Best P&S for kids

[Paolo Bonello]

Thought I'd share my experience with the point and shoot for use by kids.

With 6 neices and nephews under the age of five I've been having a bit of fun letting each one run around with a P&S and a couple rolls of film. But I did run into a few probs with various P&S cameras so I thought I'd share my favourite.

Anyhow, currently at the top of my list for usability by kids under the age of five is my old Nikon L35AF. Funny enough it's also my favourite P&S. (I guess that means I'm just a big kid at heart). It's got a snappy focus which isn't too bad for kids who cant understand the half press concept and it's a solid unit so it will withstand some abuse.

Anyhow there's a couple of things I recommend that you do.

1. Fit a cheap hood (ebay china) and an old or cheap UV filter. The hood keeps their fingers off the lens because they have a natural tendency to wrap their fingers over the lens on any camera. On say an MjuII or similar P&S without a physical barrier to stop their fingers over the lens they will always ruin the shots with their sticky little fingers.

2. Tape over the Door release and film rewind buttons because kids are curious and will press any button that their little fingers find.

(Apologies for the crappy phone/cam shots.)

 

[capito]

Cool ideas. I'm saving a Minolta G2 for our girl for when she can use it. AF might be better for kids, though, so I'm considering an Olympus mju.

 

[sevo]

All film P&S I've lent my 6-year-old did survive - she eventually settled for a Nikon AF600, whose 28mm lens suits her close-up habits best.

 

[oftheherd]

For my grandson I chose a simple P&S that had no automation at all. No auto-exposure, no AF, nothing. Good choice I thought for something to get him used to the idea that it had to be taken care of. Next I may turn him loose on my Petri Computer 35. RF and auto-exposure. It does disappoint him that there is no lcd VF on the back. 😀

 

[Paolo Bonello]

Good to see a few people letting the kids have a go. I think they love to see the lcd screen on digicams but to get them seeing through the viewfinder of a film camera at such a young age is worth the price of film. I actually had a look around for a digital suitable for kids under five but they mostly are useless junk with a hundred pic memory and a 2 megapixel sensor. that's when I decided to give the P&S film cameras a shot. I guess I'm ever hopeful that if they take a really cool shot it will have enough quality for a decent print and so the story of their first photos will be preserved for their future.