Vivitar Celebrates 75 Years with Launch of New Tablet Computers

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Vivitar, the iconic consumer electronics brand that made its mark as an innovator in photographic equipment, is celebrating its 75^th anniversary this year with the launch of a collection of affordable tablet computers aimed at the youth and family markets. The new tablets – being shown for the first time at Booth 13035, Central Hall, atthe CES 2013 International CES conference that opens today in Las Vegas – mark the latest chapter in an aggressive expansion of the Vivitar product line since the brand was acquired by Sakar International in 2008.

Today Vivitar's portfolio ranges from mass-market digital cameras and video recorders to professional SLR lenses, flashes and accessories, as well as bags and cases, tripods, batteries and chargers, binoculars, telescopes and microscopes, harkening back to the brand's optics heritage. The Vivitar family also spans TV, computer, smartphone and tablet accessories, including a new 'Absolutely Charming' fashion line of matching iPad and iPhone cases, headphones and earbuds available in 12 different themed designs enabling women to personalize their electronics.

The tablets will take Vivitar into a new product category that will be sold under the Vivitar name as well as licensed to other consumer brands. Sakar has an active license program with major brand franchises including Disney, Monster High, Nickelodeon, Batman, Spider-Man, Hello Kitty, KidzBop, Targus, Kodak, NERF, Polaroid and many others.

"Seventy-five years is a milestone for any company, and especially for a brand like Vivitar in a market that has been transformed by digital technology. Vivitar was once so focused on the SLR camera that they literally wrote a book on the subject, so the brand has had to evolve to meet current market realities. We have done that while upholding the Vivitar reputation for delivering quality products at an affordable price," said Jeff Saka, President of Sakar International.  "Our entry into the tablet businessis the next step in a progression that continues to strengthen the brand and keep it fresh for a new generation of consumers."

Vivitar was founded in 1938 by two German immigrants who began distributing imported photographic equipment from the trunk of their Oldsmobile. The partners eventually began producing their own lens designs, including the widely known Series 1 that was the first professionally accepted 3:1 zoom lens. The success of its lens products was followed by the introduction of Vivitar-branded 35mm cameras and innovations such as the Vivitar 283 flash unit featuring a patented circuit allowing rapid recycling times. That flash became the #1 professional and enthusiast product of its kind, outselling all competitors, and was in production for over 30 years.

Vivitar entered the consumer market in the 1990s with a line of digital cameras. Today the company is the largest supplier of digital cameras and accessories around the world, with models ranging from entry-level VGA cameras and underwater camcorders to 18-megapixel compact system Android cameras for the amateur and serious digital photographer. 

About Vivitar
Vivitar is a leading provider of photographic, audio and optic devices and related accessories with a rich heritage of technology innovation dating back to 1938. The company celebrates its 75^th anniversary in 2013 with an aggressive expansion of its accessory portfolio, including a line of fashion smartphone and tablet accessories as well as co-branded speakers, docks, headphones and earbuds. Vivitar is headquartered in Edison, New Jersey, with additional offices across the United Kingdom, Latin America, Canada and Hong Kong, and retail distribution worldwide.  For more information, visit www.vivitar.com

SOURCE Vivitar