Sakar kicks out new Vivitar cameras, DSLR lenses
By Donald Melanson 
posted January 5th 2009 8:10PM
posted January 5th 2009 8:10PM
Vivitar may not have quite the same fervent fan following as some other camera manufacturers, but it looks like parent company Sakar is doing its best to keep things as Vivitar-y as possible at CES, with it rolling out a trio of new cameras and a few other goodies. Those include the 8.1 megapixel Vivitar V8400P underwater camera, which packs a 2.4-inch LCD and will run you $130, the $250 Vivitar DVR840XHD camcorder, which sports a 5x optical zoom, a 3-inch LCD, and some basic media-player functionality, and the barebones Vivitar V8025 (pictured above), which boasts the same 8-megapixel resolution as the underwater cam, plus a touchscreen and an even cheaper $100 price tag. Those that have moved beyond point-and-shoots will also soon be able to pick up a number of new Vivitar Series 1 DSLR lenses, which'll range in price from $150 to $400, and anyone looking for yet another universal charger will be able to grab Vivitar's $50 Ultimate Smart LCD Charger, which promises to charge a whole host of devices and, apparently, comes equipped with an LCD.
Hmm. Haven't heard from Vivitar in a few years. I had a cheapo camera by them as a gift a few years ago.
A return of the Vivitar name to the third party SLR lens market is welcome. The Series 1 moniker was once Vivitar's premium brand, I have my doubts they'll be able to revive the same level of quality/enthusiasm for the new lenses, but here's hoping...
Nice price point for the 8.1 megapixel touchscreen camera. That's going to be a great stocking stuff for Christmas 09.
$50 for a universal Charger? Give me one of the those devotec solar chargers for $40 anyday over that!
Looks neat. Touchscreen sounds fun, but do we really need that on a camera?
I am in the market for a camera though, and this one looks like it's affordable enough.
Isn't Vivitar the brand of cameras that drugstores sell, and don't bother putting theft alarms on them because they're so cheap?
I wonder what focal length those lenses will be?
"Vivitar Series 1 Lenses for Digital SLRs (SRP $149.95 to $399.9), including an 85mm F1.4A spherical lens for portraits plus 500mm and 800mm f/8.0 mirror lenses – all usable with both film and digital SLR cameras. The line also offers a 650-1300mm preset lens with a universal mounting ring (T-mt) that allows the lens to fit practically all SLR cameras manufactured since 1960. "
looks like a sony!