Gadget Daddy: A camera for kids that prints pictures - The Ledger

The camera can print the picture in about 10 seconds on high-quality thermal paper that requires no ink.

I've been writing about electronic products for a long time. Seldom do I see something that strikes me as new and different and useful.

But the other day, I found something. It's the myFirst Camera Insta 2 from Oaxis, part of a new collection of "myFirst Tech" products designed for kids and teens.

The camera is in a soft plastic case that comes in pink or blue. It will take photographs using up to 12 megapixel resolution and videos at 30 frames a second and 1920-by-1080 resolution. It's available from online sites, selling for about $100 on Amazon.

The camera stores images on a memory card that can hold up to 32 gigabytes. Pictures are composed using the camera's 2.4-inch color screen.

Here's the cool-factor aspect: The camera can print the picture in about 10 seconds. The finished product emerges from the front of the camera on high-quality thermal paper — the same paper used for printing cash register receipts that requires no ink. The picture size is 3-1/4-by-2 inches.

And it is only available in black-and-white. Adults may be put off by that, but kids don't seem to mind.

What adults will appreciate, however, is that one roll of thermal paper can print about 60 or so pictures. The camera comes with two regular rolls of thermal paper, and one roll with a peel-off backing so the pictures can be applied to book covers and other surfaces. Those rolls, said a company spokesman, are good for more than 150 pictures. Additional rolls are available from office-supply stores.

The quality of thermal-print rolls can vary, so the cheapest rolls may not be a bargain. But even so, the per-print price will run about three to five cents -- much, much lower than the per-print price of color instant photos, which run about 80 cents per picture.

A word about thermal-paper chemicals: Many thermal-print rolls are made using bisphenol A (BPA). The Plastic Pollution Coalition notes that BPA has been banned from use in baby bottles and sippy cups. "Handling the paper leads to increased levels of the chemical in our bodies because it rubs off easily," the coalition said.

Non-BPA thermal paper is available, although there is still debate about the safety of that alternative.

Camera operation is so simple ... well, a child could do it. Younger ones may need some guidance. The instruction sheet is mainly simple drawings showing which of the seven buttons on the back of the camera do what functions. There is also a rear-facing lens on the back for taking selfies.

This is a point-and-shoot camera in the most basic of terms. Pictures can be transferred to a laptop and displayed in color or printed on a color printer. But this camera is designed to let a kid take a picture and have a print in hand several seconds later. Like the company spokesman said, it is a "myFirst camera," designed to make kids interested in photography and prepare them for the next level.

The camera runs off self-contained batteries, rechargeable through a USB connection. Recharging takes about 2.5 hours to full charge and lasts about four hours.

Getting a good picture is easiest in good lighting conditions, and will likely take some tinkering with the camera's settings for print density.

Summing up: What the camera lacks in sharpness and contrast for its prints, it makes up for in the low, low price of thermal-paper pictures. And it's so easy to operate, a child could do it (although adults likely will want to help because it's fun to tinker with).

For more information, visit the company's website: www.myfirst.tech.

Lonnie Brown can be reached at LedgerDatabase@aol.com.

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Gadget Daddy: A camera for kids that prints pictures - The Ledger
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