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Mini cameras are in. So much so, that I recently rounded up 9 of the most eye catching models, which all cost under $50 / £45. But even at such as low price, are they still worth the money?
I've already tested popular models such as the Kodak Charmera and Fujifilm Instax Pal, and they're clearly not a patch on the best compact cameras. In fact, I called the Charmera the 'worst camera I've ever used', but in a way that made me like it all the more.
To that extent, I couldn't resist checking out what is probably the cheapest and smallest digital camera I've ever seen online, the Mini Digital Camera series 3 by Photo Creator (also known as Canal Toys), which is currently available for £9.99 at Very (was £12.99). It's currently pricier in the US, being $22 at Amazon.
It's so cheap in fact (in the UK at least), that you can pick up all four varieties of the miniature, fully working digital camera for the price of one (and a bit) Charmeras. And get all four is exactly what I did.
A lo-fi bargain
There was no need for me to test each of the four cameras — they have identical specifications, and the only difference is the style, including; Retro (silver), Pro (black), Compact (pink) and Instant (white). Cast your search wider, and there are additional styles, including Instant Camera. I divvied up the cameras one each between myself and three TechRadar colleagues, and got to testing my pink version.
How small is the camera? Well, mine measured just 1.8 x 1.2 x 1.0in (W x H x D) — a Lego figure is taller (see below)! Truly miniature.
The camera is fitted with an understandable tiny 150mAh battery and charges by USB-C, records onto micro SD (not included), and features what is possibly the smallest LCD display I've ever seen in a digital camera, a 16:9 screen measuring approximately 1-inch on the diagonal. Bizarrely, the image is stretched from a narrower 4:3 aspect ratio to fill the display.
There are only four buttons on the camera and they each double up to maximize the camera's functions. A press and hold of the power button turns the camera on or off. Press it again (while the camera is on), and you enter image playback.
A shutter button takes photos, which you hold down to record video (complete with audio thanks to a built-in mic). Up / down buttons on the side scroll between 14 various picture effects, including color filters and overlays — these are applied directly onto your 3MP photos and Full HD videos.
Hold down the up button and you enter the camera's menu. Do the same with the down button and a dinky LED torch light is activated — handy for low light snaps, but it is very low-powered.
A keychain comes in the box and I fitted it to mine, hooked the camera up to my keys and slid it into my pocket for everyday snaps.
Like the Charmera, battery life is poor, even for a camera that consumes very little power. It pays to carry a USB-C powerbank to top up the charge on the go.
Almost every time I've taken the camera out of my pocket and got snapping, I've had various banter with the people around me who have found the camera hilarious / cute / weird / all of the above. It's certainly an icebreaker and gives licence to take pictures around you. If only the 3 megapixel JPEGs where better quality, then. They are about as lo-fi as digital cameras go, and of similar quality to the pricier Kodak Charmera.
In a way, Full HD video quality is more pleasing — yes it's of the same quality (with horrible audio to boot), but it has a Super 8-like feel to it.
There's really little else to say about my experience using the Mini Digital Camera series 3. For £10 and the novelty factor, there's absolutely nothing to lose here. The Photo Creator Mini Digital Camera series 3 is a fun gift for kids or the lo-fi tech lover in your life. If anything else, it's a novel keychain accessory.
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