Vivitar V3800N 35mm SLR Camera w/ 28-70mm Lens

I am really like this camera it has all the bells and whistles. The photos come out great. I got this as gift and I just wanted to let peopl know it is good choice

My V3800N was my very first camera purchased so that I could have a fully manual camera for my Photo 1 class. Although I haven't used it in a while, I still love my little Vivitar and have plans to take it back out again. It's solidly made with a great hand-feel. It's an excellent beginner's film camera. At at tasty price point, it's well worth the gamble because I promise it will pay off!

The camera case broke the day that it was opened. The metal ring broke in half. This case is now useless. It was a Christmas gift. I was embarrassed.

Ace Photo Digital had no intentions of selling me this camera as described. After blowing me off for a few weeks I finally called Ace. They said that they were sorry for the delay and they'd ship it to me tomorrow. Called the next day, spoke to another person. Said they had no intentions of selling me my camera with the tripod, flash, and zoom lens promised, and I should either cancel my order (already the order was late) or just accept the camera. Asked to speak to a manager, one never called. Canceled my order without my authorization. Amazon should have gotten rid of this company, but decided to delete my review instead. DO NOT BUY FROM ACE PHOTO DIGITAL!

This camera is at best a basic unit. It has all that is necessary for the enthusiast that wants to test their true artistic ability. For those that are thinking that the camera is what makes a picture then perhaps they are better buying something that does everything for them like auto focus, speed and aperture.

This camera is completely manual. It requires thought in the composition of the subject, setting speed and aperture to suit the desired result. In the end it is the eyes capacity to take in the factors that make a picture and compensate for them using the cameras features as a tool.

The art of photography is not how smart the camera is but more how thoughtful the photographer is in preparing to take the shot. I bought this camera because I had become too complacent with auto everything and found that the quality of my pictures had degraded from when I took photos with a fully manual camera. Sure there is the option with many automatic cameras to set it to manual but then one is inclined to forget this option and take the easy way out.

Some aspects of the camera appear crude in its construction. It is a little small for my hands, but I am content with it all the same. The weight is slightly unbalanced, feeling heavy and the shutter feels like it is too physical in that if I were to take a photo in poor light the shutter action might jar the camera and cause unwanted blurring. I have not yet found this to be the case but then I have not put it to the test either.

For the price it is adequate and will function even if the batteries go flat. This is its biggest appeal to me as I'm sure that with four days of hiking in the mountains my digital camera's battery will undoubtedly be flat by the end. There is something romantic about film. You don't get the instant gratification that the digital provides but then you become more focused on making sure the shot is right.

While I read that film will never die I am finding that acquiring high resolution ISO is becoming harder to purchase. This is a bit disconcerting. It does seem that most film vendors favour poor resolution film to guarantee the purchaser that all shots will produce something due to the capacity for the 200/400 ISO films coping with poor lighting conditions. The sacrifice is the grainy low resolution images it produces. That's fine if you want arty photo's using grain as a special affect. I want 100 ISO B&W for its fine grain and yet in my town it seems it has long gone. The camera however is a good robust apparatus and great for travelling in rough terrain due to its rugged steel body construction.