Quick Verdict
The Vtech Kidizoom 5.0 offers minor camera improvements over the previous model which are welcome. You can now capture 5-megapixel images with the front camera, and it's packed with fun filters and games to keep the kids amused on their photography adventures. The tough and chunky design is great for little hands. An ideal starter camera for 3-9-year-old kids.
+ Pros
- Tough, durable design
- Improved 5-megapixel front camera
- Great fun effects
- Games & more built-in
- Expandable storage with MicroSD card
- Cons
- Still has a VGA selfie camera
- Image quality drops to 2 megapixels with filters
The Vtech Kidizoom 5.0 is a chunky, fun kids camera aimed at 3-9 year-olds. This latest model is equipped with a 5-megapixel front camera, rear 'selfie' camera, 4x digital zoom and lots of fun features to keep kids entertained and teach them about photography. The camera is available in blue or pink colourways and retails for £39.99 on Amazon.
Vtech Kidizoom Duo 5.0 Features
The Vtech Kidizoom 5.0 is the latest model in the Kidizoom family, and aesthetically it's the same design as the older model, the Vtech Kidizoom Duo apart from slight changes in the design - the new model features a different cover image on the front and orange front, side and top grips to match the buttons.
The camera is encased in shockproof rubber and has 2 chunky grips on either side. The outside of these grips are battery compartments and each holds 2 AA batteries. There are binocular style viewing holes at the top, and on the front, there's a flash as well as the main camera lens, surrounded by a mock rubber focusing ring which can be twisted. On the right grip is the shutter button and on the left is the button to switch between cameras.
On the back, you'll find the rear-facing camera, a 2.4-inch colour LCD screen and operational buttons, including a multi-directional joystick for navigation. On the back of the right-hand grip is a zoom wheel, allowing you to alter the digital 4x zoom.
On the bottom underneath rubber flaps are a micro USB connection port allowing you to connect the camera to a PC, and a MicroSD card slot allowing you to increase the storage capacity.
The camera takes 5-megapixel images with the front as standard, but using a camera effect makes the images just 2 megapixels. The rear camera has a 0.3-megapixel resolution. You can also select low-resolution mode for the front camera making those images 0.3 megapixels as well. The camera is capable of 3x photo burst mode images.
There are lots of fun and whacky camera effects that you can add to images, and the camera can also record up to 10 minutes of video at a time when a microSD card is inserted. There are also games pre-loaded into the camera to keep the kids entertained.
Key Features
- 5-megapixel front camera
- 0.3-megapixel rear camera
- 4x digital zoom
- Binocular style eyepieces
- Lots of fun & creative effects
- Record up to 10 minutes of 320x240 pixel video with a microSD card
- Built-in flash
- 10-second timer option
- Games, voice changer, whacky effects
- Tough, shockproof rubber design
Vtech Kidizoom Duo 5.0 Handling
The Kidizoom 5.0 is very comfy and stable to hold, with the 2 grips on either side fitting small hands well. It's very ergonomically designed, with the shutter and camera switch buttons placed right where the index fingers lie.
The camera is designed for young kids, so the navigation is simple and image-rich, as expected. Turning the camera on takes you straight into the 5-megapixel front camera mode. On the joystick, you can push up to alter the flash setting, (off, always on or auto modes), and down to turn the self-timer on or off. It's a 10-second timer.
Navigating left or right with the joystick takes you through all the different funny frames and effects available. You can also press the star button on the back of the camera to choose a specific kind of effect. Choose from photo frames, stamps, funny faces, silly mirrors, kaleidoscopes, shake shake effects, 3x photo burst mode or auto-portraits. At any point, you can switch cameras by pressing the left-hand shutter button.
Press home to access other camera modes. There's 'you & me' camera, which is a bit like those portraits with their heads cut out at the seaside for you to pose with - take images of your face set within a frame to create fun group images. Video recording mode, voice changer, whacky photo shaker, creative tools (like photo editing and silly face detector), games and setting can all be found on the home menu.
Along the bottom of the screen are buttons allowing you to view photos and videos you've taken, adjust the sound level of the camera, delete images and power the camera on or off.
Vtech Kidizoom Duo 5.0 Performance
The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.
Vtech Kidizoom Duo 5.0 Performance
The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.
The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.
There are no manual capabilities on the camera, so it's really just a case of point, shoot and hope for the best. Flash can be toggled on, off or auto, and you can set a 10-second timer for images, but that's as far as it goes.
Images taken are only 5 megapixels without any filters or stamps on the image - as soon as these are applied the image drops back down to 2 megapixels. For most kids taking images with the camera, who will only ever view them in camera, the image quality is sufficient and will allow them to browse through their memories.
If you really wanted to print captures, you'd be able to get away with 8x6 inch prints at best. Without using filters, at 5 megapixels you could reasonably expect to get decent 10x8 prints for a good quality image.
Here are a selection of test (and a few silly!) images we captured:
VTech 507103 Kidizoom Duo 5.0 Sample Photos
Value For Money
The Vtech Kidizoom is available for £39.99 on Amazon UK. Slightly different models are available in the US - a simplified 2-megapixel option can be purchased for $33.50. The Kidizoom 5.0 is called the 'Deluxe' in the states and is available for $79.99. This Deluxe model also has a built-in MP3 player and included headphones.
There aren't many close competitors out there for the Kidizoom camera - Vtech is a reputable brand that has created a unique photography and entertainment toy in the form of a chunky and tough camera ideal for little hands.
A similar product is the Drograce Kids camera, offering a 5-megapixel camera and 1080p video for £33.98, however, this camera doesn't have as many fun features and isn't as well designed.
For more options, take a look at our Kids Cameras roundup article.
Vtech Kidizoom Duo 5.0 Verdict
Overall, the Kidizoom 5.0 is exactly the same in body design and features, apart from some minor design tweaks. The marked improvement is in the camera quality. The main camera being upped to 5 megapixels makes the camera usable in more situations and actually gives kids the feeling of being able to capture creative images.
The selfie camera is still a meagre 0.3 megapixels, so perhaps in the next incarnation, this can be improved. As with the previous Kidizooms, the product is a pleasure to use for young and old alike, and plenty of laughs can be achieved with the whacky filters that can be applied to images. The games are also immersive, helping to curb boredom after a long day out shooting with friends or family.
We are happy to recommend the camera for its fun features and tough, robust design.
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The Vtech Kidizoom is an ideal camera for younger kids with a decent image quality, loads of fun filters, chunky rubberised design and built-in games to boot. |
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