Vtech Kidizoom Plus Digital Camera: Cameras For Young Children

My youngest child loves to mess around with 'grown up's' things. I have lost count of the amount of times I have rescued my own (expensive) digital camera from his little grasp, or helped him to take his own photo of the cat, or his brother, or the top of someone's head. We live in a gadget-obsessed world, and he is fascinated by the technology enjoyed by older members of the family. Yet he is constantly disappointed when he manages to get his hands on something, only to have it immediately plucked away.

Recently, however, I have discovered that there is such a thing as the Vtech Kidizoom Plus Digital Camera. What's more, it is suitable for children from the age of three years and upwards. Upon further investigation, I have reached the conclusion that the Kidizoom would make the perfect gift for my son, who is soon to be approaching his third birthday. The Vtech Kidizoom offers a young child the chance to take his own photos without intervention from an adult - complete autonomy using a 'grown-up's' toy. If I am being honest, it is not often that I actually come across any toy that I really feel is worth purchasing - so many of them do not have the staying power to hold his interest for more than a couple of weeks. I mean, there are countless plastic toys on the market that get a lot of hype but which do not particularly do a lot. But his own little piece of technology, in the form of a camera, that really does take pictures and that he can do with as he likes......

 The Vtech Kidizoom is a very durable camera.  During my research, I have encountered many reviewers who claim that their young children have dropped these cameras on the hardest of suraces - even concrete - only for it to suffer no ill effect.  Of course, this is one of the Kidizoom's greatest draws - after all, the main reason why we parents constantly snatch our own precious gadgets out of the hands of our little ones is because we fear a breakage.

The Vtech Kidizoom Digital Plus is a working camera that takes real, 2.0 mega pixel photos. Of course, you might consider that a 2.0 mega pixel camera will not give you the best and sharpest photos, but how much does that matter? You have to remember that this is, effectively, a toy camera and not a professional camera for an adult. Young children are not particularly good at taking photographs - a supervised session with my 2.5 year old conjures up images of the tops of people's heads; the floor (from an unusual angle); any random object (off center, always), our cat (just about on the edge of the picture despite being close by and quite large) and his own knees. Young children will not be critical of the performance of the Kidizoom - in fact, they will be extremely proud of their achievements.  Quite simply, they will adore the chance to use a camera that is really 'theirs', and that they can get creative with, all on their own.

To take the best pictures you do have to hold the camera fairly still because it will take a few seconds to focus. Whilst this might seem like a difficult concept for a small child, the old saying springs to mind - Practice Makes Perfect. Even children as young as 2 can understand the idea of holding something still (I know, because I've tried it) and it is something that can be mastered over time. And, to reiterate, whilst you may be critical of the quality of your child's photos, a young preschooler will not notice (or care) if his photos are not up to scratch. Remember, this is a toy and an introduction to the concept of photography - not a Photographer of the Year contest. From a personal point of view, I always think that as long as a child really loves a toy and enjoys the time spent playing with it, then it is worth the purchase and worth the money.

It should also be noted, when reading reviews on the Vtech Kidizoom Digital Camera, that the newest version has improved picture quality.

Of course, an older child might get on very well with the 'real deal', as opposed to the Kidizoom. My oldest son was given a modestly price digital camera for his 6th birthday and, four years later, it is still working perfectly. If you have a child who can appreciate the fragility of an item, and the care required to protect it from breakage, then this might be the best choice for you. But for preschoolers who simply do not understand that a camera does not like to be dropped, knocked or bashed, then I would certainly stick with the Kidizoom. In any case, the Kidizoom is not really marketed towards older children.

The Vtech Kidizoom Digital Plus comes in blue or pink. It has a fairly large screen of 1.8 inches and 256 megabytes of built-in memory. This means that it can store up to 500 photos or up to 10 minutes of video, before it will need transferring to a computer or printing out. There is also a slot for an SD memory card, enabling you to insert your own memory card (not included) to increase capacity.

The video recorder is another great feature for the Kidizoom - from my experience, no one likes taking minute after minute of unnecessary footage more than a child. Even my oldest son does it - he likes to film vegetables attached to invisible string, so that they bounce about like an animation. He likes to hide and shoot video of unsuspecting family members talking about the most ordinary things and...well....anything, really.

Also included with the Kidizoom is a CD Rom Photo Editor, with which you can add silly frames and stamps. There is an underwater scene, a spinning globe, wigs and glasses, a pirate eye patch and a flower border, plus much more. These little extras can really jazz up photos - and you should always remember that kids like 'silly' and 'silly' is fun. (Very young children, whilst probably apt at using the camera, will not be able to use these features wthout adult assistance.) The camera also includes five fun games to play.

The Kidizoom also has easy to use buttons - children as young as three (the recommended minimum age) should be able to quickly master these. In addition, it has easy to hold grips on each side to prevent slipping. The buttons stand out well on the camera, and are simple to understand. For instance, the zoom buttons are self-explanatory - the zoom in button features a large tree, whilst the zoom out button features a small tree. This is perfect for preschoolers who cannot yet read, yet from my own experience children these days are excellent at remembering what buttons do what (much better than me, sometimes!)

The Vtech Kidizoom is compatible with MAC or PC. You can also hook the Kidizoom up to a TV rather than a computer, so that you can view slideshows or video on the big screen. Children love this - we often do this anyway with our own 'grown up' video footage and the children love it as much as a kid's TV show (if they feature personally in it, of course!).

 The Vtech Kidizoom Plus Digital Camera includes the following:

Camera as described

CD rom with Kidizoom Plus Photo Editor Software

A/V cable

USB cable

User's Manual

Wrist Strap

(please note that this item requires 4 AA batteries - the camera comes with 4 demo batteries included but these are not designed to last and will need replacing quickly.)