Vtech Kidizoom Plus Digital Camera
I bought this camera for my son when he was two and a half years old. I wanted something that would be durable enough for a toddler, but also took decent pictures that we could save and print. I did a lot of research and found that most kids’ cameras have very low resolution – around 0.3 megapixels! Some claim to have 1.6 or 2.0 interpolated megapixels. From what I understand through my research, interpolated means the camera takes the image at a very low resolution and blows it up, filling in the extra pixels with the values that appear around it. It doesn’t improve picture quality but allows companies to claim higher specs.
One reason I bought this camera was because I read it had real 2.0MP resolution. I’ve since learned it also is interpolated. However, I’ve found that about half the photos my son takes look decent enough to save. Of course, the other half are very blurry, probably because he’s running as he takes them. While interpolated megapixels seem to be a marketing ploy, to this very novice eye, the interpolation does appear to help a little. The main thing is he’s having fun and I’m able to save and print a few. And for me, it’s a lot of fun to take a look at his camera and see what he chooses to photograph.
We've never tried the Fisher Price Kid Tough camera, but from all the reviews I've read, picture quality is similar. (It's 1.3 interpolated megapixels while the KiddieZoom Plus is 2.0 interpolated megapixels). It was one of my top contenders when I was deciding what topurchase. The reason I decided against it was because of reviews saying the delete button is too large and makes a fun sound when you push it, so kids keep deleting their photos. That made me smile, but since I wanted to save my son's photos, that was an issue for me.
Extra Features
I wasn’t looking for all the extra features when I bought the Vtech KiddieZoom Plus, but it’s now what I like the most about it. I was surprised how quickly he learned to play the five games on the camera. We started bringing it on road trips, and it kept him busy for long stretches of time. He eventually started using the photo editor on it too. He would add funny stamps or backgrounds to pictures of me and my husband and start laughing. Those ended up being my favorite pictures to save. He also enjoys the video camera mode, and has captured plenty of moments I had no idea he was recording! Then we can hook up the camera to the TV so we can view all his masterpieces together.
A year has passed since we purchased the camera, and it still looks and functions the same, after dozens of drops and falls. If you have an elementary-aged kid, I would consider researching cameras outside the kids’ market. They won’t be as durable, but for the same price, you can get a camera with much higher resolution. For toddlers and preschoolers, I would highly recommend the Vtech Kiddie Zoom Plus digital camera. You’ll have fun helping your little ones learn to take photos. And as they grow, they can explore the extra features on the camera and it becomes a “new toy.” We’ve definitely gotten our money’s worth! (FYI…the Vtech Kiddie Zoom and the Vtech Kiddie Zoom Plus are two different cameras. From my research, I’ve noticed reviews of the Kiddie Zoom Plus are much higher than those of the regular Kiddie Zoom.)
| 
Delicious
Digg
Facebook
Magnolia
Slashdot
Twitter
Stumbleupon
Yahoo My Web