M9 and Ten Year Old

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Denton

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Hi Folks,

The question I'd like to get to is, "What is an appropriate camera for a ten-year-old boy?".

Recently spent some time with extended family, including Adam, my ten year old nephew. I was packing an M6 loaded with Delta 100 and a 28mm Zeiss and my M9 fitted with either a 50mm f2 Planar or a 75mm CV f1.8 classic. Adam asked how much my camera cost (the M9) and was immediately fascinated by the answer. After a short rangefinder focusing lesson and the A exposure setting, Adam was confidently focusing and recording the Charleston, SC downtown. Well it turns out Adam now would like a camera, not even possessing a point and shoot in the family. Therefore, what camera shall I recommend his mother and he consider?

I ike the idea of instant feedback for an instant-aged child. He also seems to think that zipping off five frames/sec is fun, something I explained the M9 would NOT do. My thoughts are an entry level Nikon or Canon DSLR so that he can use it in manual focus and exposure easily. I'm not recommending the M9, but only for cost! Too bad!

Suggestions?

Denton
 
any entry level DSLR that can take old manual focus lenses, then an accompanying film SLR and maybe 35mm or 28mm lens that can mount on both. best of both worlds, like your M6 and M9 🙂
 
A digi p&s will get him out there shooting. At 10 you could consider teaching him how to process film and you can help out scanning his negs if you have a scanner. That would open up the world of film cameras. If he has access to a scanner, with a little direction he will be better at scanning and post processing than you in no time flat. Amazing minds in those little guys. An entry level dslr is a thought, but I would counter with a thought of my own that a little boy's span of attention is remarkably fickle. my 11 yo son loves my canon s95. Anything bigger or more complicated would turn him off.

Just some thoughts.
 
I would go with a mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses. The Af kit lens provides AF point and shoot, legacy lenses allow a cheap way to branch out. A used EPL-1 would not run much with the new models out. The EPL-2 is also priced nicely. It is a smaller camera, a 10 year old would have no problem. Of course, when I was eleven- mowed lawns all Summer and bought a Minolta Hi-Matic 9.

We were at the National Zoo today, I had the Olympus EP2 out with a Canon 135/3.5. A teenaged girl next to me pointed to it and told her friend, "That's the camera that I want to get".
 
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Kids can lose interest quickly. Unless properly motivated. So you could try buying him a reasonably good P and S digital second hand perhaps to keep price down. The better ones give more control so as he learns he can begin to expand his reptoire more and use more of the controls. If he is serious this will keep him going. Also I might be inclined to promise that if in a years time he keeps it up you will buy (or help him buy) something like an entry level DSLR. This way there is incentive to learn and keep learning. And in the mean time if he loses interest or loses the camera (as kids sometimes do) there is no great loss. I recently bought a Panasonic LX3 second hand (near new) for $300. About the price of new mid range point and shoots. But with a plethora of control options for a keen learner. Maybe something like this would suit. Cheaper options exist but with few controls - I am partial to some of the mid range Sony point and shoots which offer good quality at a reasonable outlay.
 
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Man, lucky kid to have an uncle who is so generous!

As the father of an 11-year old, I wouldn't buy my son anything expensive or couldn't handle abuse. Knowing my son, he'd be trudging around ponds and rock piles and inevitably the camera would take some knocks. Or splashes.

Why not get him a gently-used Canon G10 or G11? The G-series is a good quality P&S, and the G10 / G11 is loaded with features he might enjoy experimenting with (macro, color-swaps / monochrome settings, movie mode, swivel-LCD, decent zoom, etc.) ... they've also come down in price a lot now that the G12 is available.

Like rover says, I don't think most 10 or 11 year olds would slightest clue of how to get the most out of a dSLR. I think most kids that age are happy with a decent P&S. Also, the physical size of a dSLR would be quite large for a 10 year old, even with a basic kit lens. It would probably feel like an adult trying to wrestle with a gargantuan SLR like a Canon EOS 1v with a battery pack/motor drive.

Just my 2 cents. I hope your nephew starts a life-long interest in photography! 🙂
 
He test drove a Ferrari and he will receive a Volkswagon. He is not gona be happy.

A nice Panasonic with zoom lens and evil VF. $400. Promise him something better when he is old enough to get a good paying job if there are any by then.

Take him to a camera shop for trial.
 
You can find old Canon DSLRs (Rebel, Rebel XT) for under $200 from reputable used dealers... Combine that with a 50/1.8, and you're all set, for about the price of P&S.

Giving a kid a point and shoot is a sure fire way to kill their developing interest in photography. 10 years old is definitely old enough to use an SLR and begin understanding the principles.
 
I think my nephew really like the idea of looking THROUGH the camera to get the shot, as opposed to staring at the back held at arms length. The physical act of focusing a rangefinder patch was also pleasing to him. Through his eyes I recognized all those features that I enjoy as well.

I want him to learn some fundamentals but not be discouraged by the long wait of film. I feel the learning curve with film is only for a patient and note-taking beginner.

So I am leaning toward recommending a DSLR because of the focusing that he enjoys. I admit a 4/3rds camera would be nice, but I'm mostly unfamilar with how easily they can be manually focused and they lack the TTL aspect of focusing (so do rangefinders, but they are close to TTL experience).

The next question is zoom or fixed lens. Pedagogically (sp?) I'd vote for fixed fifty, but......

Denton
 
An entry-level DSLR is not something I would recommend for manual focus - the viewfinders really aren't well-suited for that, generally, and may well lead to losing interest. Have you considered a Nikon FM or similar? You can get a BGN-grade FM and 50/1.8 for about $100 from KEH, and no big loss if it gets smashed or stolen.

But don't underestimate the skills of a motivated and interested 11-year-old boy. I got my first SLR at 11 (a Praktina FX with lenses and a meter), and learned how it worked almost immediately - I was fascinated. I then used it for yearbook, etc. until it was stolen about 25 years ago from the house. I've recently replaced it through eBay; two bodies and multiple lenses, actually. Early lessons stick.
 
a RB-67 with four lenses.

more seriously, and if you want him to play with focus, I would buy him small and light AE reflex. The Nikon EM/FG fills the bill...
 
Denton said:
Hi Folks,

The question I'd like to get to is, "What is an appropriate camera for a ten-year-old boy?".

Recently spent some time with extended family, including Adam, my ten year old nephew. I was packing an M6 loaded with Delta 100 and a 28mm Zeiss and my M9 fitted with either a 50mm f2 Planar or a 75mm CV f1.8 classic. Adam asked how much my camera cost (the M9) and was immediately fascinated by the answer. After a short rangefinder focusing lesson and the A exposure setting, Adam was confidently focusing and recording the Charleston, SC downtown. Well it turns out Adam now would like a camera, not even possessing a point and shoot in the family. Therefore, what camera shall I recommend his mother and he consider?

I ike the idea of instant feedback for an instant-aged child. He also seems to think that zipping off five frames/sec is fun, something I explained the M9 would NOT do. My thoughts are an entry level Nikon or Canon DSLR so that he can use it in manual focus and exposure easily. I'm not recommending the M9, but only for cost! Too bad!

Suggestions?

Denton
Click to expand...

I am stunned that "M9" and "10-year old" are used in the same sentence!😱

I have been letting my grandson use the S3 2000 and every other camera I own(ed) for the last 3 years, he is now 6. Granted these were carefully monitored and he is sharp as a tack as most kids are. But..

Digital cameras become obsolete (even if they were given to you free) faster than the kids age and almost as fast as their attention span. Believe me, kids and many adults do not care about taking care of equipment. Yeah, instant gratification and lack of respect of gear and if they don't pay for it themselves, they could care less if it is broken, lost or whatever.

Do HIM a favor and buy a cheap digi P&S. When it is broken, it can be replaced with the next one and the next.

Leica, IMO, is not a brand of camera I would GIVE a child. I would definitely train them closely and teach them respect of precision instruments but I would never give a child something as valuable as any Leica camera (or any expensive equipment) as it does nothing to teach them.:angel:

Just my $.02 and worth every penny you paid.
 
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