$25 is not a deal when the camera doesn't work!
Written: Jan 11 '06 (Updated Jan 11 '06)
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Pros: I'm still struggling to find one to put here...
Cons: Fell apart on day 2: NEVER WORKED!
The Bottom Line: Do not buy this camera for any reason; spend a few more dollars and buy a real digital camera for your child!!
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| thriftymommy's Full Review: Sakar Kidz Cam Digital Camera |
You know, you truly get your money's worth...and this Kidz Cam Digital Camera by Sakar is worth less than I paid for it!!
Product Description:
"The Kidz Cam Digital Camera Kit features a quality Digital Concepts digital camera, perfect for endless hours of fun and learning. No film is needed!
2MB of built-in SDRAM memory stores up to 80 photos, depending on resolution.
The ability to take up to 152 pictures in high density, low resolution mode. High density, high resolution mode should allow 38 images; low density, high resolution 19 images; low density, low resolution 76 images.
For children ages 5 and up.
Kidz Cam Digital Camera Kit includes camera software, cable and photo activity software. Helps kids with creative writing, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development.
Sakar 1 year warranty
This warranty covers the consumer purchaser only and is not transferable. It covers products that fail to function properly under normal usage, due to defects in material or workmanship. Your product will be repaired or (at our discretion) replaced at no charge (excluding shipping, handling, and insurance charges)."
My review
As we were packing for our most recent vacation, my husband suggested that we purchase digital cameras for our kids. As they vary in age from 4 to 6 to 11, I had to find matching cameras that all could master without too much time spent learning how to point and click...and with directions that mom could understand.
After searching high and low, I find Kidz Cam Digital Camera by Sakar at Walmart for $24.99 each. There were three colors to choose from: red, blue and purple. So, having three children, I purchased one of each color.
There are three buttons on this camera: one on the top where you click to snap a picture, and two on the back next to a small LCD screen; one says "ON" and the other says "MODE". Not too complicated, right?
The packaging is the hard plastic sealers; I refer to them as the unbreakable tyveks done in plastic because you need more than scissors to get into the package. For some reason, the companies are more worried about movement during shipping than the ability of the parent to open the child's toy.
The camera itself comes with a manual and an operating disc for Windows 98 or higher but not for MAC users. After looking on the manufacturer's website, I found a driver for our model but then couldn't download the driver from the website into our Windows XP system.
The manual is 20 pages of easy to read confusion...more on that later. The disc didn't open immediately and it took my husband, the computer guru, to open and load the worthless program onto our kids' computer...more on this later as well.
If you're looking to save a few batteries, this camera does NOT allow you to use rechargeable batteries. Instead, you need to invest in 2 'AA' batteries per camera. We didn't get to see what type of battery life these cameras had because the cameras never took a picture...beyond noting that the camera was on (because they all beeped after the batteries were turned on) by the cryptic code on the back LCD screen, these cameras never took a picture that we could tell.
On the back of this camera, there is a small LCD screen with different codes that are shown when you press the "MODE" button. Beyond having recognized the word "ON" and numbers (which I took to mean the number of available pictures you could shoot), the other codes that came up (CH, CL, CR) etc. were not covered in either the manual or on the driver we downloaded NOR on the disc included with the camera. To me, I could understand if Low density was CL and high density was CH, but what if the H or L referred to resolution and not density? If you've made it this far and are confused, join the club!
The LCD screen did have numbers shown when you pressed the "MODE" button enough times but it seemed that each time you pressed that mode button, the number changed. Knowing that I was not pressing the "click the picture button" every time, there seemed to be no reason for the number to change.
The manual included did not explain anything beyond the "This is how you insert the 2 'AA' batteries" to me or my computer guru husband. The first half of the 20 page manual is written in English and the second is in Spanish. In either language, the manufacturer failed to discuss the functions of the camera beyond turning it on.
The disc enclosed was also a huge waste of time. The disc was to contain the driver and also software so your children could modify and e-mail their pictures to others. Upon opening the disc (after having to send the children out of the room because my husband was using some choice words to express his dissatisfaction with this product), my disgust was immediate. The driver file was a whopping 1.2mb and the rest of the disc had shareware and commercials for other Sakar products. No photo shop software of any kind is on the disc and if they consider learning about other products you can purchase educational, we should consider allowing advertisers to rent chalkboard space...since they already rent school bus space!
There is no external memory for this camera. The camera does not work with your basic photo shop software. You cannot figure out how to download from the camera onto your computer without at least a Master's degree (or much patience and a good Merlot). Two out of three of the camera we bought broke completely apart after contact with the bathroom floor. The third one managed to survive its fall from the distance of about 4 feet (our 6 year old holding it over his head) but then also fell apart when the same child tried to replace the batteries.
We never managed to take a picture or even to see if you could take a picture so I cannot speak as to the picture quality. I also cannot speak to the ease of downloading because we never figured out how to download using both the enclosed disc and the manufacturer's driver online.
Overall
Don't be cheap, as my husband keeps telling me. Buy your child a real digital camera and skip the idea of child-sized digital cameras. This product lasted less than 2 days and my computer guru husband couldn't figure them out...overall, the Kidz Cam Digital Camera by Sakar is worth more for the plastic than for the technology!
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 24.99
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Fool-Proof for Absolute Beginners
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Epinions.com ID:
thriftymommy
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Member: April
Location: Home of the Hindenburg Disaster, NJ
Reviews written: 90
Trusted by: 49 members
About Me:
The number of people below the official poverty thresholds numbered 36.1 million in 2005.
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