Vivitar's 5MP budget compact — focus-free with macro, 8x digital zoom, 2.0in TFT, SD to 2GB, 2x AAA
The Vivitar ViviCam 5188 was a 5-megapixel budget compact from the mid-to-late-2000s ViviCam line, sold cheaply through general retail and sometimes bundled with a waterproof housing, which made it an unusually cheap route into holiday snorkelling snapshots. It follows the familiar template of the range: small, plastic and fully automatic.
It uses a 5.0-megapixel sensor (2560x1920 native, with interpolated output marketed up to 12 megapixels) behind a focus-free lens with a macro setting, plus an 8x digital zoom and no optical zoom. The 2.0-inch colour TFT LCD handles framing, scene modes cover Auto, Sport, Night, Portrait, Landscape and Backlight, and video records at QVGA 30fps or VGA 20fps. Storage is 16MB internal plus SD cards to 2GB, power is two AAA batteries, weight is about 90g, and the optional housing was rated to 15m.
Ignore the 12-megapixel figure on the box: this is a simple 5MP snapshot camera whose interpolated mode just produces bigger, softer files. It suits casual daylight shooting and buyers chasing the mid-2000s digicam look, with the macro switch and scene modes adding a little flexibility over the cheapest ViviCams. The waterproof-housing bundles add novelty value where complete.
Test with fresh AAAs and a 2GB-or-smaller SD card, as larger and SDHC cards are outside its documented support. Check the LCD, flash and mode dial, and inspect the battery bay for corrosion. If a waterproof housing is included, treat its seals as perished until proven otherwise, and never trust it at depth without a paper-towel test dive first.