This VTech Camera Lets Kids Shoot Instant Photos for $0.01 Per Print

Instant cameras have made a huge comeback in recent years, but giving that sense of instant, tangible gratification to kids has generally been avoided since it can get pretty expensive. VTech’s KidiZoom PrintCam wants to change that with a per-print cost of just one cent.

As Engadget reports, even the most affordable instant print cameras can get expensive once you factor in the sheer volume a child may produce in instant print images. At what can cost $0.75 per print, it’s just not sustainable to get your kids into photography with something that expensive, knowing that what they will take pictures of can range from the ground, to the sky, to the inside of their palms.

VTech, which currently makes a set of cameras designed specifically for the tiny hands of children, seems to have noticed that problem and will release a child-focused instant print camera called the KidiZoom PrintCam later this year that can print images extremely cheaply. With this toy camera, you won’t have to worry about kids running up an insane bill and it will parents the chance to foster an appreciation for the craft from an early age.

The KidiZoom PrintCam comes in a light blue plastic finish, is about six inches across and two inches thick. It features a prominent right-handed grip to give kids something to easily grab on to and a big shutter button. The rear of the device seems to feature a large LCD viewfinder and a surprising number of other buttons for managing the camera. The KidiZoom PrintCam doesn’t just print the images on thermal paper, it will also store the photos on the camera as digital copies that can be uploaded to a computer later if they are really worth keeping.

The lens even flips up and faces backwards to let kids capture selfies.

Printed images take about 30 seconds to dispense and appear to only be black and white, while the digital copies appear to be available in color. From what Engadget reports, the quality of the images isn’t anything special, but it’s not bad either.

The KidiZoom PrintCam will retail for $75, but rolls of the thermal paper will be, as mentioned, pretty cheap at just one cent per image. So while the upfront cost seems rather high for what amounts to a child’s toy, the idea is that ongoing usage won’t be terribly expensive like it is with a traditional film or instant film camera.