An Introduction to Instant Print Thermal Printing Toy Cameras Art Making 033

[@BOBAGENTSMITH]

I wish someone would dump the memory on one of these and make a custom firmware. It could have so much more potential

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

I believe someone has done that, can't remember where I saw it mentioned, might've been here in the comments.

[@kedardes]

Very informative! Thank you!

[@MarinusMakesStuff]

I discovered one thing and that is that some of the cameras have a different aspect ratio. One of my cams creates a picture that is 2 centimeters wider/longer than the other cams I have. It was interesting to find this out as the first cam I had gave bigger pictures. I wish I knew this beforehand. The one I now mainly use only captures 4:3 and doesn't have a selfie camera. A bit of a bummer, the one that gives bigger pictures make it look so much better but this one doesn't function as well. Now I have to look for another one haha. Sadly these have become a lot more expensive on Aliexpress now. Amazon asks 40 euros for them, Aliexpress asks around 30 euros. So in dollars that's more expensive, but I remember them being a lot cheaper one year ago! I guess it's the rage?

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

I've noticed that on Amazon they really fluctuate in price. Right now is the time when they are very high- probably to do with US holidays and sellers trying to cash in on gift giving. In February they drop down in price again. I agree that changing aspect ratios across cams is annoying. I prefer the 16:9 ratio as well.

[@MarinusMakesStuff]

@comfortableshoesstudio Did you also, by any chance, notice that the 4:3 versions create a much sharper picture? I tried most brightness settings but it looks like the resolution is just a lot higher with the 4:3 cam. I'll have to agree with you that the grain of the photos gives it a lot more character. The 4:3 cam I have doesn't have that grain, but the 16:9 does! 😂

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

I try to get the cams that have a dot and gray setting, I like the dotted grain, it reproduces in a zine better and has that old newspaper look. I tend to not like the 4:3 cams so don't keep them, I pass them off to a friend or a kid in my life. The rest of the cams seem to have decent resolution. That said, I have some labeled Loopy Peace that take a good photos and do a really nice smooth grayscale print and look great, they are 16:9 though. They are the only ones with out the dot that I keep.

[@letiziaciancarini3804]

Hii, thank you for the videoo, it was just what i was looking for!!! I was wondering… which one is the best one between the ones you showed? I had my eye on the purple yellow one but I take suggestionss :)

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

The purple and yellow one is a solid choice.

[@snivcast]

Can you do a full review on the Omebel Kids Digital Camera, Instant Print Camera ?

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

I haven't bought a new one in awhile, but if Omebal wanted to send me one to check out I would. My current go to, for the last year is this one: amzn.to/4flBiVi (Affiliate link btw) it does everything I need and want. The big differences in these is if it does the 16x9 aspect ratio or if it lacks the dot printing capability. he one I link gives the retro dot print I like that scans in and can be enlarged quite well. It also looks killer in a zine or my art journal.

[@snivcast]

Was wondering if i should get this one or a Mgaolo Kids Camera Instant Print Photo. Just focused on the quality of the print, which one should i get?

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

I don't know the Mgaolo at all. I can say that the one I posted prints really well probably the best of all the different brands I have. I suspect they all come out of a few different factories but the user interface and controls are very similar. Also the one I posted the first one I got had issues and through Amazon they sent a replacement fast.

[@snivcast]

@@comfortableshoesstudio thanks good to know! Thank you! what paper would u recommend? that is BPA approved and gives good contrast too

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

Phomemo or memoking. They are pricier but do a solid good job. there are brands marketed towards kids that are BPA free but sometimes it's a gamble.

[@Andrison2000]

Thanks for the review. I'm going to purchase one for my 7 yr old niece! Can I ask you a question, though? What size is the actual photo? I'd love to get her a little photo album to stick all of her pictures into. I read somewhere in the Amazon reviews that they were 4 x 2? Does that sound right to you? Thanks!

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

Yeah they are about 3.5 or 4 x2 inches. There are some premade albums for them. A glue stick and a blank book might be just as much fun for her though. Maybe some decorative scissors...

[@michellewood820]

I am thinking about using something like this for art class with kiddos! Could you recommend your favorite overall?

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

I like these two. The first is really solid and well built, I have 4 of them and they are really bomb proof, but younger kids have trouble opening it and reloading the paper. 7th and up did okay with it. amzn.to/3xuhGNK This second one is a little less well built but works really well amzn.to/3Jcfygb I ended up ordering most of these for my groups at work. They were cheaper due to coupons and worked really well. both have the same user interface and are easy for all kids to understand. though they all look for a touch screen and realize they need to use the buttons.

[@michellewood820]

@@comfortableshoesstudio Thank you so much for this! So helpful! I'm also going to check out the paper links you listed in the caption. Appreciate you!

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

@@michellewood820 my pleasure I used them with middle school and high school kids and they looooooved them

[@michellewood820]

@@comfortableshoesstudio Okay, just double checking! The colored sticker paper is slightly smaller than the regular rolls, but it still works okay? I'm about to buy everything! Excited! Thanks for all your help so far!

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

@@michellewood820 yes even the slightly smaller paper will work. So long as it's only smaller by a few mm

[@richiedoherty]

Thank you for the video. I bought the greenkinder camera for my grandson & love the pictures it makes, but most of the time, it doesn’t print, but shuts itself off & immediately restarts even though the image is recorded in the ‘album’. I returned the first camera & the replacement does the exact same thing. Any suggestions for how to fix this?

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

No ideas, it's weird that it won't print and shuts itself down. I gave my green kinder version to a friend and she hasn't reported any problems with it

[@guillaumemorel6485]

Hi, thanks for the video. 2 questions: did you notice difference in the printing quality according the brand of the camera or it's all the same ? All of them work also as a thermal printer for a smartphone via Bluetooth ? Anything to say about the flash ? Thx !

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

the various "brands" all have differences in print quality. It varies on brand and the paper has a huge impact on the quality of the print. Some have 2 modes of printing- smooth grayscale and dot print that looks like an old fashioned newspaper photo. None of the versions that I show here or own work with a a smartphone via bluetooth. If you want bluetooth look for a Phomemo thermal printer. he flash on these is hit or miss. I have used them rarely. Some brands have an LED that turns on when you turn on the flash and it just stays on others perform like a real flash. Performance is meh at best. I avoid flash use anyway, but did try it. Didn't like it.

[@desadesa]

Does the selfie cameras stretch pictures of the front camera too?

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

Unfortunately yes.

[@Korrmet]

Is there any camera without display with classic design? I have seen one without lcd, but it was with a fake lens. I have an idea to get the old broken film camera and mod it with parts of the printcams, but unfortunately, I have no opportunity to implement it, I have no access to my tools.

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

I haven't seen one without a display. you can find some that look like Polaroids but all seem to have a display.

[@benedekbalogh7612]

Hey! Im using these cameras a lot for a project, do you any type which dont use the 80mm paper width and not the 57mm? Thanks!

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

I've never seen one that does 80mm paper. I think the solution would be using the camera to shoot the pictures, download them to a phone or tablet, and then print with a thermal printer like a phomemo M04as or M03.

[@christiandaugherty1267]

Which one do you recommend the most?!

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

This one, largely because it's black. But it also offers up all the same stuff I like as the others and it prints really well. amzn.to/4flBiVi

[@TheRuedigeron]

Hey, I am using a Instant Thermal Print camera as well. Mine also has a SD slot to save images and print them again later. I was now wandering if I could also print "foreign" pictures with the camera (meaning pictures that I took with another camera and transferred onto the SD and would then print with the instant camera). But somehow this doesn't work even if I try to imitate the qualitites of the images that the camera usually takes (e.g. b/w, pixel-ration etc.). Do you have any idea how to make this happen?

[@subliminalhobo]

I literally just tried to do the same with no luck! Not sure why it cant seem to see the photos ?

[@TheRuedigeron]

@@subliminalhobo Hm, thanks for trying. Maybe it has to do with the qualities/settings that the jpg file from other cameras have.. Let me know if you try again and figured something out.

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

you've got to make the file names like the ones in the camera. The camera can't find anything but JPEG with the same file names. I've had some success with transferring imagers that way.

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

make the file names the same watch for caps and no caps and the numbers of zeroes and other numbers. if it's not identical to what the camera produces itself it can't find them. These cams are very dumb

[@TheRuedigeron]

@@comfortableshoesstudio Hey, thanks for your answer. I actually already did this renaiming (photos from my thermal print camera are stored as "PHO0000X", X being a number) and this way I can get foreign photos to be shown on the camera. But still I can't print them, it shows the print prompt very shortly but then nothing comes out...

[@isabellakling8650]

do you know anything about fixing these cameras when the printer refuses to print??? when i press the print button the printer doesn’t print anything :(

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

does it roll out paper? If it does roll out paper it can be that you've put the paper in upside down. if not spitting out paper, it can be that the roller isn't making contact. I've had one where the clip that holds the gears and rollers in place is loose and doesn't provide the right tension, I was able to pull the clip out and bend it to the correct-ish shape and get it working again. Bu honestly I've reached out to the seller (if you got it on Amazon) sometimes they'll send you a new one.

[@UNKUHNOODLES]

Interesting gizmo... Excuse my naivety but do you have to put an ink cartridge into this to print in color? CHEERS! 🍕

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

Nope it prints with a thermal reaction, like the receipts at registers at most stores. You have to buy special paper, but it's cheap- for the cheapest under a dollar a roll, for the more expensive about $1.50 a roll. Plus you can get sticker paper for them at about $3 a roll.

[@UNKUHNOODLES]

🤔 OH! I get the idea now... Thank you!@@comfortableshoesstudio

[@Katie_v]

thanks for this overview! I was just thinking the other day that I wanted an easier, cheaper more fun way of taking print photos. Perfect timing! 😊

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

​@@Katie_vThey are super fun but you gotta lower the expectations for the photo and print quality. They print at 200 to 300 dpi and the cams are around 12 mega pixels, so think early 2000s flip phone cam quality. Still a lot of fun for.journals and art making.

[@Katie_v]

@@comfortableshoesstudio I like that old, grainy look. But am I right in thinking, they would fade pretty quickly the way supermarket receipts do?

[@wafahasher]

hi, can we upload photos then print them?

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

Yes, but you have to be sure that the photo is in the correct size and use the same naming convention as your camera. It's is easier if you buy a mini thermal printer like a phomemo.

[@burntumber]

Because the ink on receipts wares off, do you find the same thing happens to your photos?

[@comfortableshoesstudio]

The ink is a full coating on the entire sheet of paper a chemical reaction occurs where the color changes- turns black. If you get better quality paper and store the images well they don't fade. I've had some in a journal that look great years later. As for receipts, I have had some fade in months and some that are still legible 10 and more years later. Get good quality paper, like phomemo and memoking and they'll last.