Why I'm Replacing My Kid's Digital Camera with a $30 4-Star Alternative

The Dilemma of Tech-Infiltrated Toys

I've enjoyed photography ever since I was a kid; my mom was into it when I was growing up, and my dad even built her a darkroom in our basement. I spent many hours down there developing film from my Canon AE-1, and watching the images magically appear before my eyes.

I want to pass my love of photography on to my own daughter, so a couple years ago, I bought her a cheap digital camera off of Amazon for $30, so she could take pictures when we went on trips or out for a hike. It's nothing fancy — it takes mediocre photos, but it has a small display on the back, and you can add fun filters, stickers and faces to the pictures you take.

When a Camera Becomes a Game Console

However, a problem arose when she discovered that the camera also had games. There's only three on the camera (Tetris, Snake, and Pushbox), but once she found them, she stopped using the camera for its intended purpose. Now, when we went out on walks, I'd find her stumbling along, her eyes fixated on the screen, rather than looking at nature around her.

Now, I'm not against letting kids play games (to an extent), but when it comes at the expense of tuning out the world around you, then I have a problem. It got to the point where we had to actually take the camera away, as all she was doing was playing games. But I was still left with a dilemma — I want to get her as hooked on photography as I am.

Searching for the Best Alternative

So, I turned to our trusty reviews team, who has tested far more cameras than I have. Of course, I scoured our list of the best cheap cameras, because I was looking for something that was small and inexpensive. Here's what they came back with, and what I ultimately chose.

I initially looked at the Yashica Funtastic Keychain camera, which indeed looks like a lot of fun — especially the Peanuts-branded model. However, they all cost around $200, which is way too much for an 8-year-old. I'm tempted to get one for myself, though.

Kodak Charmera

Nikita Achanta, who's reviewed dozens of cameras, immediately mentioned the Kodak Charmera, which she rated at 4 stars in her review. "It's quite nice and fun and VERY cheap. I think it's perfect for kids," she said. "If you want something that takes better photos (Charmera is only 1.6MP), I'd go for the Kodak PIXPRO FZ45 ($99 at Amazon). The PIXPRO C1 ($99 at Amazon) has a flip-up selfie screen so it's more versatile."

The Charmera has a 1.6MP sensor, so you're not going to get the highest-quality snaps (they're 1440 x 1080), but you can add 4 frames and 7 filters in photo mode, and it records video. It comes in seven different styles, but you don't know which one you get until you open the box.

Lola Miffy

Nikita also recommended the Lola Miffy ($109 at Lola.com), "which I think is probably the cutest camera out there," she said, and I'm inclined to agree. Nikita gave it 4 stars in her review. However, it might just be a little too much camera for a kid just starting out.

Fujifilm Instax mini LiPlay

Peter Wolinski, the head of our reviews team (and no slouch when it comes to photography) recommended the Fujifilm Instax mini LiPlay ($174 at Amazon) as a hybrid instant/digital camera. "That's the benefit of a hybrid," he said. "Get them engaged with the printing aspect, but if they start burning through film they can still snap on SD." This is another camera Nikita reviewed, and also gave it 4 stars.

What I Chose

Ultimately, I went with the Kodak Charmera. It's small, it's cheap, and it's just what I'm looking for: something that will take photos, and nothing more. We gave it a 4-star review when we tested it earlier this year, and while I know it's not going to take the highest-resolution pictures, I'm hoping it spurs the same interest in photography that I've had for all these years.