Instructions for the Crayola Camera
By Dan Ketchum
The name Crayola evokes colorful -- and somewhat waxy -- images of yellow-boxed crayons, but the company has produced everything from Silly Putty to solar farms since its foundation in the late 1800s. Among its noncrayon products, Crayola and Sakar's EZ Grip Digital Camera caters to budding photographers. However, the intended audience may need a grown-up to sort through the gizmo's features. Sakar and Crayola released a few models over the years, so while the basic specs remain similar, the user manual serves as your best bet for understanding each model's minutia.
Prepping for Photography
Before getting started, remove the screws securing the EZ Grip's battery compartment and install AAA batteries -- three for the 23070, 23072 and 28070 models -- and then screw the battery panel back on securely. Change batteries only when the camera doesn't have any photos in its memory, otherwise you risk losing the snapshots. To get snapping, press the power button on the back of the camera -- you know you're in business when you hear a musical tone.
Controlling the Camera
Because it caters to kids, Crayola's camera is a straightforward device. Hold the lens about 5 feet from the subject for optimal image quality, grasp the grips securely and frame the shot using the LCD viewfinder. Depress the shutter button on top of the camera to take a picture -- the camera flashes automatically, if flash is needed. When you take the photo, the camera reviews the image and displays a number onscreen -- this indicates the number of photos you can store. Press the “Resolution” button to scroll through photo resolutions of 320-by-240 pixels or 640-by-480 pixels, or press the left and right buttons to browse stored photos. Press the “Resolution” button twice while viewing a photo to delete it.
The Software Side
Crayola's digital cameras include photo-editing software on a CD-ROM. To transfer and edit your pics, pop the disc into your PC's drive and choose the “Install” option to install the program. To ensure proper operation, install the camera's drivers from this disc, which you can do by clicking the “Install Drivers” button. When you're ready to upload photos, connect the camera using the included USB cable, power it on and open the “Camera” folder that appears on your desktop. Open the camera application by clicking the icon and click the “Download” button to view the pictures on the EZ Grip's memory. Select the photos you want and click “Save Photos” to transfer them to your computer.
More to Know
You can also use the Crayola EZ Grip Camera as a webcam by connecting it to your PC and double-clicking the “PC Cam” icon in the Camera folder. If you run into issues with the camera or have additional questions, contact Crayola at 800-272-9562 or Sakar at 877-397-8200. You can also get in touch with each company through the online submission forms at their respective websites.
References
Writer Bio
Dan Ketchum has been a professional writer since 2003, with work appearing online and offline in Word Riot, Bazooka Magazine, Anemone Sidecar, Trails and more. Dan's diverse professional background spans from costume design and screenwriting to mixology, manual labor and video game industry publicity.