Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Vivitar Big View BV35

Lens: 35mm f/5.6
Features
- Motorized film transport.
- Over-sized viewfinder.
- Auto flash-on and off for easy flash operation.
- Motorized film loading, advance and rewind.
Produced: 1996









Seems like there are hundreds of various point & shoot film cameras with the Vivitar name from the 1980's, 1990's, and the first part of the 2000's. I got this one along with three rolls of slightly expired Kodak Ultramax 400 at a church sale for $1.00.  I was more glad to get the film than the camera.  Still I did run some Arista Premium 400 through it.  I do like the big viewfinder.  While it is not quite as large as the view in a slr it is much larger and brighter than in most cameras of this type.  Also it seems pretty accurate in showing what will actually be in the picture.

The picture quality while not being anything to rave about is certainly acceptable.


I wonder how many times I have photographed this shed when testing cameras?










By the standard of being an inexpensive camera by which someone who knew little about photography could take decent photos the Vivitar Big View BV35 does pretty well.  By today's standards it seems to fall into that vast middle-ground between a camera capable of outstanding results and a camera with some quirk that makes them valued by lomo enthusiasts.

Vivitar Big View BV35 Gallery


3 comments:

  1. There were probably any number of reasonably competent point and shoots from this era. I'm sure someone in the P&S market in these days had a dizzying array of choices.

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    1. Jim that seems to be the case. I wasn't aware of all the choices since during that time I was going happily along with my Canon F1 for whatever photo needs I had. I am finding it pretty interesting to explore all the cameras that I was so unaware of at the time they came out. Although I would imagine I am a rarity in having that interest.

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  2. I saw a video where they comment that it is not about autofocus but about free focus. What you think?

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