P&S for a 5 year old

[lrochfort]

Hello,

Would you please make suggestions for a film P&S for a 5 year old.

I have an XA2, but he finds the viewfinder a bit small, the clamshell hard to open properly, and the electronic hair trigger difficult to use.

My wishlist is:

• Large viewfinder
• Shutter release easy to reach for small hands
• Ideally fixed focus
• Ideally manual with maybe a button cell for metering
• Available in the UK
• Very cheap!!!!!

Thanks all

 

[btgc]

This calls for so called Big Finder models of various P&S with fixed focus (so these have 28mm or 35mm triplets).

 

[AlexBG]

Get him to look through the P&S camera porn thread and pick one he likes the look of. Just pray that he doesn't take a shine to a T3!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Canon Sure Shot Owl. I bought my son one when he was 4, and he learned it instantly. Huge finder, very simple controls. It is autofocus, but my son learned fast how to use the focus system. They are available used for cheap. Uses AA batteries.

Mack was 4 when I made this photo of him. He's 18 now, just graduated from high school, and shoots a digital SLR (Nikon D70) that I taught him to use when he was about 12.

Here's some stuff he shot with the Canon Owl:

Me taking his picture in 2003.

He did this himself using the self-timer. I wasn't there when he did it, he set the thing up himself! Also in 2003. He was 5.