My First Camera Insta 20 Review
DISCLOSURE -THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Deborah Banasko
My boys have outgrown their chunky kiddy cameras yet aren’t ready for the world of mobile phones, so a compact kids’ camera is perfect for them.
The box containing the camera is compact, sturdy and really protects the product well. Inside there is of course the camera, a cute adjustable neck-strap, 3 rolls of thermal paper, mini stickers to customise your camera, instruction manual, memory card and the charging lead.
The 16mp camera is a nice compact size and is pretty light, with a dual display colour screen. It takes just two hours to charge which isn’t too bad if you aren’t organised enough to charge it up on Christmas Eve! It prints black and white pictures onto the enclosed paper and takes HD videos too. The instructions are easy step by step guides, and using the camera could not be more straight forward for kids as you have a limited number of operation buttons. It really is idiot proof! The camera is made from non-toxic materials and is BPA free.
The “testers” were my two boys aged 10 and 7. Once they got over the fact that we had been sent the cotton candy pink and blue mix they were pretty excited to try it out. I have to say I find the colour absolutely beautiful and great for sharing siblings, but there is a blue option too.
As soon as you turn the camera on you are presented with a bright clear screen, which measures around 7.5 by 4.5cm. Both camera and screen are excellent quality. The boys loved the effects feature, where you add different effects onto photos. This could be a something basic like a filter, or perhaps a Christmas themed frame, some cartoon lips, funny ears… you just line them up and take your photo!
The camera has a second display screen facing the subject, and displays cute little emojis which is a fun feature. You can also press and hold a button to switch the camera view and take a selfie with precision.
I love that the photo prints are ink free, so no messy hands or stains on the carpet, and they print in less than 10 seconds. For a paper-style print they are decent quality too!
The company website is definitely worth a browse as “coming soon” you will be able to purchase different colours and designs of camera covers (no launch date at present) which appeals to my boys. You can also purchase your thermal paper refills at £11 for three rolls (60 sheets per roll).
The camera is perfect for my 7-year old, and my 10-year old loves it too. I think once kids hit high school and have their phones, the design of this camera may feel a little young. Changing the covers could extend the use a little, but I would say that an age range of 6 until around 10 or 11 is fair.
I was a bit concerned over the price initially, as £99 sounds a little steep for a kids’ camera. However you are getting a quality item that takes photos, selfies, videos, it prints, plus it has the cartoon effects and filters. I would still personally feel more comfortable if it was priced slightly lower, and I noticed that ordering now applies an automatic discount code to reduce the price to £89.10 which is really competitive and feels much better value.
My kids have so many action figures and cars that I do run out of Christmas ideas; this is fab as it isn’t just about photos, it’s the instant print idea that really gets them excited and a great way to get the family involved on Christmas day. We are about to order some scrap books for their photos, so it does lead onto lots of other gift options.
I would award this camera 4.5 stars out of 5, deducting half a point purely for the full RRP price-point.
RRP: £99.00 (currently discounted)
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
You can purchase this product here: https://uk.myfirst.tech/products/myfirst-camera-insta-20