Camera for a child?

[johnnyrod]

As with most things I do, my daughter is showing an interest in photography. She's only 3.5 but I am starting to wonder if there is a camera out there that she could use. I have a couple of digital ones but ones is an Olympus C60Z, quite nice but turns off very easily as the lens cover is easy to knock shut, and a Vivitar snorkelling camera which I think she would need to use both hands to get the shutter button down (took me a while to stop taking shaky pictures with it too). There are Fisher Price etc. ones out there but really anything that is easy to turn on and take a picture is the thing. Maybe I'm being daft but she's getting older all the time so sooner or later it won't be so daft, hence my musings. What are your thoughts? Too young? What camera? Doesn't have to be a toy one.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

My son, who just graduated from high school, began taking pictures at age 3. He was interested in my cameras and wanted to look through the viewfinders, etc. I got him a single-use Fuji Quicksnap camera and showed him how to use it. He learned quick, turning the flash on and off when needed, etc. That first roll had some good stuff!

We ended up going through about 20 more of them over a year, then for his 4th birthday, I got him a Canon Sure Shot Owl, a 35m point and shoot with a huge, easy to see through finder and very simple controls. He used it until he got his first digital camera several yrs later. Today, he shoots my old Nikon D70.

Its too bad there isn't something like the single-use film cameras in digital. I still think the single-use ones are great for starting kids off, but processing is hard to find now, and I think kids would enjoy seeing the photo immediately.

My son at 4, shooting with his Canon Owl.

He's about 12 in this one, using a studio we set up for him to photograph Lego projects he built.

 

[ABrosig]

There are a host of sub-$100 digital P&S cams around. Most of the discount/big-box/etc. stores stock them. Not fancy, but I think that would probably be the modern-day equivalent of the disposable camera. I've even seen a few a the Big "W" store for less than $50. I'm sure one of those would be more than sufficient to peak a young person's interest. Polaroid, for example, makes an 18MP P&S for about $40.

 

[Dante_Stella]

For a small child, I recommend the Fisher-Price (and my review here):

https://themachineplanet.wordpress.com/2015/01/12/fisher-price-w1458-kid-tough-digital-camera/

The specs are laughable by grownup standards (640x400, i.e., VGA), but it is extremely accessible to children who can't read yet - or can't understand digital camera menus. It has a power button, a delete button, two arrows for playback (forward and reverse), and for digital zoom. My 5 year old loves it, and his photos have actually been getting quite good. It is mostly waterproof and shock proof. It runs on AA batteries, holds 1,000 pictures internally, and hooks up to your computer via a USB cord.

Although it's funny that my 2-1/2 year old daughter likes to play with my X100T, grown-up cameras are absolutely the wrong thing (complication, expense, fragility) when it comes to learning basics of composition, subject engagement, and lighting.

Dante

 

[Dwig]

For a small child, I recommend the Fisher-Price (and my review here):

https://themachineplanet.wordpress.com/2015/01/12/fisher-price-w1458-kid-tough-digital-camera/

The specs are laughable by grownup standards (640x400, i.e., VGA), but it is extremely accessible to children...

+1

Basically, KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

For a child that young, it should be:

• very simple to operate
• rugged which means no extending lens during either focus or zoom
• relatively large so that it is easy to hold.
• cheap enough that you won't cry when it is broken or lost

The modern "lifeproof" models that are ruggedized and moisture proof would pass except for the last point, but Dante's recommendation is a very good one.

 

[btgc]

+1

• rugged which means no extending lens during either focus or zoom
• cheap enough that you won't cry when it is broken or lost

The modern "lifeproof" models that are ruggedized and moisture proof would pass except for the last point

I were on similar track, pick shockproof model with internal lens. Not latest and greatest, maybe refurbished item.
It can be used also by other family members so in my view it's better buy than colored simplest cameras.

 

[johnnyrod]

Some interesting thoughts, thanks, and the write-up was very useful. I started this thread because I read a few reviews on Amazon etc. of children's cameras and they were fairly poor, though it's hard to tell just how objective some of them are, and I can't be the only person ever to have thought about this. I did think about a simple P&S digital but even those have a fair few buttons and features which even to an adult amateur are unnecessary - they usually want to just turn it on a take a picture too. some of the cheap ones have a long shutter lag though which I can see being the cause of many ruined pictures but mainly the quick ones also seem to be the expensive ones (Fisher Price aside).

I'll have to have a bit of a look in the shops but most of them just have a bunch of cameras on a stand with no batteries etc. so the using bit (the critical bit) is hard to assess. Any thoughts on specific ones to look out for, either new or old?

 

[johnnyrod]

In the end I bought a 6MP Fujifilm Finepix F11 for £20/$30 from a local camera shop. I was trawling around what was going and reading reviews on them in a bit of a scattergun approach but reviews were glowing, in particular the short shutter lag. Checked it out, sure enough it is very snappy (the F10 is supposed to be too FWIW), and my deliberately ham-fisted testing in the shop still gave good pictures. Small, light, massive screen, almost like a phone in that respect, so will see how it goes. Think my wife wanted it too.

 

[bence8810]

For a small child, I recommend the Fisher-Price

Dante

My 5 yo uses the same camera along with a few 3USD film cameras we bought from the Junk bins of the used stores here.

He has a dummy film which he loads - shoots and then rewinds himself just to do it over again. When he wants an actual picture rather than just the fun film loading process, he uses the Fisher Price thingy like above stated. Good stuff.

Ben

 

[majid]

My 3.5 year old figured out at least 6 months ago how to activate the camera on her mother's iPhone (sliding the camera icon on the home screen. as the phone itself is password-protected) and take photos with it. I think her camera will be a hand-me-down iPhone with a nice protective case.

 

[Keith]

Camera for a child?

Sounds like a fair deal to me .... my life has been considerably better since I exchanged my youngest son for an M240 late last year .... and it saved me a kidney! :angel:

 

[apostasiometritis]

My daughter (aged 7) uses my battered, unbelievably scruffy looking Fujifilm X10, especially for the macro mode which is what seems to impress her most. Half of the things in the camera don't work properly but she loves it.

It's left on "P" mode and she takes pictures of her Lego constructions etc.

It has been great fun for her (and me), lots of bonding in the process!
Downside is that I get to carry it all the time when out and about.

Oh well...

 

[sanmich]

When I saw the title, I thought it was a trade offer.

 

[mlu19]

iPhones or iPads. Every household is bound to have a spare one by now. Or buy one used for dirt cheap.

 

[jky]

I bought my daughter a waterproof/tough camera.
It can be soaked, dropped, kicked, tossed, etc... without too much fuss.
Plus these tough cameras come in more playful colors than boring black and ancient silver 😉

 

[sevo]

Most of us having an excess of cameras, so I never gave them "children's cameras" - the things generally being either overpriced disposables in loud colours with a Disney logo, or surprisingly expensive and low-featured digital cameras. There are so many odd cameras I have around (like that Canon T-50 that came as a lens cap, or all the 4-5MP digitals already superseded before I could waste them) which do nicely for children.

 

[ronnies]

My 6 year old son is on his second film in my late Dad's Nikon F65. He has been known to take occasional pictures with some of my other cameras though including an Exakta Varex IIa.

He's become a bit of a Nikon snob though. 🙂

Ronnie

 

[telenous]

My daughter's first camera was a Vtech Twist when she was three. It featured 180 degrees twist lens, goggle viewfinder for use with both eyes open, in-camera games and funky effects on photos. Despite the outlandish specs, the camera made photography a fun activity and it gave some photos (and videos) I will always cherish. I also gave her one of my Nikon L35 AFAW's to try. That was a mistake. The camera is quite sturdy to take 5m of underwater pressure but that's not nearly enough for inquisitive little fingers. Last year I bought her a refurbished Olympus Stylus VG180 for a good price. It looks like a camera grown ups may have but it's still a very basic camera ideally suited for kids. The main thing it has going for it is that it's pocketable/light, so she can carry it with if/when we together for a photowalk. Next up: a not-too-expensive film SLR to learn basic controls and principles of photography -- her first serious camera as it were. Something like a Pentax ME/MX or Nikon FE will fit the bill I think. Still thinking which one would be more fun for the dad to use too 😀

.

 

[shawn]

My kids both started with the Fisher Price cameras as well. Simple controls, big handles (helps to keep fingers away from the lens) and strong enough to handle being dropped often. At a young age avoid anything with an extending lens, it won't survive.

As they get older the various 'Tough' cameras are good choices. As was mentioned the cameras are built to take a beating and my daughter loves taking hers swimming with friends. They do not have an extending lens for little ones to try pushing back in.

For a simple film camera the XA2 is a nice inexpensive choice. The Fuji Instax cameras are a lot of fun as they make you consider the shot more (only 10 shots of film) while at the same time giving almost instant feedback.

Shawn

 

[sojournerphoto]

Mine are a.bit.older now - 11 and 14 - but both have consistently used my cameras. I recently downloaded a card from the Monochrom and found a set of carefully composed, well focused pictures of myself - nice work, shame about the subject.

However, the 11 year old has been using my/my wife's old lx5 (I think - it replaces the ricoh gx200 she inherited when it stopes being reliable) for a few years and the older one has a Canon g something. However, Hannah the older style Queen loves my rolleicord and has just bid on a Fed 4 - made conditional on her learning to use it.

The biggest challenge of the small digital in my view is that they tend to explore all the options rather than focus on the picture. However, if they're interested it will probably work itself out. Also, Naomi in particular can generate huge numbers if pictures and videos that then take too long to review.

Sean Reid used to have a good article on the topic, albeit aimed at children nearer 10 than 3 I think.

Mike