Vivitar ViviCam 3315 Digital Camera - Good Camera For A Little Money

Author's Rating:

Pros: Good quality pictures, easy to use, inexpensive.

Cons: Goes through batteries somewhat quickly, however an optional adapter is available to purchase separately.

The Bottom Line: 
If you are looking for a good quality, low cost camera, this might be just what you are looking for.

Author's Review
I bought my Vivitar ViviCam 3315 Digital Camera because I needed an inexpensive digital camera for work. I needed something small, but I also needed to be able to take fairly good quality pictures.

A professional photographer who was in the store while I was shopping told me that this camera would be an excellent choice for my needs. I've been using this camera for several months now, and have not been disappointed.

This little camera weighs in at only 120 grams (without batteries) and measures 108mm x59mm x36mm. It's small enough to easily carry in your pocket or purse. It also fits nicely in the glove compartment of your car, or in the corner of your briefcase.

It has an internal memory of 8 Mb, and 6 different image resolution and quality settings. It can be set to two different resolutions (1280x1024 or 640x480) as well as three quality settings for each resolution (super fine, fine, or normal) for a total of six different resolution and quality settings. This is a great feature when you need to choose between taking higher quality pictures, or taking a lot more pictures.

Of course, if you want the ability to take even more pictures, you can purchase the optional Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card which holds up to 128 Mb and take lots more pictures. This thing even records up to 15 seconds (more using the optional memory card)of video, and can be connected to your computer for use as a web cam.

This tiny camera comes with it's own carrying case, 2 AA batteries, and a wrist strap. Also included is the necessary software (MGI Photo Studio IV SE Photo Vista) to download your pictures to your PC, using a standard USB port. I is compatible with Windows 98, 98SE, 2000, ME, or XP, and Mac 8.6 or higher. It requires 64 MB of RAM.

The battery life with this camera is not the best I've seen, but an optional adapter is available to purchase separately. Since the majority of the battery life was spent in moving the pictures from the camera to the computer, I would suggest using the adapter for this purpose. I have had no problems with severe battery drainage while actually taking pictures. I would recommend buying both the AC adapter and the memory card to go with your camera. These items are both optional, but will definitely enhance your camera.

This camera also has a 1.5" LCD display which makes it possible to view your photos immediately. This is an important feature to me. I like to be certain that I got the shot the first time. This way, if the picture is not just how I want it, I can retake it right away. It also has a 2x zoom, making it possible to get those close-up shots easily.

All this said, I feel that this is a good camera for the money. It is made for the amateur, not the professional (as reflected in the price) but it is a good quality compared to other cameras I have used in this price range. If you are looking for professional quality, you may wish to check out some other cameras. If you are looking for a good quality, low cost camera, this might be just what you are looking for.