Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

I am using the Vivitar SLR camera to teach my students the very basics of photography. I like that it is very sturdy and solid in its design.

I would like to see it come with a 28 - 70mm zoom lens for the same price if possible as I would like to order more of these cameras for next year.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

Easy to use, awesome functions and "effects" .. worth it!

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

They product is great except the batteries for the metering does not work so I have to hunt for new batteries because i need then now.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

i love it; it works perfectly :)

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

This is the first manual camera I have ever used. I bought it for my photography class in college, and my teacher recommended B&H. The light meter is very easy to use, the focus works great, and it comes with a great strap to use so you don't drop the camera. The only complaint is the eye piece, which keeps slipping off. I lost mine but you don't really need it that much.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

I needed a 35mm camera with a 50mm lens for a beginning photography course at my university and this camera does the job supremely well, for a very fair price. [...]The camera itself is fairly simple to learn, and there is a certain nostalgia in using film and manually focusing and operating it! It is well worth the effort when the prints are developed, as they have an aesthetic that digital cannot reproduce.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

Bought this camera for beginning HS photo student used to digital photography. Overall impressed so far with the basic functions of the camera and it seems like a solid body for the most part especially given the great price. Some of the mechanics seem plastic and slightly flimsy though so a little concerned about its ability to go the long haul but overall thumbs up if you are looking for a good beginning camera for learning.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

I bought this camera off of B&H over a year ago. For a while it was strictly my only camera. For what it is, it's pretty nice but most importantly works. The price is pretty much spot on for the camera. The first thing I noticed was the incredibly simple and lack luster manual. But again for the price, not a big deal. The camera is rather intuitive, it's simple to use and understand so I haven't picked up the manual since receiving the camera.
I've had no issues with the light meter, which is surprising. Thankfully it uses an easy to find battery but what's even better is that since I bought the camera back in early 2010 and have been putting it through it's paces I have yet to have to replace the batteries.
The lens isn't anything to write home about. It's decently fast at f/1.7 and works. The lens mount has been around for a while so you can pick up plenty of other lens as well if you see the need to. Personally a 50mm prime is all I need. The lens feels sort of cheap but has a rather smooth focus throw so that's nice. The lens cap is cheap but what do you really expect? It is a 52mm filter size so you can get a new one or plenty of different filters seeing as it's a popular filter size at any electronics or camera store. The lens has half-stops from f/1.7 to f/16 so that's a nice touch. One of the rings on the lens (the one featuring the distances in focus when at certain f-stops) has gotten loose on mine. It's really not a big deal but it's kind of annoying. But then again I don't expect much from a Chinese made lens (no offense).
The controls of the camera are plastic and they feel plastic. The film advancing lever is nothing special and to expect something special from it would be strange. All the controls do their job and that's it. There have been a couple times where I thought the film rewinder was gonna break but I haven't broken it yet.
The viewfinder is a pretty simple thing as well. There are three LEDs on the right side that display if you're overexposed, exposed properly or underexposed. The overexposed and underexposed LEDS are red while the properly exposed one is green. Again, pretty simple. It's not a 100% view viewfinder but that isn't expected for this type of camera. The eye piece on mine kept sliding off so I just put some double-sided tape on it and slid it back on. It hasn't moved since. There is a no diopter (that I know of) but I have good eyes so that doesn't bother me.
Film loading with this camera is ridiculously simple. If you've ever loaded a film camera before you'll know what to do. If you haven't, it takes 3 seconds to learn. It's not a super fast process but I don't think this camera is targeted towards someone who needs super fast film loading.
The camera itself is a lot smaller than I thought it was gonna be but I have large hands. It has some nice weight to it. The top of the camera seems to be made out of metal while the bottom is plastic. The build quality of it is pretty decent. You definitely get what you pay for. It's no Leica or high end Canon or Nikon that's for sure. The paint on the camera is pretty durable and shows no scratches. Because of the small size and my large hands holding the camera can be kind of awkward at first. I figured out a comfortable way to hold it while shooting though.
The shutter is rather loud but again, that's no big deal. All shutter speeds seem to be accurate. If they weren't I would have had issues with the light meter, which I haven't.
Included with the camera are so random little accessories. There's a rubber lens hood, which I lost, and some weird thing that screwed onto the filter threads (shows how much I know about it). I found the strap that was included uncomfortable and ugly so I use the camera strapless.
The camera is absolutely no-frills. It works. I use it nearly everyday for everything. I really have no reason not to rate it 5 stars but I won't. It works perfectly fine. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a NEW 35mm film SLR to learn on or just to have. For the price though you may want to look at some used 35mm film cameras. There are some great deals out there. If you want something with a warranty though this is the camera for you.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

I love shooting fully manual cameras. I've also always been a Pentax guy, despite having owned systems from Minolta, Nikon, and Canon. Pentax compatibility is second-to-none, and the PK mount is as close as we have to a bayonet standard for 35mm SLR. My guess is that there are two reasons you land on the V3800N — you're a student, or you're sitting on a pile of PK lenses, looking for a lightweight, current-production body. For the money, I think this is a great choice for either.

Feature-wise, it's pretty comparable to my other current go-to fully manual body, the Pentax KM. It's about half the weight of the KM, and while it does have a metal frame under all that plastic, it's certainly not going to hold up to the abuse the KM will. I'm pretty confident that it's not going to fall apart under regular use, though. You just can't launch it out of a car and laugh it off like you can an old Pentax body.

Weight aside, the body has a few ergonomic and feature differences from the KM. Ergonomically, the Pentax is generally better in my opinion. Feature-wise, the Vivitar rules the school. Mirror-lock-up in the self timer, and a diagonal split-prism finder are the two 'luxury' features that I really love having in a basic camera. The metal shutter (which I believe is a Copal Square) is noisier than the cloth shutter of an old Pentax, but also can take a bit more abuse.

The K mount is fine, but not perfect. Everything I have mounts, which makes it fine. A few things fit rather tight at first though, such as an older Sigma extension tube I had. Also, I put a Vivitar body cap on the body that I had lying around, and accidentally twisted it past the point where it -should- have stopped. It didn't, and got stuck good. It took me a good while to get it off, but I did and all was well. Just worth taking a tiny bit of care when mixing your third parties, I suppose :)

Much like other Cosina-made bodies, the meter seems to be closer to spot than center-weight, which is excellent in my mind.

I haven't processed any of the film I've shot on it yet, so I can't comment much on the lens except from shots I've seen while wandering the internet. Based on those, I'm expecting fairly sharp shots, but nasty, ringy bokeh. That's fine, because buying a cheap body means you can slap a Voigtländer Ultron on instead :)

All in all it's a great lightweight camera. Pair it with a modern, plasticky PK lens w/ decent focus damping, and I think it'll make a great minimalist travel kit. Pair it with a good pancake lens, and I think it'll make a great budget street camera. My one real, angry complaint is the plastic tripod mount. This really could not have saved that much weight -or- money, and the end result is, frankly, horrifying. I will be finding a replacement mount ASAP.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

I bought this film slr for my photography class I'm currently taking and it is so easy to use. NIce camera, easy to hold and handle.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

I found this product outstanding. It took some time to get use to it but overall its a wonderful camera. I havent had any complaints about it!

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

This camera is not complicated camera. I like it a lot!

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

Use for college level photo classes. Great first camera. Viewfinder rubber piece falls off camera often. Viewfinder a little dark. Camera is sturdy, loads easy and works well. The case it comes with is outdated and annoying.Overall good for the money but not for the professional.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

It's easy to use. It has few features, so it probably won't break down as easily as one with too many features. Like features you don't really need.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

My husband and I purchased this camera for our daughter for a photography class she is taking this semester. She is very pleased with the product and is taking lovely pictures with it. The price is wonderful for a beginner[...]

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

Im using the camera for a photography class. It's so easy to use and work with.
Takes pictures great, easy to read shutter speed, aperture, and focus.
I have not had a problem with it at all, it's the best film camera I have ever purchased. Came with case, camera strap, Multi Exposure cap, and lens hood.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

I am using this for my first photography class. I have only used three rolls of film so far but everything seems to be in working order. Also, I was pleasantly surprised at the extra accessories that came with this camera. Happy with my purchase.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

Used for school photogragy class... works great!!

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

I'm taking my first photography class this year, and this camera is perfect for anyone looking for a basic camera. So far it's worked excellent for black and white photography. It has a wide range of f stops and shutter speeds which make it very functional, plus it's size makes it perfect for any college student to carry around campus. Having a built in light meter is a huge plus as well. Overall you can't go wrong with this camera if you're new to photography, but I wouldn't recomend it to someone looking for more advanced features.

Comments about Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera with 50mm f/1.7 Lens:

This camera has great features for the money. It is a great starter camera but upgrades are necessary as you become a better photographer.