Over the past couple years, several cameras for kids have become available. Given the photographic skill of the average preschooler, digital cameras outweigh film cameras in value not only because of their lack of film and development cost, but because of the immediate gratification of a preview screen. Anyone who's had children run over to a camera to see the preview screen immediately after the flash goes knows what I mean.

VTech's Kidizoom camera not only gives these basic features (No actual zoom--not even a digital one--so don't let the name fool you.), but adds some games and kid-friendly photo editing software into the mix.

Image Quality

The Kidizoom offers a resolution of .3 megapixels (640x480 "VGA") with a 1.8" color screen, or the photographer can use the double viewer instead, which is the pair of traditional lenses typical with kids' cameras, although my kids all prefer the screen. The camera also features an automatic flash, allowing kids to take indoor shots of every nook and cranny of your home.

Images are not exactly publishing quality. They're grainy, and anything that was moving even the slightest bit ends up blurry. The clarity of the added elements like frames and stamps (see below) accentuates this problem. That said, most 3-6-year-olds will be more excited about using the camera and snapping photos of family, toys, refrigerator magnets, and the carpeting than they will care about photo quality. Even so, parents may be disappointed that the occasional photographic gem is too low quality to print.

Camera Specs

The Kidizoom can also do video, but the resulting AVI files (Motion JPEG Compressed) have a resolution of 160x120 at 11 frames per second, so at that postage stamp size, image quality becomes almost irrelevant. That said, preschoolers will still enjoy the chance to record their family and pets in embarrassing situations. It includes 16MB of internal flash memory, which, with such small resolutions, can store over 200 photos or 5 minutes of video, plus an SD card slot can expand that capacity to practically limitless levels. The SD slot is in the battery compartment, which requires a screwdriver to open, thus preventing children from losing the batteries or card.

VTech created a simple interface with onscreen icon-based menu so even pre-readers should have little problem navigating to their preferred modes with the thumb pad. VTech also includes interchangeable faceplates to slightly customize the look of the camera, and the faceplates hold very securely. (You'll only lose the unattached one!)

The camera includes 2 cords, a standard USB cord like any other camera and a monaural A/V cord with a proprietary mini-jack. When connecting the camera to a Windows PC, the PC instantly recognizes the camera and offers to import the media. Mac OS X will recognize the camera as a removable drive, allowing photos and movies to be accessed from the Finder, but iPhoto doesn't recognize the camera as such, so any images you want to save will need to be added via drag and drop or other manual methods. Also, since the camera has no internal clock, you'll need to adjust the creation date of the files if you like to sort them by date or event.

Like other kids' cameras, the sides have large rubber hand grips that not only make it easier to hold (I'd like something like this on an adult camera for my large hands!), but also protect it if when it gets dropped on a hard floor.

Play Time

While the Kidizoom falls short in image quality, it shines in the play department. While taking photos, the budding photographer can add cartoony elements via the thumb pad like frames, bunny ears, or a pirate hat and eye patch. These can be added as the photo is taken or afterward using the Photo Editor. The Photo Editor can also add distortion like a warped mirror or view the photo with a handful of animations (Like a sphere that wraps the photo around a rotating ball). Sound can also be added to the photo afterward using the Voice Photo, so kids can label their images or add funny sayings if they like. (Probably more the latter!)

The camera also features three built-in games. The first is Tic-Tac-Toe, with a fairly random AI, so kids will have a decent chance of winning games. Matching Pairs is a standard Memory card game that shows the cards face-up first and adds more cards the longer you play. The only game to actually use the photos is Rotation Puzzle, which splits photos (both user-taken images and a collection of sample images) into four or more squares, randomly rotating each square. The player selects each square and rotates it to the proper orientation. This game is the most challenging of the set, especially when your child has taken a picture of the carpeting, and it looks the same no matter which way you turn the image!

PC Software

The stamps and frames available using the Photo Editor on the camera only offer a sampling of the total number available. The included CD ROM (Windows only--sorry, Mac users!) includes image editing software that allows users to add frames and stamps with a wide variety to choose from. Users can also use distortion and animation functions, with one more animation available onscreen. (Note: Animations can't be saved into the image.) Hannah loves playing with the PC software about as much as she loves snapping photos.

The Big Picture

The Kidizoom doesn't take the best photos of the various kids' cameras, but the included software makes it a compelling choice. Macintosh homes will probably want to look elsewhere, but for the fun factor, this camera will give a child enough creative play to last a long time.