[jawats]

All,

I wanted to get an inexpensive, simple, K-mount film camera for an upcoming trip. I scored a Vivitar V3800N in excellent condition for $29 (inc. shipping) from the Goodwill auction people. Vivitar V3800N - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia. I'm excited to try it out. I would've loved a K1000, but the price on those is ranging higher and higher, and I liked that the Vivitar came with the basic Vivitar 1.7 lens. Of course, being K mount, manual focus, I can slap any of the zooms I have on it.

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Last edited by jawats; 02-23-2020 at 11:05 AM.

[pres589]

I think I read online somewhere that the lens on that camera is actually pretty decent. It would be a fun little addition to my collection of k-mount lenses which have focus rings that turn opposite that of Pentax's own lenses.

Good luck with the camera.

[boriscleto]

Another variation of the Cosina CT1 Super. Better than the plastic Made in China K1000 and sells for a fraction of the price.

Same camera different name...


See also: Nikon FM10, Ricoh KR-5 Super II, Chinon CM-7, etc.

[stevebrot]

Another variation of the Cosina CT1 Super. Better than the plastic Made in China K1000 and sells for a fraction of the price.

Same camera different name...
Attachment 459008

See also: Nikon FM10, Ricoh KR-5 Super II, Chinon CM-7, etc.

I know that conventional wisdom is that the V3800N, Hikari 2002, and Phenix DC303 were made by Cosina and based on the CT1 Super, but there is good evidence that all three were/are products of Jiangxi Optical Instrument General Factory in China.

Phenix DC303N - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

CT-1 Super variants (your list plus a few others) usually have the characteristic low-profile shutter release common to all CT-series as well as Cosina/Voigtlander rangefinder cameras. There are film chamber clues as well. FWIW, there are Vivitar camera models based on the CT-1 Super, just not the V3800N.


Steve

(...was taken to task a few months ago by a PF user for making the CT-1 Super <--> V3800N claim...)

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Last edited by stevebrot; 07-25-2019 at 01:53 PM.

[stevebrot]

All,

I wanted to get an inexpensive, simple, K-mount film camera for an upcoming trip. I scored a Vivitar V3800N in excellent condition for $29 (inc. shipping) from the Goodwill auction people. Vivitar V3800N - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia. I'm excited to try it out. I would've loved a K1000, but the price on those is ranging higher and higher, and I liked that the Vivitar came with the basic Vivitar 1.7 lens. Of course, being K mount, manual focus, I can slap any of the zooms I have on it.

What fun! I remember when the V3800N hit the market in 2009 as a new product from new Vivitar owner, Sakar. It is supposed to be a fairly solid body. Have fun!


Steve

[boriscleto]

I know that conventional wisdom is that the V3800N, Hikari 2002, and Phenix DC303 were made by Cosina and based on the CT1 Super, but there is good evidence that all three were/are products of Jiangxi Optical Instrument General Factory in China.

Phenix DC303N - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

CT-1 Super variants (your list plus a few others) usually have the characteristic low-profile shutter release common to all CT-series as well as Cosina/Voigtlander rangefinder cameras. There are film chamber clues as well. FWIW, there are Vivitar camera models based on the CT-1 Super, just not the V3800N.


Steve

(...was taken to task a few months ago by a PF user for making the CT-1 Super <--> V3800N claim...)

Camera-wiki says the Vivitar was made by Cosina and is a close relative of the C1s. But the C1s has very different styling. The wiki notes that the Phenix is identical and that the Promaster 2500PK and Hikari 2002 are the same camera with slightly different styling. Not much info on Jiangxi Optical. I'm pretty sure they just license cameras to manufacture, probably from Cosina...unless they just copy them...

The Promaster 2000PK is a Cosina C1 as is the Dakota RZ-2000.

[BigMackCam]

Camera-wiki says the Vivitar was made by Cosina and is a close relative of the C1s. But the C1s has very different styling.

That's been my understanding, too. I have two copies of the C1s (which is, as you point out, very differently styled - and less appealingly so, IMHO), and they're nice little cameras. Lots of plastic externally, and I imagine that extends to the inner workings, so I'm not sure how long they'll last. But if they're picked up cheaply, I think they're worth having. I always fancied the Vivitar, but wasn't able to find one in the condition, and at the price, that I wanted...

[stevebrot]

Not much info on Jiangxi Optical. I'm pretty sure they just license cameras to manufacture, probably from Cosina...unless they just copy them...

They are famous for the no-name K1000 clones as well as a line of Minolta knock-offs. Rumor at one time was that they were using Chinese-made copies of Copal shutters...no license required.


Steve

[jawats]

That's been my understanding, too. I have two copies of the C1s (which is, as you point out, very differently styled - and less appealingly so, IMHO), and they're nice little cameras. Lots of plastic externally, and I imagine that extends to the inner workings, so I'm not sure how long they'll last. But if they're picked up cheaply, I think they're worth having. I always fancied the Vivitar, but wasn't able to find one in the condition, and at the price, that I wanted...

The V3800N seems pretty hefty for plastic. That's not to say they didn't use some internal cheap weights to increase heft, but it feels substantial.

[BigMackCam]

The V3800N seems pretty hefty for plastic. That's not to say they didn't use some internal cheap weights to increase heft, but it feels substantial.

Don't get me wrong, the Cosina C1s is sturdy enough... just very, very light.

I doubt Vivitar would countenance the use of weights to improve the feel, and suspect the body is just more solidly built than the C1s. But either way, I think you've picked up a cracking little camera for very little money. Congrats!

[disconnekt]

I have a camera similiar to it, a Kalimar K-90 TTL 1000. The weird thing is there are 2 mount variants of it, a Pentax K-mount (which I have) and a Contax-Yashica (C/Y) mount.

[stevebrot]

Don't get me wrong, the Cosina C1s is sturdy enough... just very, very light.

The V3800N seems pretty hefty for plastic. That's not to say they didn't use some internal cheap weights to increase heft, but it feels substantial.

My bet is that it is polycarbonate top and bottom over metal chassis with either metal or plastic film door.


Steve

[boriscleto]

I have a camera similiar to it, a Kalimar K-90 TTL 1000. The weird thing is there are 2 mount variants of it, a Pentax K-mount (which I have) and a Contax-Yashica (C/Y) mount.

I've been looking at the C/Y mount version on evilBay. I had one but the battery door broke. I have a few C/Y mount lenses and I'd like a mechanical shutter camera, Contax and Yashica only made electronic shutter cameras for the mount...(My Yashica 107 Multi-Program is dead). Have to have decent photos on the listing, the only way to tell them apart is the location of the lens release unless the seller shows the mount on the lens...

[jawats]

I've been looking at the C/Y mount version on evilBay. I had one but the battery door broke. I have a few C/Y mount lenses and I'd like a mechanical shutter camera, Contax and Yashica only made electronic shutter cameras for the mount...(My Yashica 107 Multi-Program is dead). Have to have decent photos on the listing, the only way to tell them apart is the location of the lens release unless the seller shows the mount on the lens...

I think I have a C/Y adaptall adapter someplace, if you're interested. Moreover, have you looked at:

Yashica FX-D Quartz Film Camera - shopgoodwill.com

Yashica Fx-3 Super Film Camera - shopgoodwill.com

[boriscleto]

I think I have a C/Y adaptall adapter someplace, if you're interested. Moreover, have you looked at:

Yashica FX-D Quartz Film Camera - shopgoodwill.com

Yashica Fx-3 Super Film Camera - shopgoodwill.com

I overlooked the FX-3, made by Cosina

One of the lenses I just acquired is an Adaptall 70-210 with a C/Y adapter on it. I have an Adaptall adapter for every camera mount I currently own a camera for, and some other adapters for cameras I don't own (T4 Petri adapter etc)