Vivitar ViviCam 3105s

This was a birthday present from my husband. Despite my initial doubts about the quality (of the camera and the pictures), I have subsequently been very pleased with some of the results I have achieved using this camera.

~~~~~~
Looks:
The camera is a silver finish, and made of a tough plastic. It is very light, and small enough to fit in your jeans pocket, even in the case (which is included). Dimensions are 9 x 5.6 x 2.4, and quoted weight is 392g.
Whilst there is no 'wow' factor, there is nothing that makes this unattractive looking either.

~~~~~~
Features:
The features are very basic, this is little more thana 'point and shoot' camera, equivalent to the cheaper non-digital cameras that you can buy. See below for details on each.

~~~~~~
Screen:
This is a little on the small side at1.5 inch, and in some lights it can be difficult to fully appreciate the image. In better lighted situations however, the image can be seen quite clearly. There is no night imaging available, so you have to hope for the best if you try this type of shot.

~~~~~~
Zoom:
This is probably the most disappointing feature for me. There is no optical zoom, just a digital zoom of x3, which means compromising image quality. For some reason it doesn't always work either (but that could just be me!).

~~~~~~
Macro & Landscape:
There is a sliding button that allows to switch between the 2. This adjusts focus and allows better quality photographs when correctly set.

~~~~~
Flash:
This can be set to Automatic, On or Off. In situations where the background is light, I often found the image would become overexposed. In situations where the background is darker, I got better results.

~~~~~~
Software:
I have to admit, I did not install the software. I download my pictures using the camera as an external drive, and just copy across into the relevant folder. The USB cable for this is included.

~~~~~~
Image Quality:
To get the best out of this camera, I really feel it should be set to the best setting, which is 3 mega pixels. I use a 128MB memory card, and it takes over 100 images on this setting.

~~~~~~
Battery Life:
I have used 4 sets of batteries since getting this camera (between November 15th and February 19th). I use it everyday, and take anything between 10 to 100 shots. I'm not sure if that's good life or not, so I'll let the reader decide!

~~~~~~
Usability:
I found this camera very easy to use. Sometimes I would puzzle over how to access some of the menus, but that would be because I didn't read the manual!

~~~~~~
Value for money:
This was a gift, but I believe it is £35 at Argos. Personally I think this camera is good value for money. The features are basic, and so is the price.

~~~~~~
Conclusion:
If you are looking for something high tech with lots of clever features, then this is not the camera for you.
However, if you want something small, easy to use, and not want to worry about carrying it around, then this is definitely something to consider.

Personally, I found it an excellent learning tool. I was very much a beginner with photography, and buy taking lots and lots of snaps I have learned a lot without built in features taking some of the skill away.

*****I have edited to include some images to give you an idea of what can be achieved with some practice and patience.*****