Vivitar's 2005 budget zoom compact — 4.0MP CCD, 3x optical zoom, 1.5in LCD, SD card, 2x AA power
The Vivitar ViviCam 4345 was a 4-megapixel budget compact released around January 2005, sitting above the focus-free ViviCams in the range because it offered a genuine optical zoom. It was sold cheaply through general retail in silver and aimed at buyers stepping up from film point-and-shoots to their first digital camera.
It used a 4.0-megapixel CCD sensor producing images up to 2304x1728, with a 3x optical zoom lens supplemented by 4x digital zoom. Composition was via the 1.5-inch LCD, and video clips recorded at 320x240. It shipped with 12MB of internal memory plus an SD card slot documented up to 512MB, offered Fine/Normal/Economy JPEG quality settings, had a built-in flash, and ran on two AA batteries with an optional 3V DC input, weighing around 130g.
With a real optical zoom and a CCD sensor it is one of the more usable cameras of the cheap ViviCam family, capable of respectable daylight snapshots with the punchy colour typical of small mid-2000s CCDs. It remains slow to operate, weak in low light and limited by its small screen, so it suits casual and nostalgic shooting rather than demanding use.
When buying used, test the zoom motor through its full travel, as lens mechanisms are the usual failure point on cheap zoom compacts of this era. AA power keeps testing simple, but check for battery-bay corrosion. Stick to small SD cards (512MB or under is the documented ceiling; SDHC will not work) and check the LCD and flash both function.