myFirst Camera 50 review: child-friendly introduction to photography, video, and social media
myFirst Camera 50: Two-minute review
As technologies continue to collide, children’s camera becoming more and more like camera phonecompared to past point-and-shoot cameras. The myFirst Camera 50 is a case in point: it’s essentially a tiny 4-inch tablet with a custom Android operating system that runs the camera and editing functions. There’s a 20MP rear camera, and for the younger content creators, there’s a 16MP rear camera with a built-in soft selfie light.
This may sound like a lot of technology for a kid to manage, but this camera is designed for children ages 5 to 12 and is simple to control. There are only three buttons: the power button, the lights on and off button, and the shutter button. The shutter button works just like the shutter button on a “proper” camera, half-press to focus and full-press to take the picture.
Of course, there are the usual on-screen controls, such as another shutter button and the ability to touch the screen to focus. There’s even the usual slider to adjust exposure. Press and hold the on-screen shutter button to switch to video recording, and while there’s no optical zoom, there’s a choice of 1x, 2x, or 3x digital zoom.
The camera is powered by a 2,000mAh built-in battery with a claimed battery life of up to 240 minutes. Realistically, how long it lasts depends on what you’re using the camera for, but in the hands of a child, expect it to last a few days before needing to be charged via the USB-C socket on the side.
Although myFirst Camera 50 cannot be described as tough camerait does have a rubberized plastic surface to help kids hold the camera and has a nice noticeable grip. Personally, I would also add a screen protector because kids will be kids and the camera will fall off. In the box, you should find a wrist strap and lanyard so kids can hold it safely, but these items were missing from my review sample.
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What kids really want in a camera these days is the ability to edit images and add photos and stickers, and myFirst Camera 50 delivers that and more.
The custom Android operating system that powers the camera also supports image editing capabilities. There are a number of different filters that can change the color and brightness of an image, as well as different effects such as fisheye, cross process, and vignette.
There’s also the option to draw on the image or add stickers – kids love stickers. This small row of cartoon stickers has proven particularly popular with my kids, who love adding sunglasses and random watermelon slices to their photos.
Older children will also enjoy the myDiary feature. This can be password protected so the kids have some privacy. It allows them to save voice notes along with images and videos, then presents these in a calendar view so kids can look back on their adventures without having a social media account.
Other content that can be saved to myDiary are AI-generated videos. The user selects a series of photos or videos, which the camera uploads to a server, which analyzes the content and edits it to create a short video with music. I found that it was done chronologically, and I’m not entirely sure how much real artificial intelligence went into the process, but it did a great job of creating short, awesome videos. (Note: As I write this review, there appears to be a bug when saving the AI-generated video to the camera and uploading it to myFirst Circle).
Those who are more hands-on can use the built-in templates to load photos and videos, then edit the videos and add music. It’s a basic introduction to video editing and is easy to use, although it may become too basic as your child grows older.
One of the key selling points of myFirst Camera 50 is its integration with the myFirst Circle messaging service. After connecting the camera to your Wi-Fi network, you’ll be prompted to download the myFirst Circle app and link the camera to your account. Once setup is complete, you can upload photos and videos. Parents can invite family and friends to download the app and authorize who can view and interact with their children’s posts.
This is a great way to teach kids about social media and what they may or may not want to share. It’s also great for grandparents and other family members to find out what the kids are up to and stay connected with them. It also works with myFirst Frame Live or Doodle, which are Wi-Fi-enabled digital photo frames; when new photos or videos are uploaded to your myCircle account, they will appear on the digital photo frame to people in your circles. Again, this provides a passive way for friends and family to share moments in almost real-time.
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I found the process of setting up Wi-Fi on my camera and myCircle account on my iPhone to be very simple. The app feels fairly basic and simple, which is largely designed to make it easy to use. It feels safe and secure, just like sending any of your images to a random server.
Personally, I’d rather wait until my kids are older before starting to engage in social media too much, but devices like the myFirst Camera 50 and the myCircle app seem like a great way to develop an awareness of social etiquette and an understanding of social media . Publish online.
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Coming back to the camera’s image quality, the images produced are about what you’d expect from a budget smartphone. They look good in good light, color and exposure, but when you view them at 100%, the image does lose detail and sharpness – the loss in quality is due to the small sensor size and associated noise reduction . That said, they’re acceptable considering most images can only be viewed on a camera, smartphone or tablet screen.
It’s a similar story with the selfie camera, where the image quality is even lower when zooming. Selfie lights work surprisingly well, although the soft, warm light often causes parts of the face in shadow to turn into cooler colors.
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The video is a bit sub par. While the myFirst Camera 50 can record in Full HD 1920 x 1080, there is no stabilization, so footage can be very shaky. Exposure and autofocus also tend to have very noticeable jumps when shooting video.
Most kids, especially younger ones, won’t care about these technical details, though, and are just happy to capture and share their moments.
All images and videos can be saved to the built-in 4GB memory or a microSD card up to 128GB. It’s worth noting that if you save images to internal memory, you need to connect the camera to your computer to save them; they cannot be transferred to a microSD card or connected via Bluetooth or WiFi. Images also cannot be downloaded through the myFirst Circle app.
Overall, the myFirst Camera 50 is a simple camera with basic features that allow young children to have fun while stimulating their creativity.
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myFirst Camera 50: price and release date
- Available now in the US, UK and Australia for $129 / £109 / AU$149
The myFirst Camera 50 is available in bright blue or cool purple and comes with a wrist strap, lanyard, and some fun stickers so your kids can decorate their camera. Now available for purchase and cost $129.99 in myFirst store (US) / £109 from myFirst UK stores and myFirst Australia $149 Place.
myFirst Camera 50: Should I buy it?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
myFirst Camera 50: Also considering
If our myFirstCamera 50 review got you interested in an instant camera, here are some other options to consider…
myFirst Camera 50: How I tested
- My two children, ages 5 and 8, both used cameras on vacation
- I also tried all functions of the camera
I set up myFirst Camera 50 and established all the relevant Wi-Fi connections, then gave it to my 8-year-old daughter, who used it over a few days’ vacation. She happily took family photos, mainly her brother and me, while doing mundane things like eating lunch. She also took some selfies and even a short vlog without my help.
Then I used the camera on my way back. I was able to see how easy it was to adjust exposure and overall image quality, and how difficult it was to use some of the camera’s more advanced features, such as social media and video editing and creation.
Finally, I connected the camera to my MacBook and transferred the images so I could view them on a larger screen and uploaded them for this review.
- First review time: November 2024
