory; expandable via Secure Digital cards
Captures video clips without audio
Powered by 2 AA batteries; connects to PCs and Macs via USB

ASIN: B00008N6VW

Product Description

Vivitar designs, develops, and markets affordable, easy-to-use photographic and digital imaging products that offer families and other consumers exceptional value, fine quality, and a wide range of features and benefits.PRODUCT FEATURES: 3.3 Megapixel; 2048 x 1536 Resolution; 2X Digital zoom; Movie-clip recording capability (without audio); Fixed focus lens with macro and infinity settings; 1.5-inch color LCD display; 8 MB internal memory; Uses Secure Digital (SD) memory cards (not included); Integral four-mode flash with red-eye reduction; Optical viewfinder; 10-second self-timer; Video output to TV (NTSC or PAL); JPEG, AVI (Motion JPEG) file formats; USB compatible - PC, and Mac (mass storage device); Uses 2 AA batteries, or 1 CR-V3 (not included); Multi-lingual OSD (9 Languages).

Amazon.com Product Description

The Vivicam 3715 is an affordable choice for anyone seeking a compact, versatile, high-quality digital camera. The 3715 is a 3.3 megapixel digital camera with 2x digital zoom, integrated flash, and expandable memory.

The 3715 can be used to capture short video clips and as a PC Web cam, providing live video to your PC via USB connection. It also comes with 8 MB internal memory and can be expanded using optional Secure Digital (SD) memory cards. The 3715 offers imaging versatility. Resolution modes include 2048 x 1536 ideal for either print, email, or web applications.

Reviewing images can be done with ease using the 1.5-inch TFT LCD screen. Other features automatic white balance, automatic exposure compensation control, a 10-second timer, and a tripod mounting socket.

Customer Reviews:

horrible camera.......2007-07-20

hmm...where should i start....

the adjustment for macro/portrait/landscape is on the front of the camera and easy to forget about. the shutter isen't to fast, if your moving even the slightist amount the picture will come out blurry, so its not good for people without a very steady hand.

as others have said, anytime you open the battery cover to change the batteries (it does go threw em like crazy) or the SD card, you have to reset the tiem and date. this isen't to big a deal since unless you really want to use them you can leave them with there default incorrect times. however, something that truely IS a pain, and very obnoxious, is that the picture settings revert to default EVERY time you turn the camera off. the default being medium quality and large size. which really sucks if your trying to max out the number of pics you can take.

overall, its a horrible camera.
the old bulky digital camera i had before getting this one was even better at taking pics.

Quality Photos, Inexpensive Price, Decent Camera.......2006-01-06

Yes, this camera eats batteries quickly. However, rechargables help remedy this issue dramatically. The best feature of this camera is the price; you def get a lot for what you pay for. The worst feature of this camera is either the flash taking 15 - 45 seconds to recharge (due to batteries and poor design) or having to reset the time/date AND personal camera settings every time you open the battery compartment (including to swap SD cards).

The video function is far better than other point & shoot cameras in that it does not have a time limit on the recording length. However, the film is email-quality at best and there is no recorded audio, which you will find in some cases is annoying. I have never been able to use this camera as a webcam as stated by Amazon.com. Also, the camera only has a digital zoom, which is completely worthless in my opinion. Optical zoom is the way to go. Digital zooming can be done with ANY photo editing software later at home. Yes, optical zoom lenses protrude from the camera as stated in earlier reviews, however, in most cameras the lens retracts once the camera is shut down.

Lastly, there are two versions of this camera, A & B (Check Vivitar website for more info). From my experience, the A version does not offer the digital zoom feature. There may be other limitations as well. The only way to tell which version you have is to check the serial number on the bottom of the camera. If it begins with A than it's an A-version, with B, it's a B-version.

Overall, I highly recommend this camera to anyone on a budget and those only interested in a simple point & shoot. Serious photographers should invest in a better-designed camera with optical zoom and an internal battery that saves the camera's settings.

This is a great camera!.......2005-12-28

I've had this camera for 2 years now and I love it. Unfortunately, I loaned it to someone who dropped it. It still works but now it won't hold the SD card. I use this camera for business and I have to be able to take a lot of pictures at once, so I'm looking to buy another just like it.

The pictures turn out great. I have a photo printer and I have used it to print photos taken with this camera that range in size from wallets to 8 x 10's. Everyone who sees the work is extremely pleased. You do have to reset the date and time every time you open the battery compartment, but I don't care to have this information printed on my pictures, so I just skip it. The only problem that I've had with it is battery life. I had used rechargeable batteries for a while, but they have to be recharged too soon. I recently started using a camera battery, CRV3. I purchase them at a drug store for about $8, but the battery lasts so much longer than regular AA or rechargeables. I highly recommend this camera!

BATTERY EATING MONSTER.......2005-10-16

This thing eats batteries, it can literally go through a set of 2AA batteries in 15 pictures or less. I have had it over a year now and I rarely use it because it is such a pain to put in new batteries every time you want to snap some pictures. I just use my camera phone now to take pictures.

Solution to short battery life (and this camera's flaw).......2005-02-27

I have been using this model for over 16 months now, and I find it to be extremely well-made and it takes fantastic photos that print well at 8"x10".

I HAVE RECOMMENDED THIS MODEL TO A NUMBER OF FRIENDS, AND THOSE WHO OPTED FOR IT HAVE BEEN VERY SATISFIED.

SOLUTION TO SHORT BATTERY LIFE
------------------------------
A number of other reviews reference short battery life. I found a rechargeable solution that fits hand-in-glove with this camera. Rayovac markets a 15-minute rechargeable system (the Rayovac I-C3 system) that charges the batteries in 15 minutes (really!) and I have used them with this camera exclusively since the first few sets of typical batteries drained after a few photos. Depending on the flash settings, I can get anywhere from a few hours to a full day of use. The most photos I took on a single charge (without the flash) was 279 (using an SD card for storage)! I keep two sets, but because they charge so fast, I can throw them in the charger before a party and need not worry about missing those picture-perfect moments!

THIS CAMERA'S MAJOR FLAW
------------------------
The one real pain in the butt with this camera is how it loses its date and time information every time you open the battery cover (to change batteries or insert/remove SD cards). After a few dozen times, setting the date becomes almost automatic, but it simply is a nuissance. It would have been relatively simple and inexpensive to add an internal battery and chip to maintain the time settings while the battery cover is open, and I would have paid a $10-$15 premium for that feature. DON'T LET THIS KEEP YOU FROM BUYING THIS CAMERA--I WOULD HAVE WANTED TO KNOW THIS BEFORE I MADE THE DECISION TO BUY, BUT I AM EXTREMELY SATISFIED WITH THE CAMERA OVERALL.

Vivitar Vivicam 4000 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Average customer rating:

Vivicam 4000
This camera is the same as the Traveler DC6300 from Aldi
What a bargain!!!
Improvements Could Be Made

Vivitar Vivicam 4000 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Manufacturer: Vivitar
ProductGroup: Photography
Binding: Electronics

Digital Cameras | Used Photo & Camera | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics

All Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

6 Megapixels & Up | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Under 4x Optical Zoom | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Product Features:

6.36-megapixel sensor captures enough information to create photo-quality 14-by-19-inch prints
3x optical zoom combines with 4x digital zoom for 12x total zoom
2-inch LCD display; metal body construction; captures short movie clips with sound
Store images on Secure Digital (SD) memory cards (sold separately)
Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (included with charger)

ASIN: B0002UB0FW

Product Description

The ViviCam 4000 is a six mega-pixel digital camera with 3X optical zoom, autofocus, and macro. Two-inch LCD and metal-body construction. It is based upon superior design, exacting manufacturing standards, and exceptional quality.PRODUCT FEATURES:Sensor: 6.3 Megapixels total/5.95 megapixels effective, 1/1.8";Camera modes: digital still, movie-clip;Photography modes: fully automatic with Manual, Program and Scene modes;Scene modes: portrait, night-scene, sports;Manual, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority modes;Program Auto-Exposure Mode - automatic operation with advanced control;Still-Image Capture modes: Single, Burst, Auto-Exposure Bracketing.

Customer Reviews:

Vivicam 4000.......2007-03-22

This has been such a wonderful camera. I purchased it for $199 in May 2005. The sharpness cannot be beat. However, I recently needed to get a replacement because my toddler got a hold of it and somehow jammed the lens (it won't go back in or back out all the way and just won't work anymore "ERROR 2").

At Christmas, I ended up getting my hubby a Canon Powershot S2 IS - which is just too bulky to tote around and doesn't take such sharp photos! I was disappointed because I thought it would be at least close to the Vivitar quality.

The replacement camera I chose for myself was the Vivitar 6320. It is a very nice camera too, but the DELAY seems even longer. Plus, I was so spoiled with the long-lasting rechargable battery of the 4000, that I'm not sure I can get over it. The 6320 takes AA batteries which need to be changed after a dozen or so photos (I haven't tested them shooting video yet.) So, if you have the Vivitar 4000 camera...take good care of it. It's the best!!!

This camera is the same as the Traveler DC6300 from Aldi.......2007-01-28

Which is where I bought mine.
It is a great value little digital camera, and competes really favourably with the Canons et al of this world.
Prints are fine and crisp.
The blurriness mentioned in a comment above is a complete non issue, since it is a phenomenon common to ALL other cameras. When taking pictures at low light without flash, even a trustly SLR will give you a blurry image if you can't hold it steady while the shutter is open for longer.
However, beware of battery problems. Mine stopped being able to hold any charge after 1 year of ownership and I was forced to buy replacements.
My father bought the same camera at the same time and had exactly the same battery problem as well.
But for that it would have been 5 stars.

What a bargain!!!.......2005-10-17

Having been an Olympus buff since my first digi in 2001 I was wary of switching brands to the up and comer in the digital world Vivitar, particularily because some of thier lower end cameras got some dreadful reviews (as lower end cameras often will!).
Nonetheless two hours out of the box, and I knew I had a winner!
The camera weight,size,build quality,and lens are outstanding! how ever all that means next to nothing if the picture quality is not great which it really is, color is really spectacular and vivid, strangely you do get a slight red hue under tungstun light though.

The Auto setting is really great and the feature where it actually tells you what it is doing when it is doing it (changing ISO, aperature, etc.) is something I have never seen before and really appretiate.

The flash is very nice as it does not over-power the subject as I have seen on many olympus and canon cameras, the drawback of this is of course is that it dosen't throw the flash as far, some make sure you are close enough or have sufficient lighting.

I cannot believe I actually use the digital zoom! although don't go over the 3x mark or pic quality really bugs out.

I could really go over the features forever but I won't.

Video is OK for emailing short clips but not great.

2.2" screen phenominal!

I could go on but I won't.

For the price of this camera you really shouldn't have any reservations buying it I compare the camera to Canons, and Olympuses of two to three times the cost.

You'll still be able to afford that 528mb SD card!

Improvements Could Be Made.......2005-09-01

This camera is my first digital camera. As a camera, it does okay. I carry it around with me everywhere so I won't miss any of those "Kodak moments" It's nice to have a digital camera in general. I don't feel like I'm wasting film taking silly pictures; I'm much more likely to just go wild with my picture taking. On the other hand, I think that there are certain things about this particular camera that aren't up to par.

First, and I know this is a problem with many digitals, the lag time between taking photos is sometimes very short, but sometimes up to 4 or 5 seconds (which is a lot when you have people standing in front of you smiling and waiting, or you want to catch an action shot)

The most upsetting problem for me is if you turn the flash off, even in well lit areas with a low resolution selected, the picture will come out blurry, unless you have it on a tripod or something stable. It took me awhile to figure out why all my pictures were blurry, I thought I had perhaps received a bad camera. After much experimenting I discovered that with the flash on, I took wonderfully crisp photos, with it off, I took blurry junk.

To go along with the previous problem, the flash is _very_ bright. All the pictures I have taken of my boyfriend are of him squinting at me. On the other hand, most other people don't seem to have as much of a problem.

Those are the only complaints I have, everything else is wonderful. The pictures do come out nice if you leave the flash on. The computer software is easy to use, the camera menus are easy to navigate. There are built in settings for taking portraits, landscapes, action shots etc, all the same stuff that you see on most point and shoots nowadays. You can adjust various settings manually as well, although I think the built in ones are fine. To me, if you want to manually adjust stuff, you buy an SLR. I haven't used the video camera part yet, to be honest I forgot it even has that ability til I read about it in the description.

Vivitar MagnaCam 1025x1 Binocular and 1.3-Megapixel Digital Camera

Average customer rating:

WORKS AS ADVERTISED
Viewmasters are nicer
A Good Buy

Vivitar MagnaCam 1025x1 Binocular and 1.3-Megapixel Digital Camera

Manufacturer: Vivitar
ProductGroup: Photography
Binding: Electronics

Binoculars | Used Photo & Camera | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics

Digital Cameras | Used Photo & Camera | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics

All Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Combination Digital Camera & Binocular
Records up to 3 minutes of video
1.3 Megapixel Digital Camera
Mulitcoated optics decrease image and light refraction
Includes a nylon carry case, shoulder strap and lens caps

ASIN: B0001U5OZ0

Product Description

MagnaCam Series binoculars combine a digital camera and a binocular into a single, integrated product. The MagnaCam Series digital binoculars bring digital imaging to the realm of binoculars. Center wheel focus design with separate right ocular adjustment compensates for vision differences between the user's eyes. Precise optical prism construction and coated optics allow enhanced resolution and brightness. Multicoated lenses increase light transmission and reduce flare. The digital camera module resides in the center frame of the binocular structure. The camera's independent optics are aligned with the binocular field-of-view. The digital camera lens is designed with a magnification factor similar to that of the binocular. Rugged construction is designed to withstand the rigors of the outdoors.The MagnaCam 1025x1 builds upon the success of the original VGA models with increased resolution and a longer focal-length digital camera lens.

Customer Reviews:

WORKS AS ADVERTISED.......2007-04-24

I bought the Vivitar MagnaCam 1025x1 as a "refurb". I took it along on a roadtrip through the Salmon and Snake River country in Idaho last summer. Found the binoculars to be quite useful and netted around 50 photos that turned out to be real keepers. I was particularly pleased with some of the details the Vivitar Magnacam picked up on tall rock formations. My other digital camera just didn't have the lens. This camera is not for the family picnic or class reunion, but I could see a hunter, hiker, skiier or pilot finding lots of uses for the product.

Viewmasters are nicer.......2004-07-02

A large group of my co-workers and I each recieved this product as a gift (about 300 of us). Regardless of our individual gratitude levels, not one of us has had a single nice thing to say about the product. First and foremost it is a horrible binocular as well as a horrible digital camera. Secondly, many of us (not all) can't get the eyepieces close enough together to be able to see in stereo. Thirdly, the battery pack hits you in the nose when you put it up to your face making it impossible to get the unit close enough to your eyes to be able to look through the lenses. It's lightweight and cheap feeling. Not one of us has taken a single photo with it that has come out anything but terribly blurry. I wouldn't spend $1 for the product and would return it for a full refund if I had in fact purchased it myself. I'll be passing mine off as a gag gift at my next "white elephant" party. I pity the recipient.

A Good Buy.......2004-06-03

This camera is excellent for tourists. Not good for taking close up family photos, unless you want them to pose at the end of the road :).

When the battery is finished all the images that is stored in the Camera goes, so beware.

Average customer rating:

Will it last another year?

Vivitar 5.0 Megapixel Camera with 3X Optical Zoom and 2.0" Tft LCD

Manufacturer: Vivitar
ProductGroup: Photography
Binding: Electronics

All Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Under 4x Optical Zoom | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Product Features:

Image resolution up to 2560 x 1920

4x digital zoom

Slim design: only 7/8" thick

Docking station for easy charging

Records short VGA (640 x 480) movies at 30fps

ASIN: B000BZ4YWY

Product Description

image Resolution Up To 2560 X 19204x Digital Zoomslim Design: Only 7/8 Thickdocking Station For Easy Chargingrecords Short Vga (640 X 480) Movies At 30fps5-mode Auto-flash With Red-eye Reduction3- And 10-second Self-timerautomatic White Balance With Settings For Daylight Tungsten Fluorescent And Cloudy3 5/8 W X 2 5/16 H X 7/8 Duses Rechargeable Li-ion Battery And Docking Stationuses Sd Memory Up To 512mbincludes 10mb Internal Memory Li-ion Battery Docking Station Case Usb Cable And Software

Customer Reviews:

Will it last another year?.......2007-01-19

I have owned this camera for a year now, and it does seem to be breaking down. A year does seem to be about par for the course when it comes to digital cameras, though. The ruggedness is what I miss about my old 35mm. I digress, though.

All in all, this camera has been just fine. The image quality is not professional by any stretch of the imagination. However, if you're only interested in the 3" by 5" or 4" by 6" prints, you'll hardly notice the difference between shots taken by this camera and shots taken by a 35mm in the same class -- provided, that is, you have your prints made professionally. More often than not, you'll pay more to "develop" digital images than film-based images. However, the added price is almost offset by the ability to dispense with the purchase of film.

Also, the rechargeable Lithium Ion battery is decent. It does tend to discharge after about a week of non-use. However, I am usually able to use the camera almost constantly from a full charge, employing the flash and the back-lit LCD view-finder, for ~4 or 5 hours

My camera did experience one minor glitch, though. The sound recording feature often froze, and in order to continue using the camera, I would need to pop the battery out and re-insert it.

Also, the battery compartment doubles as the memory card compartment. Subsequently you cannot change the memory card in the camera without first turning the camera off.

If you're just looking to fill your family photo album, this camera will more than suffice.

Vivitar Vivicam V3935 5.25MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Average customer rating:

Eats batteries, totally unreliable in cool temperatures, does not save date.
Important for first time digital camera buyers!
vivitar 3935
Easy, Easy, Easy
Good pictures, short battery life

Vivitar Vivicam V3935 5.25MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Manufacturer: Vivitar
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Digital Cameras | Used Photo & Camera | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics

All Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

5 to 5.9 Megapixels | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Under 4x Optical Zoom | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Amazing Deals | Special Features | Amazon.com Outlet | Amazon.com Stores | us-stores

Cameras + Accessories | Electronics | Categories | Target
Product Features:

3x optical zoom; 4x digital zoom; macro mode
Capture short video clips with audio; 1.5-inch color LCD display
Store images in 11 MB built-in memory or on optional Secure Digital memory cards (memory card not included)
Powered by 2 AA-size batteries (alkaline included, rechargeable NiMH recommended)
5.25-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 13-by-17-inch prints

ASIN: B0002UB0FM

Product Description

The ViviCam 3935 is a compact, feature-packed, digital camera with both digital-still, and movie recording capabilities. The ViviCam 3935 is an affordable choice for anyone seeking a versatile, high quality digital camera.The stylish ViviCam 3935 is equipped with a 5.25-mega-pixel image sensor and a sensational 3X optical zoom lens. The ViviCam 3935 records directly to its internal memory, or to a Secure Digital (SD) memory card. Images may be viewed on the 1.6" color TFT LCD display.ViviCam 3935 offers a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1920 for still-images or 320 x 240 for movie clips with audio. As a digital-still camera the ViviCam 3935 is an ideal camera for a variety of digital imaging needs ranging from email and web applications to images that are ready for display or print. Quality 11" x 17" prints are not a problem with the ViviCam 3935.Other features of the ViviCam 3935 include an integral four-mode flash with red-eye reduction, 4X digital zoom, auto focus operation, macro (for close-ups) automatic white balance, automatic exposure compensation control (with manual compensation, if desired), video output, multi-lingual operation, and a self-timer. The ViviCam 3935 comes with USB and video output cables to download images for viewing and editing. The ViviCam 3935 uses two AA batteries or a single CR-V3. USB mass-storage operation offers ease of use for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux-based Desktop/LX users.

Customer Reviews:

Eats batteries, totally unreliable in cool temperatures, does not save date........2006-03-11

This little camera does fine in warm/hot temperatures and has great picture quality, but runs through batteries at an unbelievable pace. Also, you're lucky if you can get 3 or more pictures if the ambient temperature is below 40 degrees. Another annoying feature that I wish I had known about is that there is no memory battery, meaning that everytime you change the main batteries (which is quite frequently) the camera totally resets and you have to set the date all over again. This is a pain. All that being said, I took this camera on a trip to Taiwan recently and I was very pleased with the pictures it produced. It's not the best, and could be improved in several ways, but it's not the worst 5MP camera out there either, especially for the price.

Important for first time digital camera buyers!.......2005-09-02

Do NOT use AA batteries! Even on the reviews where people have given this camera 5 stars, they've commented on battery life. I repeat, do NOT use AA batteries, not even if they're rechargeable. Instead, take $15 and make an investment in a couple of CRV3 batteries (don't quote me... I'm not 100% positive if that's the right collection of letters and numbers for the type of battery I'm referring to, do your research). The CRV3's are like 2 AAs in one and are Li-ion (Lithium Ion) batteries, unlike your typical alkaline AAs. A two pack of CRV3s will cost you around $15, but are well worth it, especially since you've already or are planning to make a several hundred dollar investment in a digital camera. Not to mention the fact that you will quickly go through $15 worth of AAs if you don't take this advice. But do not get the new rechargeable CRV3's... there have been reports of the batteries having power surges that have damaged cameras. The battery life is infinitely longer on these batteries because these are the batteries built for taking the kind of abuse digital camera's (and other high end equipment) put them through. I've been using my Vivicam V3935 constantly for the past month or so with my first CRV3 battery, and the battery indicator on the camera is still full.

On to the acutal camera: I'm very happy with the purchase. Of course, I was lucky to get it for close to $150 before the price went back up. Still, at $300 it's cheaper than many of the other 5MP cameras available. The quality is more than satisfactory. I'm not very camera savvy, but I've found manual settings that work well for what I use my camera for, and keep it on the manual setting for most of my pictures without adjusting any of the settings. The automatic setting isn't bad... I just prefer to tell my camera what to do rather than the other way around.

There is one automatic seting that I can't live without however, and that is the automatic flash. The camera calculates how much light there is and then determines whether or not flash is necessary. This will save anyone that is rather camera illiterate lots of time and energy when trying to get those "perfect shots".

Another setting I constantly find myself using is the "micro" setting. It disables flash and adjusts other camer settings so that you can acheive spectacular extreme close-ups.

The camera includes your three basic color modes (color, black and white, and sepia), and a host of other customizable settings: Image size and quality (of course), white balance, exposure compensation, ISO speed, saturation and sharpness, f-stop, and I believe one other option (shutter speed seems to come to mind, but I don't have the manual on hand). I haven't done so personally (though I plan to), but at least look up f-stop and the option that I think is shutter speed... I can't really give you any advice, but I can say that if you want to take action photos (sports?) you will need to master the use of these settings... otherwise you'll end up with the dreaded "out of focus" photo. So, if you've ever tried to blame your camera for taking poor actions shots when you know other people can... now you know why they can.

The Vivicam V3935 is slightly larger than most cameras on the market today. In my opinion, that's a good thing... I'm very good at losing things, and the smaller they are the easier they are to lose. Not to mention the fact that I always feel that I'm going to break smaller electronic gadgets because of their size and weight. If you haven't made the switch to a digital camera yet, then this is probably still slightly smaller than what you're using now... and if not, it at least shouldn't be any larger. Another plus is that anything that opens or comes off the camera does so easily... there's never any doubt about whether or not a certain part of the camera is supposed to open or not.

I'm in love with the zoom feature. I've handled cameras before where I could not tell when the the camera had switched between optical and digital zoom. I avoid digital zoom at all costs because of the loss in quality (minor though it may be), and this camera makes it obvious when it's switched to digital zoom. It even "protects" you from digital zoom. You can hold the zoom button while you're doing an optical zoom and it will stop and require you to push the button again before it will do any zooming digitally.

The only thing I can really say bad about this camera is that there IS a certain amount of uncertainty about how your pictures turn out. Once you get them on the computer, you can see that they've turned out excellent... but sometimes it's hard to tell one the LCD whether or not your photos are in focus and a handful of other things. If you aren't in the general vicinity of a computer... I suggest taking too many rather than too few pictures.

In closing... it takes excellent quality photos, almost too good. On the highest settings pictures can easily end up being between 6 and 10MB, depending on color complexity and a whole bunch of other things. I do use this camera to take pictures for online classified ads, and for the sake of people still using dial up (and the bandwith usage on the sites hosting the pictures) I use FastStone Image Viewer (a free program not included with the camera) to easily reduce the size of the photos from the massive 2560x1920 to a much smaller size and reduce the quality slightly... often reducing my pictures from a whopping 6MB to only 20KB. Also useful if you want to send pictures through e-mail or instant messangers. It's a powerful program for doing simple editing and photo managing, but if you plan on using the extra features go with an editing program like photoshop or GIMP (also free and very well made).

vivitar 3935.......2005-08-31

This is a great little 5mp camera . Will fit in your pocket or on your belt with supplyed carring case. super pics. the zoom is great. would by again.I have a d70 but some time's I don't like to take it to some events at night.

Easy, Easy, Easy.......2005-08-30

This camera is very easy to operate. Just point and click, or turn the dial to the desired type of picture you wish to take. It is also easy to transfer the pictures to your computer. I know next to nothing about computers, and was able to transfer my pictures. I would recommend this camera to anyone. I bought this camera to sell stuff on e-bay. It took good pictures for that purpose.

Good pictures, short battery life.......2005-08-10

I'm new to digital and wanted an easy camera for quick shots. So far the vivitar 3935 has done well. It takes much better outdoor photos, it appears to need lots of good lighting. The software sent with the camera is very basic but alows you to make some minor editing, resize images, etc. I've been using a 128mb sd card for memory and it has worked very well with no problems. I stored aproximatley 50 pictures on it from one day and had space left for more. In the "fine" quality setting, pictures were about 10mb a picture, so if you want a lot of large photo's you may need a bigger memory card.
My only concern so far is the poor battery life. It lasted me aprox 45 minutes taking 15 photos-After that it was spent. I purchased a pack of 4 w/charger. They seem to work well for swapping.
I purchased the camera for $149 and belive that the battery hassle is worth the $1-200 saved compaired to other models.

Electronics:

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