Best Cheap Digital Camera Keychains

Some really cheap digital cameras are not even worth the $8 price tag, but keep looking and you might find a good cheap compact digital camera for $4. Here is an overview of four super-cheap digital cameras. They are listed by Amazon price low to high.

The good: For $4, Hong Kong's Zina can fit a still and video camera and 8MB of memory into a package smaller than a credit card. The camera can take 99 low-resolution photos or 17 seconds of silent video.

The bad: It has no digital viewfinder, so the photos are a mystery until you return to your computer. It also is incompatible with Windows Vista (but aren't most PC users incompatible with Windows Vista?).

The ugly: Some users complain the camera does not work at all, but it costs less than lunch at McDonalds and you have a free keychain complete with an attached silver conversation piece.

Get the Zina 300K Mini Digital Keychain Camera here.

The good: The blue camera has a few more curves than the Zina, and an extra 8MB of memory.

The bad: Everything else about the camera is actually a step down from the Zina for double the price, an outrageous $8.

The Ugly: Pictures are blurry and they will all be erased when the AAA battery dies, which sometimes happens very fast, according to some users.

Purchase the Vupoint 3-in-1 Keychain Digital Camera here.

The good: Another $4 gets you a 1.5-inch LCD viewfinder. Not bad for a camera three inches wide. It also comes with software that is compatible with most Mac and Windows operating systems.

The bad: The rechargeable battery lasts longer than the cheaper models, but not by much.

The ugly: Photo quality is still really low, and it is also prone to sudden and unexpected death.

To buy the Coby Digital Photo Keychain, click here.

The good: The camera can store up to 200 images.

The bad: Picture quality seems a little higher than the cheaper models, but the difference is marginal.

The ugly: The camera is basically an overpriced knockoff of the $8 Vupoint - for three times the price. It only has 8 MB of memory and, like the Vupoint, only shoots at 0.3 megapixels.

Get the Cobra Mini Digital Camera here.

If you're getting a keychain toy, go really cheap and get the $4 Zina. If you really want to splurge, fork out $12 for the Coby with its LCD screen.