Vivitar
While investigating this article, I had a lot of difficulty retrieving any information about company history or company future. Even the current 2007 Vivitar website seems to have little to do with the Vivitar Company of old. In fact, “60 years of history,” the proclamation on the Vivitar website, is the only mention of company history online.

Others have noticed the same thing which I have. A review of Vivitar cameras on www.cameraquest.com praises the “outstanding, almost unknown lens:” Vivitar Series One 450/4.5 Aspherical. The reviewer begins with the statement “Once upon a time in the middle 70’s to early 1980’s Vivitar was a shaker and a mover in the world of 35mm photography, believe it or not.” It goes on to list Vivitars accomplishments: “first modern independent lens maker to assault the supremacy of SLR manufacturers with startlingly independent and innovative designs,” and “one of the few uses of Aspherical lenses I mirror lenses.”

The reviewer has a lot of other praise for Vivitar but then stops when the story gets more complicated. The lens was admittedly made where it’s advertised to have been and when queried Vivitar has nothing to say. “Repeated emails and phone calls on company history are usually unreturned. Occasionally I was told ‘we don’t have those records’ Sad for a once leading Photo Optical Company not to have a clue about itself.”

All that I can say about their digital products is that their lineup includes 10, 7-8. 5-6 mega pixel cameras and one DV recorder. There are also “contact us” links and locations where you can buy their product, with scant other information.

On another site (www.imaging-resource.com) all the information that I found was on discontinued models. “…You may still find recent models in stores, even after Vivitar has stopped building them.”

I like transparency. When all I can find is links to a not very well maintained company website and links to countless articles about how the company is no longer in business, has stopped production, and isn’t customer responsive, that makes me skeptical. So if you’re considering purchasing Vivitar cameras, you might need to do a little homework.