The Vtech Kidizoom Duo is an affordable and robust 5-megapixel digital camera for kids. And as a kids’ camera, the Kidizoom Duo is jammed with child-friendly features such as frames, filters, and games.
But due to its rich feature set, the Vtech Kidizoom Duo is a little complicated. With no less than 12 separate control points, the Vtech Kidizoom Duo risks alienating the lower end of its aged 3 to 9 audience. So, is the Vtech Kidizoom Duo the perfect camera for kids? I snuck into my daughter’s bedroom and borrowed hers to find out. Jump to Conclusion
Table of Contents
- Shop Kids Cameras
- What is the Vtech Kidizoom Duo 5.0
- Is the Vtech Kidizoom Duo 5 any good?
- Conclusion
- Shop Kids Cameras
What is the Vtech Kidizoom Duo 5.0
Image Quality
The Vtech Kidizoom Duo is a fully functional digital camera for children between three and nine years old. Inside its large, robust body is a 5-megapixel camera sensor fronted by a fixed lens with 4x digital zoom.
Around the lens is a control ring for cycling between the Kidizoom’s filters. These include Sepia, Black and White, and many more. On the camera’s rear, there’s a separate 0.3-megapixel camera for selfies. A simple optical viewfinder provides a bare-bones alternative to the 2.4-inch LCD screen.
Like all cameras these days, the Vtech Kidizoom Duo records videos. Specifically, the Kidizoom camera can record 320×240 videos for up to ten minutes.
Connectivity and Power
Regarding connectivity, the Kidizoom Duo features a smartphone-style USB Micro-B 2.0 port for dragging and dropping photos onto your computer. As the price point suggests, there’s no Bluetooth or wifi.
Amazingly, and unlike the thousand-dollar cameras I usually write about, the Kidizoom Duo features built-in memory. While it’s only 256MB, the Kidizoom is good to go as soon as you feed it four AA batteries. But in the long run, 256MB is not enough, and you’ll need to invest in a card for Kidizoom’s Micro SD slot.
Kiddy Features
As a children’s camera, the Kidizoom Duo is loaded with kid-centric features. For instance, there are many photo filters, from simple sepia and black & white effects to humiliating body and face distortions. The kaleidoscope effects are good fun as the shake-shake effects you initiate by physically shaking the camera.
When you’re not taking photos, there’s a photo editor in which existing photos can be tweaked. And for those long car journeys, the VTech Kidizoom comes armed with five surprisingly fun video games.
Is the Vtech Kidizoom Duo 5 any good?
In itself, the Vtech Kidizoom Duo is a well-made product with a very generous feature set. I also get the feeling a lot of love went into its design. However, the Kidizoom Duo does have some problems.
Image Quality
First, its image quality is functional but poor, even when you factor in its price. Furthermore, its 320×240 video resolution is below that of VHS tapes.
Of course, you might be saying – it’s a kids’ camera, man; what are you on about? Well, I agree, and that leads me to the next problem.
Ergonomics
The Vtech Kidizoom Duo is not an easy camera to use. For instance, the Kidizoom is burdened with multi-tier menus and twelve separate control points – some of which integrate multiple functions. As a result, the Kidizoom Due is no easier to use than my wife’s Sony A5000.
Therefore, there’s a risk that the Kidizoom is too complex for young children while lacking the sort of image quality and design that might appeal to older children. Of course, all children are different, and you know yours better than I do.
In my case, we bought a Kidizoom Due for our 5-year-old daughter, and she loves it despite being barely able to operate it. In contrast, when my son was around the same age, he inherited an old Canon Powershot A620 – a vastly superior camera that in my opinion – is easier to use.
And then there’s the bare-bones kid’s digital camera I reviewed years ago. Although it suffers terrible image quality and lacks Kidizoom’s extensive feature set, it’s smaller, cheaper, and far easier to use.
Nevertheless, the Kidizoom is a nice product; my daughter loves it as she does all new things. Therefore, as a present and a toy, it succeeds.
Conclusion
The Kidizoom Duo is a well-built product with a huge feature set. Unfortunately, its rather complicated user interface risks alienating younger children. On the other hand, older kids will likely be turned off by Kidizoom’s cartoonish design, poor photo quality, and abysmal video resolution.
Therefore, you might prefer this basic kid’s digital camera as it is cheaper, smaller, and easier to use. And if your child is older, an affordable point-and-shoot will be no-less complex to use while producing superior results to look back on.
Overall, the Vtech Kidizoom is a nice product with good intentions and a great toy. But as a camera, it does not fit well with either side of its aged 3 to 9 audience. And as a result, you may be better off looking elsewhere.
Update: So despite all of the above – which I still consider correct, my daughter still loves it and carries it everywhere. I think she just enjoys copying her Daddy. The games have been a huge hit.
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