Vivitar V3800N

Review Date
September 30, 2009

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Reviewed by
michelle101 , Beginner

Price Paid
$0.00

Photography Experience
0-1 years , Outdoor

Summary
i brought this camera for a begining photography class that i was taking. The first time i even tried to use the camera my professor check it out and discovered the the light metering was very off he told me to call vivitar for a new camera. I called vivitar and the customer service rep told me i had to send the defaulted camera in and i would get a new one. after almost 2weeks of waiting i called again the customer service rep then in formed me that the new camera had not even been sent out and that it was going to take 4weeks for the claim to be processed and then i would get a new camera. when i told the rep that i wanted my money back i was told that it wasnt in their policy to refund and that i was going to have to wait the 4weeks. when i spoke to the supervisor who was not much help either he futher explained that it was going to be a month before i recieved the new camera. i would not recommed this product to anyone. if anything goes wrong you'll be talked in cirlces and it'll be at LEAST a month before you even recieve a new product that you dont know may be faulty also.

Similar Products Used
i recommend cannons they are very good products.

Customer Service
Very Very poor

Review Date
May 6, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.13 of 5, 8 votes

Reviewed by
aatlim , Expert

Price Paid
$60.00 at shanghai, PRC

Photography Experience
11-20 years , People

Summary
In 2000, while I was traveling in China, I dropped my only camera, a Nikon 6006. Unfortunately, it was destroyed and unsalvagable. So feeling quite depressed, I walked into a department store and headed straight to the photo department. Because the imported cameras were so expensive, I decided to risk purchasing an all-manual Chinese-made domestic brand camera w/ a 50mm lens... the Phenix. Well, when I finally returned home from my long trip, I was very surprised and pleased with the results of the pictures and the performance of the camera. I could still tell which pictures were taken with the Nikon vs. the Phenix, but it wasn't because the picture quality was any worse. It was just because the 2 lenses were different. Well, to make a long story short, this Vivitar is identical to the Phenix camera I bought 4 years ago and I think they are the exact same camera (just badged in the US as a Vivitar). I have used this camera regularly since then (a couple rolls a month, at least), and it has never given me a problem. I have been keeping my eye out for the Phenix during my travels, but I have never seen it for sale in the US. I'm glad now that I can always replace it with the Vivitar if needed.

Strengths
-great value
-durable
-accurate light meter (I shoot slide film w/o any problems)
-mechanical shutter (I think with at least one default shutter speed)
-sharp and fast 50mm lens (f/1.7)- would definitely recommend over the zoom
-depth of field preview
-multiple exposure

Weaknesses
-overall build quality doesn't quite compare to Japenese cameras, but still durable
-plastic top and bottom plate

Similar Products Used
Pentax K1000
Nikon FM2n
Nikon FM10

Customer Service
Never needed