The Vivitar ViviCam 8018 is a small, light camera. It has 8.1 megapixel resolution and a 1.8 inch display. It is fitted with 8X digital zoom. The Vivitar ViviCam 8018 weighs just 100grams, however when 3 AAA batteries are inserted the weight increases slightly. It comes packaged with an installation CD and a quick start guide, as well as a USB cable and a camera strap.
The price of the Vivitar ViviCam 8018 is $39.99, however the camera is not desirable even at that low cost. Although compact enough to fit in a pocket or a small handbag, the Vivitar ViviCam 8018 is not an elegant camera. The buttons on the camera feel and look cheap; as though they might fall off, and the power button is not stable in its position. They are also difficult to press unless pushed down hard.
The LCD screen on the back of the camera has poor lighting and the image quality is not good compared to other cameras on the market. It does not display newly taken pictures, and in order to view them the ‘mode’ button must be pressed three times. Most pictures taken with the Vivitar ViviCam 8018 are blurred both on the LCD screen as well as when uploaded, and using the 8X zoom simply blurs the images even further.
The installation CD that comes with the Vivitar ViviCam 8018 loads software that can be used with the camera. The Vivitar Experience Image Manager allows users to upload images onto a computer, from the computer onto Internet sites, and can send pictures through email. Although there is no instruction pamphlet with the Vivitar ViviCam 8018, the Vivitar website has these manuals in PDF form.
In order to upload pictures onto a computer, users must plug the USB cable into the camera as well as the computer. Once the camera is on the pictures will automatically be visible and easy to drag onto the desktop.
Overall, the Vivitar ViviCam 8018 is not a camera recommended for any type of user. It is not worth the $40 that is spent on it, and as most cameras available on the market today are priced reasonably and are of known brands, there are several other options obtainable. The low quality of the camera itself as well as the blurriness of the images taken makes the Vivitar ViviCam 8018 a low quality camera in general.
SOURCES:
http://www2.dealtime.com/xPO-Vivitar-ViviCam-8018
http://www.retrevo.com/s/Vivitar-8018-Digital-Cameras-review-manual/id/23542ag001/t/1-2/
By: Kathy Hall