About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

The Kidizoom Plus camera from Vtech is more of a toy than a serious camera, but, for children, it should be a fun option. Younger children will enjoy the Vtech more than pre-teens and older children interested in photography, because the Kidizoom Plus offers only the most basic photography features. Its photography options only are good enough to shoot photos to share by e-mail or to make tiny prints.

Still, with a price of less than $60, the Kidizoom Plus makes a nice option for small children. Most small children don't care about image quality; they just want a fun camera, and the Kidizoom Plus is a good choice.



Pros

• Two viewfinders allow children to operate camera like binoculars
• Kidizoom Plus is fun to use
• Limited video options
• Can add warps and stamps to the photos using editing tools
• Automatic shut off saves battery power

Cons

• Camera is a little heavy
• Basic photography features won't appeal to older children
• Kidizoom Plus is more toy than camera
• Menu structure can be a little tricky to learn to use
• It's easy to press a button inadvertently because of the layout

Description

• Resolution: 2.0 megapixels
• Optical zoom: None
• LCD: 1.8-inch
• Maximum image size: 1600 x 1200 pixels
• Battery: 4 AA
• Dimensions: 4 x 3 x 6 inches
• Weight: 1.2 pounds

Guide Review - Vtech Kidizoom Plus Review

Image Quality

If you're hoping for high-end image quality from the Kidizoom Plus, you're going to be disappointed. The Kidizoom Plus offers two resolution settings: 2.0 megapixels and 0.3 megapixels.

Those resolutions are OK for small prints and sending photos by e-mail, but don't expect to make any medium- or large-sized prints.

The Kidizoom Plus does an OK job with focus and with color accuracy, especially for a children's camera. However, the flash tends to overpower the photos, leading to washed-out images, especially on close-up photos. I wouldn't recommend relying on the flash for anything but a group photo. Shooting photos outdoors or in good indoor lighting work best with the Kidizoom Plus camera.

Performance

Overall response times for the Kidizoom Plus are below average, which is what you'd expect from a children's camera that's more toy than serious piece of photography equipment. The camera does require recovery time of a few seconds whenever you use the flash, and the camera's normal shutter lag of a couple of seconds can be a problem for children who are impatient.

The memory structure on the Kidizoom Plus is a little tough to figure out at first, so small children may need some help initially. Once they have the menus down, though, kids should be able to use this camera all by themselves, other than changing batteries or downloading photos to the computer.

The Kidizoom Plus includes a basic photo editor, which allows you to add stamped images to your photos (such as a pirate hat or a monkey mask), as well as fun frames. You even can warp the images. These features will be enjoyable for kids.

The camera can store 500 or more photos in its 256MB of internal memory, which is a nice feature. Kids also can shoot up to 8 minutes of video with the Kidizoom Plus.

Design

This camera looks more like binoculars than a camera, because of its two viewfinders. This is an excellent feature for small children, who may struggle to close one eye while using a single viewfinder. It has dual handgrips, allowing small children to operate the camera one-handed or two-handed. With the two handgrips, the Kidizoom Plus is pretty bulky, and the fact that it runs from four AA batteries makes it a bit heavy.

The LCD measures 1.8 inches, which is a bit small, and it's very difficult to see in bright sunlight because of glare. Kids can play any of five simplistic built-in games on the LCD, which can keep them entertained as they wait for the next photo opportunity.

One potential problem with the Kidizoom Plus is in the placement of its many buttons. It'll be pretty easy for children to inadvertently press buttons as they grab the camera, which could cause some problems. The Kidizoom Plus does have an automatic shut off feature, which will save battery power.