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Vivitar ViviCam 3315 Digital CameraV3315 is a compact, 1.3 MP digital zoom camera. The V3315 is an affordable choice for anyone seeking an easy-to-use digital camera with...
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V3315 is a compact, 1.3 MP digital zoom camera. The V3315 is an affordable choice for anyone seeking an easy-to-use digital camera with digital zoom. The stylish V3315 is equipped with a 1.3 mega pixel CMOS image sensor. The simplicity of the fixed focus lens is complemented with 2X digital zoom capability. Images may be reviewed on the 1.6? color TFT-type LCD display. In addition to capturing digital still images, the V3315 can also record short video clips up to sixty-seconds in duration.
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17 Reviews from Shopping.com
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Good overall, but lacks a lens cap
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Pros: Good Pix in strong light. Priced right.
Cons: No lens cover
The Bottom Line:
Why have a camera that is easy to grab & take along if you know it is likely that some small bump will ruin the lens and therefore the camera?
I had been looking at digital cameras and bought this as an impulse without examining it closely at the store. Once I had opened it and examined it, I discovered that it lacked any sort of lens cap. I babied it for a week or two to see how it worked and was generally pleased, but in the end I knew that the lens would get scratched eventually so I returned it. (The lens isn't even recessed; it actually protrudes slightly from the rest of the case.) The blue panel on the front of the camera snaps off, so maybe someone will offer an optional panel with an integrated lens cap in the future.
While I had it, I found it very straightforward to use. It took good quality pictures. I had some trouble getting the light balance right if there was any backlighting, but I suspect that would improve with experience with the camera. Everything was laid out pretty well and it was fairly intuitive to work with. My kids did OK without instruction.
I knew not to expect much life from the batteries, so I was careful to turn off the LCD screen when I didn't need it. So battery life was not a problem until I hooked up to the computer to download. I figured that in this mode the camera would draw power from the PC like a lot of other USB devices, but apparently that isn't the case. After being ignored for a couple of hours the batteries died. Not a big problem, but something to be aware of.
The next, better Vivitar model (3625) has a sliding lens cap, but I can't find it in stock anywhere. The Olympus models also look interesting and have pretty good write ups in this web site.
Update: I replaced the Vivitar with an Olympus D 100. Although the D 100 is a bit less intuitive, it has a sliding lens cover, auto focus lens, and macro focus. Time will tell, but it seems to be a much more solid camera.
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