Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Got this as a big-brother gift for my 3 1/2 yr-old son when our second child was born. When I ordered this camera, the older version was still available but marked as discontinued and this one had no reviews. The old model had great reviews, so I figured going with the new one was a safe bet. My son really enjoys the camera and used it heavily when he first opened it. So the batteries ran out quickly, but I hope as his use levels out then the battery use won't be quite so heavy. He takes pictures of all kinds of things, often moving the camera before the picture is done resulting in blurs or dark pictures. Anyway, he still enjoys it. He especially enjoys watching the video he and daddy took when they were playing together. My impressions: -Batteries are in the handles, which is an efficient use of space and easy to access with a fingernail (no screws). The battery doors open from the side of the handles (not from the bottom like the old model). -Contrary to the Amazon description, my camera did NOT include the 4 AA batteries. -On startup you set language, date, and time. -The buttons and menus are intuitive and the camera is very easy to use. A couple times pushing buttons the press didn't register. -I noticed they moved the "take picture" button to the front compared to the old model that had it on top. The location feels natural when taking pictures. -When taking a picture, you can use the dual-eye view finder or the screen. -After taking a picture, it shows briefly on screen then goes away. You'd go to the playback option in the menu to see it again. -When editing a photo, the original photo is preserved and your edited version is a new, separate photo. -The picture quality is on the lower end and there's no flash, but I think the point is this is a real camera that a little kid can use and is their very own. I think that is plenty cool. If your child is a bit older and taking an interest in photography, then get an inexpensive adult digital camera instead of this one. -The outside is rubbery and seems durable so far. -There's a strap included that you can attach to the camera. -The camera will automatically turn off after a few minutes of being idle. -There are sounds when navigating around the menus, including a cute "spring" sound when the camera can't do what you're asking. When you take a picture, there's a "camera" sound. I turned the volume down a bit because I thought the default was a little loud. -No USB cable is included, but it's supposed to be a standard micro USB which we have plenty of already.