This review is for the Vivitar Vivicam X325 digital camera.
Setup
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Setup is extremely easy for this camera; you first have to make sure you put in the batteries they include which are just cheap everyday value batteries inside the camera. You then have to make sure you have got ... Read review
Features:- Fully compatible with SD Card Association - SD2.0 SDHC memory card ... more
specification standards- Compatible with SDHC compliant host devices- SDHC High Speed Class Rating: Speed Class 6- Minimum Sustained Write Speed : Class 6: 6MB/sec- Supports Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) for Music and other commercial media- Huge capacity : 4GB- Built-in write-protect switch prevents accidental data loss- Dimensions: 32 x 24 x 2.1mm- Durability :>10,000 insertion / removal cycles- 1 Year Warranty4GB Secure Digital High Capacity Class 6 Memory CardSD High Capacity (SDHC) memory cards are the latest Secure Digital memory cards designed for higher capacities (from current 4GB to 32GB available next year), which comply with the SD Card Association's SD 2.0 specification standards.SDHC memory cards can only work with the new SDHC compatible host devices and they are not backwards compatible with the standard SD-based host devices. However, the standard SD cards are compatible with the new SDHC compatible host devices.
Postage & Packaging:Check Site. Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Features:- Fully compatible with SD Card Association - SD2.0 SDHC memory card ... more
specification standards- Compatible with SDHC compliant host devices- SDHC High Speed Class Rating: Speed Class 6- Minimum Sustained Write Speed : Class 6: 6MB/sec- Supports Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) for Music and other commercial media- Huge capacity : 4GB- Built-in write-protect switch prevents accidental data loss- Dimensions: 32 x 24 x 2.1mm- Durability :>10,000 insertion / removal cycles- 1 Year Warranty4GB Secure Digital High Capacity Class 6 Memory CardSD High Capacity (SDHC) memory cards are the latest Secure Digital memory cards designed for higher capacities (from current 4GB to 32GB available next year), which comply with the SD Card Association's SD 2.0 specification standards.SDHC memory cards can only work with the new SDHC compatible host devices and they are not backwards compatible with the standard SD-based host devices. However, the standard SD cards are compatible with the new SDHC compatible host devices.
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Good for pictures Disadvantages: The poor battery life
This review is for the Vivitar Vivicam X325 digital camera.
Setup --------- Setup is extremely easy for this camera; you first have to make sure you put in the batteries they include which are just cheap everyday value batteries inside the camera. You then have to make sure you have got the disc loaded onto the computer; the reason for this is because without the software loaded on it becomes really difficult to alter ... .../> Once you have done both of these simple steps you then can have a play around taking pictures in any way you feel like.
Design ---------- This camera has a really nice overall design. The front of the camera is grey like the entire camera is and has this metallic look to it which has a nice clean shine which makes the camera look very interesting. You have the camera lens which is closed but very big and this ... more
This review is for the Vivitar Vivicam X325 digital camera.
Setup --------- Setup is extremely easy for this camera; you first have to make sure you put in the batteries they include which are just cheap everyday value batteries inside the camera. You then have to make sure you have got the disc loaded onto the computer; the reason for this is because without the software loaded on it becomes really difficult to alter the pictures you take using this camera.
Once you have done both of these simple steps you then can have a play around taking pictures in any way you feel like.
Design ---------- This camera has a really nice overall design. The front of the camera is grey like the entire camera is and has this metallic look to it which has a nice clean shine which makes the camera look very interesting. You have the camera lens which is closed but very big and this dominates the face of the camera and can actually be one of the reasons not to purchase.
On the left hand side is where you insert the connection for sending the files to the computer. This connection is only very small and it is low down but simple to use.
Underneath the camera is where the battery and SD card slot is. You simply pull the plastic to the side and the camera opens up for you to insert the batteries and an SD card into the same destination. On the top of the camera is where you have the power button located and next to this is this switch feature. You basically have 7 options available on this little switch and you turn this to whatever sort of picture you wish to take.
On the back of the camera are the LCD screen and the zoom buttons. You also have the menu buttons; delete buttons and also the other additional buttons which help you alter images you might have taken. The camera is very thick and does need some time to get used to.
Specifications -------------------- The camera is 9.1cm in width, 3.1cm in depth and 6.1cm in height. I like the height of the camera because it is just about right for the camera but the depth for me is very bulky. The camera weighs 250 grams which to me is very high and it doesn't need to.
The camera is 10 mega pixels and when you up load images to the computer they increase to 12 mega pixels. This is superb for any camera and makes it one of the best in its range.
There is a 2.8 inch LCD screen on the back which shows fantastic colour and picture graphics throughout the entire time you use the camera. All pictures are done in a JPEG format which is one of the biggest sorts of formats to have a picture done with.
The camera has a 3x optical zoom which is good because you get to see the lens really come out and try and get closer to the images. The camera has a 4x digital zoom which again is not too bad either and very easy to use.
The camera has 32mb integrated memory which is terrible and needs to be much higher.
The video resolution for this camera is a maximum 640x480 which is not to bad considering but again could be slightly better.
Video quality is also 25fps which is not too bad and it means the higher the better and this is quite high. The video format is always in AVI which can be used on programs like DivX for the computer.
Image resolutions for this camera are 3648x2736 which is the maximum it can reach but it can be lower depending on the graphics in the room and can be as low as 2048x1536.
Overall specification makes this camera very good indeed.
Features ------------ This camera has one brilliant feature which is your ability to change the type of picture you want to take. At the top of the camera is this round switch with little images on. You then turn this switch to go onto an image you require. For example one of the images says 'scene' on it and if you move the pointer to this setting you notice the picture alters completely and will be taken a lot quicker.
There are other features there such as an 'automatic' picture and you even use this feature to take videos as well by moving the switch to the video camera option. So there is a nice range of pictures you can take should you wish to do so.
The overall zoom of this camera is superb and I think the ability it has to capture superb images and from such a long range is just great, the other good thing is when the camera is zooming out it literally tells you on the screen it is moving out so there is a warning there to watch out.
I like how you can alter pictures on the camera and one of the good features is the ability to remove red eye reduction. You can do this via the camera or by the PC but if you are like me and like it done there and then you get that chance to do it and make it look good straight away, so yet again a great additional feature.
The screen has plenty going on and when you change the setting for the type of picture it displays this into the corner which is nice but the other good part is the camera constantly lets you know how much memory it has left by displaying for you the amount of pictures you can take until the memory is full. This is good because it gives you the chance to see how many pictures you have left to take.
Another feature is the self timer option. You can actually have the camera set for a period of time and when it reaches this time frame it will take a picture. There is a 2 second or a 10 second delay in the picture and obviously I think the 10 second is the best option as gives you more time to prepare.
Good points ----------------- I think the variety of pictures you can take to be a fantastic feature for this camera. You know it has a high resolution for the pictures it takes so when you can alter how they are taken with different styles it adds that extra bonus to the camera which can be a unique selling point.
I think the camera has a superb LCD screen on the back which displays constant information, from the sort of picture you are taking, to the sort of memory you have left for the pictures to use. This is just brilliant and you can really find more information on each picture with the LCD screen then you can when you upload it to the computer.
I like how you can delete images you do not like there and then and without a fuss. You can go back to the images you have previously taken and can just delete them to create more storage for your photos so overall it is very good.
The software provided for the computer is quite exceptional. You have options to fix the red eye on pictures and even alter the entire picture by swapping people around and deleting those horrible little marks you see sometimes. By marks I mean the odd dirty mark on someone's jacket which tends to ruin a photo. You can alter the image to remove that mark and make it look a superb picture.
I think the way you can just zoom in to such lengths and still manage to take such a wonderful picture is yet again a superb feature and it makes the camera extra special.
Bad Points ------------------ Without a doubt the biggest problem I find for this camera is the actual video capturing it takes. You turn the device to take a video and it can do a good video in terms of the length of the video but the overall graphics are very poor.
The amount of internal memory is so small that each picture usually takes up around 6mb in size and with 6 pictures you run out of internal memory. So you are sort of forced instantly to go and get an SD card which is not too bad, they do say it can only have up to a 1 GB SD card but I can assure people I use an 8gb SD card and never had a single problem since.
The other bad point is unless you're using rechargeable batteries then you're wasting your time purchasing this camera. I put in 2 top quality AA batteries and they lasted just 20 minute of me turning the camera on and then back off again. The battery life is extremely poor so I have to use rechargeable ones and even they only last around 30 minutes. So if you're going somewhere big make sure you have supplies as a backup.
A weird issue for me is when you are taking a picture in the dark and have the flash on you will notice how the camera takes a picture and it looks very poor on the screen. However, when you load the image onto the computer the actual image turns out really well so there is a problem there because you might decide to just delete the image rather than have a proper look on the computer. Something definitely to watch out for.
The final poor point for me is the weight. This camera looks light and stylish and with all the features and the look from afar it does definitely look very stylish but the weight is dreadful. You put this inside a camera case and you have the handle you sometimes notice the handle of the camera cash ripping away from the leather case. It is extremely heavy for a camera and in my view this is a huge problem when purchasing this item.
Additional Features it could do with --------------------------------------------- I believe this camera could have had the anti shock feature added to it. Most cameras nowadays are having anti shock added to them so when you are travelling in a car for example, and you notice a picture taking moment you could sit there and the camera would not worry about the bumps you receive and focus solely on the place you wish to take the picture. This is a feature I was shocked the camera never had.
Another feature would be the face recognition software which allows the camera to focus on a face and it shows you on the screen. This feature is so common now it is hard to find a camera without this software which is high spec. This feature would make the camera much more sophisticated and more desirable.
Summary ------------- The camera has many good features but in my view some of the bad points make this camera not worth buying. A bulky camera with plenty of weight and features which are not included which most cameras nowadays have installed mean this camera is nowhere near the standard it could be.
The camera cost me just £1 from Price-drop.tv a shopping channel in a mega drop auction. The usual price is around £80. I think this price tag and with the features it has and hasn't got very high and I would not pay it. My summary would be if you want a camera as a spare and it was going cheap then this might be a good option, but be prepared to by plenty of batteries as a backup.
