CHE-EZ Splash Digital Camera

This is an exquisitely beautiful little toy digital camera which comes, unusually, with a detachable flash unit. Obviously the photos aren't of the same quality you'd get with a "proper" higher spec camera, but to expect this, or even want this, is to miss the point of such a cute little toy. Half the fun of these things is the challenge of getting a semi-decent shot , working round the limitations, and revelling in the lo-fi aspects.

I love lo-res cameras for the challenges they present, for their cuteness, and for the antidote they represent to the "my camera is bigger than yours" mentality. The best camera you own is the one you have with you when you need it, and the Che-ez splash fits in one half of the palm of one hand.

Plus, it takes an AA battery, which means you're not tied to a PC for a recharge via USB, and you can carry a spare (rechargeable, of course). A battery change WON'T wipe your pictures like it would with some other keychain cameras, because this camera has a type of flash memory that hangs on to your shots until you download them.

The problem with some of these older, low-spec cameras can be that you run into driver problems, which really matters when your camera doesn't take memory cards and you can only get at your pics if your software works ok. Amazingly, the driver for this camera worked fine with Vista!