memory card question

[RustyM]

Hi-I tried to do a google search & mostly all I get is places where to buy
memory cards-
I just bought a cheapy type camera to take basic pic's-It has a slot to put
a Mem.card if one wishes (a SD Mem.card)-Or it can use the 'mass storage'
capacity of 8MB-
I know little of memory cards-here are my questions:
1- If I use the card (either a 64 0r 128), will my battery life (AA
bateries) last longer than the usual 2-4 days?? The manual says so but was
not detailed in explaining how it works and how much longer a battery might
last-
2-I got the vivitar 3345 1.3 MP;basically I am leaning terminology and
technique with this starter type camera so that I can get a more
sophisticated one in the future-Can you direct me to a site where I can lean
about features anbout camera in general-

 

[Mary Sauer]

There is a PDF manual for your camera here:
http://www.vivitar.com/CustService/driverindex3000.html
The battery life has to do with how often you use the camera.

The reason a memory card to saves battery life is because you are using the card to
upload the images to your computer rather than the camera.

 

[Major Joe Miner Commander, SG-11 Engineering Corp]

Hi-I tried to do a google search & mostly all I get is places where to buy
memory cards-
I just bought a cheapy type camera to take basic pic's-It has a slot to put
a Mem.card if one wishes (a SD Mem.card)-Or it can use the 'mass storage'
capacity of 8MB-
I know little of memory cards-here are my questions:
1- If I use the card (either a 64 0r 128), will my battery life (AA
bateries) last longer than the usual 2-4 days?? The manual says so but was
not detailed in explaining how it works and how much longer a battery might
last-
2-I got the vivitar 3345 1.3 MP;basically I am leaning terminology and
technique with this starter type camera so that I can get a more
sophisticated one in the future-Can you direct me to a site where I can lean
about features anbout camera in general-

Rusty,

I bought a Vivicam 3345 at Wal-mart last month and it is great, except
for one problem. It incorrectly give a low battery reading when the
alkalines are barely used. My battery checker (a simple DC voltmeter
with "GOOD/?/REPLACE")shows GOOD, only slightly lower than a new
battery. The camera starts shutting down after only one or two flash
pictures, and shows low battery almost immediately even without using
flash!

I cannot find anything about how to fix this problem and unfortunately
did not keep my packaging to return it. Do you have a similar problem?
I really did not want to return it anyway, if all these cameras have
the same problem, because it takes great pictures for its size and
price. You may notice it has an F2.8 lens, which is really fast and
good quality for a digital camera in this price range. Even
top-selling 35MM SLR cameras come with only F1.4-1.9 or so on their
standard lens. Plus, I love the size and weight for a digital, and I
don't need the view screen, I would rather use the conventional
viewfinder. And I love the SD card option. I did not notice any
difference in battery life using the card or internal memory. Both
were BAD!

The only thing I can think of is to try the expensive Lithium AA
batteries. If they last a long time before their voltage drops into
the critical area they might be worth their price. I tried
rechargeable NiMH, but they would not even power the camera with a
full charge because of the inherent lower voltage.

Any luck with yours?

Don

 

[John Inzer]

I bought a Vivicam 3345 at Wal-mart last month and it is
great, except
for one problem. It incorrectly give a low battery
reading when the
alkalines are barely used. My battery checker (a simple
DC voltmeter
with "GOOD/?/REPLACE")shows GOOD, only slightly lower
than a new
battery. The camera starts shutting down after only one
or two flash
pictures, and shows low battery almost immediately even
without using
flash!

===================================
Had a similar issue with an HP camera. The
solution was to have it replaced by the retailer.

We use the following batteries:

Rayovac Rechargeable NiMH
http://www.rayovac.com/products/recharge/nimh.shtml

Rayovac's 1-Hour NiMH Charger
http://www.rayovac.com/products/recharge/chargers.shtml

Also tried the 15 minute rechargeables
and was not happy with them.

--

John Inzer
Picture It! MVP
return e-mail disabled

Picture It! Support Center
http://tinyurl.com/2po2o

Digital Image Support Center
http://tinyurl.com/3xxqg

 

[RustyM]

--
Thanks so very much for your help-! ! ! !

"RustyM" <RM@RMcom> wrote in message

Rusty,

I bought a Vivicam 3345 at Wal-mart last month and it is great, except
for one problem. It incorrectly give a low battery reading when the
alkalines are barely used. My battery checker (a simple DC voltmeter
with "GOOD/?/REPLACE")shows GOOD, only slightly lower than a new
battery. The camera starts shutting down after only one or two flash
pictures, and shows low battery almost immediately even without using
flash!

I cannot find anything about how to fix this problem and unfortunately
did not keep my packaging to return it. Do you have a similar problem?
I really did not want to return it anyway, if all these cameras have
the same problem, because it takes great pictures for its size and
price. You may notice it has an F2.8 lens, which is really fast and
good quality for a digital camera in this price range. Even
top-selling 35MM SLR cameras come with only F1.4-1.9 or so on their
standard lens. Plus, I love the size and weight for a digital, and I
don't need the view screen, I would rather use the conventional
viewfinder. And I love the SD card option. I did not notice any
difference in battery life using the card or internal memory. Both
were BAD!

The only thing I can think of is to try the expensive Lithium AA
batteries. If they last a long time before their voltage drops into
the critical area they might be worth their price. I tried
rechargeable NiMH, but they would not even power the camera with a
full charge because of the inherent lower voltage.

Any luck with yours?

Don

********************8
YES, I have the same problem like u
"It incorrectly give a low battery reading when the

alkalines are barely used. " also ,you said:: The camera starts shutting

down after only one or two flash

pictures, and shows low battery almost immediately even without using
flash!

I agree with you-I got it at Walmart too and yes for the price it takes a
nice picture but the battery thing is what convinces me to return it- I have
2 more days left in which to do so-they only give 30 days at walmart for
electronics-

And in the manual, it says that using a memry card does not really eat up
battery life -you said:
"And I love the SD card option. I did not notice any

difference in battery life using the card or internal memory. Both
were BAD!

I dont want to pay 30.00 for a memory card only to find it did not make much
of a difference in battery life- THOSE you cannot return- thanks for the
help to both of you

 

[Greg Hanson]

Don, Rusty et alia:
I also bought a 3345 and am on the second unit
after noticing less than one day battery life.
The second unit does the same thing of course.
The Vivitar web site recommends using
Metal Hydride batteries.
Whew! How much are those?

I delayed buying the memory expansion and
so far still believe that was a wise move.

One thing I noticed that I thought very
important to mention is that I noticed
that the camera was actually generating HEAT!
If you put a fresh set of batteries in,
and hold the bottom left corner of the side
normally toward operator up against your
cheek, you can feel HEAT!

Can anybody decipher from their web site
an e-mail address for an authoritative
contact at Vivitar to ask about this?

Such heat generation implies to me that
these units might have some sort of
serious engineering defect.
Harsh conclusion?

Even more interesting, if a person did
as advised and installed Metal Hydride
batteries, wouldn't that just increase
the potential for the HEAT problem
to become worse, possibly a fire hazard?

I really LIKE the unit!

Aside from this battery/HEAT problem,
I wish there was a way to change the
timeout power conservation feature.
A way to disable timeout or lengthen
would be a great help.

There seems to be no connector for
an external power supply, but if
somebody resorts to an external
power supply or battery pack, they'd
probably want to disable the timeout.
I lost chances at shots I knew were
upcoming because of the timeout.
(And it turns off the interpolation
resolution!)

Do they make another model number (yet)
that has the same great optics/CCD,
but fixes the deadly battery life/HEAT problem?

A revised version of this camera could
cause a bit of a revolution in consumer
cameras. I hope Vivitar fixes it!

 

[Gary R.]

Sounds like you should study up a bit on digital cameras. NIMH batteries
are a basic necessity, alkalines and such are and always have been a joke
and waste of money. NIMH batteries are $10-15 for a set of 4, you can buy
them at drugstores, walmarts, or online...if they're AA, look for 2000 mah
or above. For $15-30, you can get a charger with a set of 4 included. They
will outlast alkalines many times over, and can be recharged. Fast chargers
are better, especially if you limit yourself to one or two sets of
batteries.

All digitals produce heat if left on; it won't be a problem if you use
decent batteries that will have the capacity to run the camera for a while.
Your description of a "day" of use for a set of batteries is not realistic;
I shoot full days of activities where the camera is on most of the time, and
would easily expect to go through 3-4 sets of good NIMH; if you're using
alkalines and got most of a day, that's practically a miracle, you should be
thanking Vivitar. $10 isn't much for a set of batteries that can be charged
thousands of times and lasts for years.

As far as powering down shutting off your interpolation mode, it's doing you
a favor. Having the camera interpolate your image larger doesn't add a
speck of detail, and fills up your storage quicker. You should be able to
get a decent 5x7 from that camera without any upsizing or interpolation; if
you need to go beyond that, interpolate from software later, the camera
doesn't do it any better.

Most digitals that go to 'sleep' will let you wake up the camera by pressing
a button; I don't know if yours does or not, but you just have to think
ahead and adjust to powering up the camera when a photo situation is
approaching or likely to. If needed, keep it awake by
focusing/half-pressing the button at intervals. Check your camera's setup
mode to see if you can vary the time before it goes to 'sleep', many allow
that, but in general an auto power down is a good thing.

As far as memory, you can buy a SD card that will hold hundreds of photos
for probably $25-40, and it doesn't get used up like film. Many cameras
take SD cards so if you buy another there's a good chance it will be usable
; if not, sell it with the camera.

I think you're causing most of your own worries by being so reluctant to buy
the right batteries and storage media. It's not a fancy camera, but it's
not a disposable either, if you want it to work right, you've got to give it
the chance.

 

[Greg Hanson]

Sounds like you should study up a bit on digital cameras.

I'm trying!

NIMH batteries are a basic necessity, alkalines and
such are and always have been a joke and waste of
money. NIMH batteries are $10-15 for a set of 4,
you can buy them at drugstores, walmarts, or
online...if they're AA, look for 2000 mah
or above. For $15-30, you can get a charger with
a set of 4 included. They will outlast alkalines
many times over, and can be recharged. Fast
chargers are better, especially if you limit
yourself to one or two sets of batteries.

I believe you, but please forgive my naivity
given 1) Vivitar included a set of alkaline
batteries 2) $30 is big money for batteries
for a $50 camera and 3) The market for this is
apparently not for advanced users.

All digitals produce heat if left on; it won't be a problem if you use
decent batteries that will have the capacity to run the camera for a while.
Your description of a "day" of use for a set of batteries is not realistic;
I shoot full days of activities where the camera is on most of the time, and
would easily expect to go through 3-4 sets of good NIMH; if you're using
alkalines and got most of a day, that's practically a miracle, you should be
thanking Vivitar. $10 isn't much for a set of batteries that can be charged
thousands of times and lasts for years.

As far as powering down shutting off your interpolation mode, it's doing you
a favor. Having the camera interpolate your image larger doesn't add a
speck of detail, and fills up your storage quicker. You should be able to
get a decent 5x7 from that camera without any upsizing or interpolation; if
you need to go beyond that, interpolate from software later, the camera
doesn't do it any better.

I understand.

Most digitals that go to 'sleep' will let you wake up the camera by pressing
a button; I don't know if yours does or not, but you just have to think
ahead and adjust to powering up the camera when a photo situation is
approaching or likely to. If needed, keep it awake by
focusing/half-pressing the button at intervals. Check your camera's setup
mode to see if you can vary the time before it goes to 'sleep', many allow
that, but in general an auto power down is a good thing.

As far as memory, you can buy a SD card that will hold hundreds of photos
for probably $25-40, and it doesn't get used up like film. Many cameras
take SD cards so if you buy another there's a good chance it will be usable
; if not, sell it with the camera.

I think you're causing most of your own worries by being so reluctant to buy
the right batteries and storage media. It's not a fancy camera, but it's
not a disposable either, if you want it to work right, you've got to give it
the chance.

Question: Do SD memory modules clear/go blank when the batteries
are removed? If I am in the field, will changing batteries
cause me to lose pictures on the SD memory?

 

[John Inzer]

I believe you, but please forgive my naivity
given 1) Vivitar included a set of alkaline
batteries 2) $30 is big money for batteries
for a $50 camera and 3) The market for this is
apparently not for advanced users.

==================================
Your camera will eat bunches of Alkaline
batteries. In the long run, the rechargables
are the cheapest way to go...not to mention
the fact that the charge lasts longer.

Considering that you do not have to purchase
film and have it developed...digital becomes a
real bargain.
===================================

Question: Do SD memory modules clear/go blank when the
batteries
are removed? If I am in the field, will changing
batteries
cause me to lose pictures on the SD memory?

===================================
The files on the memory card will be available
until you delete them or reformat the card.
Removing the card from the camera or changing
batteries will not delete the images.

--

John Inzer
Picture It! MVP
return e-mail disabled

Picture It! Support Center
http://tinyurl.com/2po2o

Digital Image Support Center
http://tinyurl.com/3xxqg

 

[Gary R.]

1) Vivitar included a set of alkaline

batteries 2) $30 is big money for batteries
for a $50 camera and 3) The market for this is
apparently not for advanced users.

Including alkalines is undoubtedly just economics...if they added $5 more
worth of batteries (I see it uses only two) and even a cheapie charger, it
would up the $50 camera to maybe 60 or 70. Then their competition would
advertise a $50 digital (and of course not mention that it didn't include
batteries or just alkalines). They'd pretty much have to add the charger if
they included NIMH.

You can get a GOOD fast charger for the $30, probably with 4 batteries if
you look around. A cheapie that takes overnight and doesn't have a car
adapter may go for less than half that, maybe even with batteries. As John
said, the cost is quickly made up for in film and processing costs...even if
you have prints made, you only have printed what you want, instead of a
whole roll.

Since it's basically a one megapixel camera, you probably would be happy
with a smaller SD card, maybe a 32 MB, so you wouldn't have to spend too
much, and it's a one-time expense. That would give you maybe 50 photos
depending on the quality setting you use (use the best, without
interpolation, if you want to print them!). It may be better to experiment
first and see if you like the camera and the photo quality before buying a
memory card, but you'll have a better chance of liking it with NIMH
batteries. If you don't, you can reuse the batteries for anything that
needs good AA cells, they are a lot better than the older NiCad rechargable
batteries.

Speaking of AA alkalines, back in early digital days a friend borrowed a
Vivitar digital from the school, and put in a new set of alkaline batteries.
Between the early models being battery hogs, and having to show off the
"new" technology LCD screen, she got a total of eight photos before the
batteries went dead. 8^)

One thing that may help you is to use the optical viewfinder and not the LCD
screen. I see a lot of people holding digitals out in front of them and
trying to use the LCD when there's really no reason to. For closeups, it's
nice because you won't accidentally clip off heads, and for tricky lighting
it's nice to see what the camera sees, but otherwise it's a lot quicker,
more efficient, and less obtrusive to use the optical viewfinder.