According to a 4-year-old this tiny $44 camera is a smart buy
Updated
As my family’s unofficial official photographer, I wanted to do things differently on our recent trip away. While I love taking photos, I thought it would be fun to outsource this time. Outsource to my 4-year-old nephew. He’s cute and funny, and who wouldn’t want to smile when he shouts, “Hey, smile!” in your face?
The camera he was charged with?
The Kodak Charmera Keychain Mini Digital Camera
Kodak Charmera Digital Camera Kodak
The Kodak Charmera revisits the retro charm of the 1987 Kodak Fling (the brand’s first-ever signature disposable camera) but with a teeny tiny digital twist.
No bigger than a lipstick, this pint-sized camera has only five buttons and an LCD screen for filming and previewing shots, which is why a four-year-old is more than capable of using it to take photos.
Are the photos in focus? Mostly no. Is the subject centred? Rarely. Is the photo dump fun to flick through post-holiday? Absolutely. Image credit: My four-year-old nephew
What’s to love about it?
It’s a blind box! You can collect all seven retro designs if you have the disposable cash. But if you’re content with being surprised only once, this is a fun feature.
It’s so small. I guess this adds to the novelty of it, but it also helps that it’s not another bulky device to carry around, which makes me wonder why can’t all cameras be this compact?
It’s easy to use. As someone who reads instructions only out of complete desperation and hopelessness when things go wrong, the buttons are easy to navigate, even for a 4-year-old boy.
It shoots video, too! Perhaps the best feature.
You can customise! The photo mode features four frames and seven filters for fun customisation.
Batteries are not required. It comes with a USB-C cord to recharge the camera and once it’s fully charged it’s surprisingly long-lasting.
What we don’t love about it (because nothing’s perfect)
The added step of needing a USB-C cable and your laptop to transfer the images from the camera makes you wish for AirDrop or Bluetooth capabilities here. But that’s the point; it’s retro. So this is a flaw we’re OK to live with.
To save your photos, you need a 1 GB-128 GB TF/microSD card, and you have to buy it separately. Thankfully, wherever you buy the camera, you’ll find a microSD card close by. I bought mine from Amazon with the camera, but if you’re shopping at JB Hi-Fi, you’ll be able to grab one there too for $39
Who is the Kodak Charmera Keychain Mini Digital Camera good for?
- Four-year-olds: It’s not hard to master; simply turn it on, choose between photo and video, pick a filter (if you like), and they’re ready to go. Give them a few goes at it and they’ll be setting it up for themselves in no time
- Parents of four-year-olds (who don’t want their kids using their phone to take a thousand photos of the floor): It’s a cheap and durable way to capture their memories, no matter how blurry, and stop their little hands from accidentally sending their photos to your contact list
- Fans of the Y2K revival: If you like taking retro snaps but don’t want to mess around with film, you can get the full experience without the added cost
Buy the new Kodak Charmera Millennium Mini Camera Blind Box
Kodak Charmera Digital Camera Kodak
The final verdict, is it worth it?
In short, yes!
The Kodak Charmera Keychain Mini Digital Camera isn’t going to replace your high-res smartphone camera, but its indestructible appeal, retro Y2K aesthetic, and ultra-simple controls make it a fun buy.
Whether you’re using it to outsource your photography to an overactive four-year-old or you’re clipping it to your bag to capture candid, retro snaps, its bite-sized value proves the best memories don’t require expensive camera gear.
Ask the four-year-old, and he’ll agree, this tiny camera is great.
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