Vivitar XV-3

The Vivitar XV-3 is a 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera with TTL (Through The Lens) exposure metering. It features aperture-preferred automatic (A) and manual control, making it a versatile option for amateur photographers and ambitious beginners.

The camera was produced by the Japanese company Cosina. Cosina offered a functionally identical model, the Cosina CT-4.

Lens

The Vivitar XV-3 typically comes with a standard lens. This is often a Vivitar 50mm f/1.4, f/1.7, f/1.8, or f/2.0 lens.

The camera uses a Pentax K bayonet mount, which allows for interchangeable lenses. This allows a wide variety of lenses with different focal lengths and apertures to be used on the camera.

The standard lens has a focus ring for manual focusing. Many lenses have a distance scale and a depth of field scale, which are helpful for zone focusing. The camera does not have autofocus.

Exposure Settings

The Vivitar XV-3 uses TTL exposure metering with two silicon photodiodes located on either side of the viewfinder eyepiece behind the pentaprism. The system is center-weighted and determines an average value of the light.

The camera offers two main exposure modes: Aperture-priority Auto (A), in which the user sets the aperture and the camera automatically selects the appropriate exposure time, and Manual (M), in which the user determines both the aperture and exposure time.

The shutter is a Seiko MFC ES-846 electronic focal plane shutter with vertical metal blades.

Exposure times range from 8 seconds to 1/1000 of a second in both automatic and manual modes. There’s also a mechanical bulb mode (B) for long exposures and a flash sync speed (X) of 1/100 of a second.

In automatic mode, the camera displays the selected exposure time using 16 LEDs in the viewfinder. Over- or underexposure is also indicated by separate LEDs.

The camera features exposure compensation of +/- 2 EV in 1 EV steps, controlled by the film speed dial. There’s also an exposure lock function, which allows you to save the exposure for a specific subject even if the lighting conditions change.

Flash System

The Vivitar XV-3 has a hot shoe with X-contacts for connecting external flash units. Flash synchronization occurs at 1/100 second (X setting). Alternatively, a PC cable can be used.

The camera does not offer special flash modes such as TTL flash control, as it is an older model. For correct flash exposures, the settings on the flash unit and the camera (aperture, ISO) must be adjusted manually.

Additional Features

The Vivitar XV-3 has an electronic self-timer with a delay of approximately 10 seconds. A flashing LED on the front of the camera indicates the countdown. The flash frequency increases approximately 2 seconds before the shutter is released. The camera has a tripod thread for attaching it to a tripod. There’s a double exposure lock function that prevents accidental shutter release if the film hasn’t been advanced.

Dimensions and Weight

The dimensions of the Vivitar XV-3 (body only) are 135 mm x 85 mm x 48 mm. The weight of the camera (body only) is approximately 530 grams.

Power Supply

The Vivitar XV-3 is powered by two 1.5-volt silver oxide batteries (Eveready S-76, Mallory MS-76, or equivalent). (eBay / Amazon*) The batteries power the exposure metering and electronic shutter. Without batteries, the camera only operates with a mechanical shutter speed of 1/100 second (X setting) or in bulb mode (B).

Film Recommendations

The Vivitar XV-3 supports films with a film speed of ISO 25 to ISO 3200. The camera uses a manual dial to set the film speed. DX coding is not supported. For landscape photography, we recommend using low-ISO films (e.g., ISO 100) to achieve high detail reproduction.

For portrait photography, medium ISO films (e.g., ISO 400) are well suited to achieve a balanced depth of field. For sports photography or low-light shots, high ISO films (e.g., ISO 800 or ISO 1600) should be used to enable short exposure times. The number of images per roll of film is typically 12, 20, 24, or 36.

A good color film is the Kodak Ektar 100*. For black-and-white images, the Kodak T-Max 400* is suitable.

Quick Operation Guide

1. Insert a 35mm film into the camera and set the film speed (ISO) accordingly.
2. Select the desired exposure mode (A or M).
3. In A mode, set the aperture on the lens. In M mode, you set the aperture and shutter speed.
4. Focus the lens using the focus ring.
5. View the image through the viewfinder and pay attention to the exposure indicator (LEDs).
6. Press the shutter button halfway to activate the exposure metering (A mode).
7. Press the shutter button fully to take the photo.
8. Advance the film using the film advance lever.
9. After the film is fully exposed, rewind it using the film rewind crank.
10. Remove the film and have it developed.