the unofficial Cosina-Voigtlander User Community

This is a Cosina-built camera (aren&#039;t all Vivitar SLR cameras?) that seems quite nice to me.&nbsp; Nice mix of features.<br /><br />It is a black metal body, like the earlier 400/SL and lesser models:<br /><br />http://mattdentonphoto.com/cameras/vivitar_400sl.html<br /><br />But it is considerably smaller, roughly the same size (but heavier) as the new Bessaflex TM:<br /><br />http://www.butkus.org/chinon/ebay/vivitar_xv-3.jpg<br /><br />It is, however, much heavier and better-built than the later Vivitar V models (V2000, V3800, V4000, etc).&nbsp; It lacks the sculptured plastic gripping surfaces and soft rubber that the later models offered, and it does not have the film cartridge-viewing window on the back that some models have.<br /><br />It is Pentax P/K mount, and it offers aperture-priority AE as well as manual shutter speeds to 1/1000.&nbsp; It has the usual metal Copal-Square style shutter.<br /><br />It also has a very bright viewfinder, with split-image and micro-focus collar focusing aids.&nbsp; Mine had just had the foam redone by the previous owner - otherwise, I do suspect it would have had the same foam rot that is to be expected with cameras of this vintage.<br /><br />The manual for this camera listed at Butkus (http://www.butkus.org/chinon/vivitar_cameras/vivitar_cameras.htm) indicates a printing date of 1979, and that sounds about right.&nbsp; It has an LED meter indicator, which is unusual in that it displays the full range of shutter speeds and highlights the one you selected (as well as the one it *thinks* you should select) instead of the usual + 0 and - signs.&nbsp; Very nice.<br /><br />It also takes modern silver oxide batteries.&nbsp; Again, very nice.<br /><br />My copy came with a Vivitar-branded 50mm f/1.4 P/K mount lens.&nbsp; The serial number, located on the barrel intead of the beauty ring, indicates that it was made by Cosina as well, no surprise there.&nbsp; But f/1.4 is a bit fast for most of the P/K mount Cosina-made Pentax clones - most were f/1.7 or f/1.9 or even f/2.<br /><br />Another nice touch - a shutter release lock on the shutter collar, not unlike the older Konica and Canon F series cameras (OK, it is made of plastic instead of steel, but it works fine).&nbsp; Oh yes, and it has an optical viewfinder that displays the selected f-stop in the top of the viewfinder so you can see what aperture you&#039;ve selected or change it without taking the camera from your eye.<br /><br />So far, I am quite pleased with the camera.&nbsp; I actually bought it for the lens, as I have noticed that Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 lenses are getting much more expensive lately.&nbsp; But I now suspect that this lens will stay right on this camera most of the time; the camera itself is worthy and I like it.<br /><br />My only complaints so far - the shutter release is so sensitive, it goes off before I&#039;m quite ready sometimes, and I find the smaller frame is a bit small for my large hands (by example, I find the Bessaflex TM to be just fine in terms of size, so I guess this must be a bit smaller).<br /><br />So, if you&#039;re looking for a Cosina-built, metal-bodied, P/K-mount AE (Aperture preferred, not Shutter preferred) camera that has modern features such as non-mercury batteries, a nice useful viewfinder and shutter speed indicator, as well as an (optical, not electronic) aperture display, with the option of even installing a motor drive (if you can find one), then this might be a good camera to look for.<br /><br />NOTE: I have been informed that the Vivitar XV-3 is actually a Cosina CT-4.&nbsp; So there you go.