In Scene Disney Princess Video Camera
© 2009 Digital Blue
Easy to use but limited in quality and storage, Disney's In Scene Video Camera looks like a standard flip camera, that comes with a small tripod, creating your child's first pocket sized movie making studio. It comes in either boy/girl themes (we reviewed the pink princess model). The camera works with your Windows computer, which is required to charge the battery and download the video. Mac users are out of luck. Where this camera excels is in it's ease of use. The entire control panel consists of just buttons, which appear under the clear 2 inch color viewing screen. Our child testers were able to pick up this camera and start recording immediately. The clear icons tell you when you're recording or not (plus there's a green "smile" light on the front of the camera). The playback mode makes it easy to find, watch and delete previous videos, making this a viable stand alone children's camera. The $80 kit includes a CD containing a software editing package (Disney Flix) as well as a large blue curtain for movie making. When you aim the camera at the blue screen, you see a checkered background; and this lets you put yourself inside of Disney themed movie sets, with different music and clip art options. The software is easy to use. If you're looking for storage and resolution, pass on this camera. But for a durable, fairly affordable option and an introduction to moviemaking, this camera delivers as promised.
$80, Windows
Teaches: creativity, video production
CTR Rating: 88%