stevierose
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Well, all three of my kids are supposedly adults now (in their 30's). 🙂
I don't think that you will be successful at solving this problem (your daughter's inattention to her belongings as a personality/behavioral pattern that leads to the loss or destruction of said belongings) by choosing a different type of camera. It is really her problem to work out. While there is a range of ruggedness in different cameras, they are all, ultimately, precision instruments and prone to damage if it goes far enough. The fact is that she can't really expect to take a decent SLR camera with her on this type of trip and not spend some attention on protecting it. It will break. Just like I can't drive a regular passenger sedan off road over rocks and boulders and expect it to survive the trip. I've tried many different versions of this with my kids, and it just doesn't work. You can't change reality to fit your kid.
That said, short of taking a Nikonos or similar camera system that is designed to resist the elements (likely too expensive) I would suggest that she take one of the small digicams that have been designed to be waterproof, dustproof, and impact resistant. Olympus and Panasonic both makes variants of this, and she can probably find an affordable one used that is one or two generations old. These also have the advantage of being small and light--helpful for backpacking.
If it must be an SLR I will add my vote to the Pentax MX which is a very solidly built compact SLR with great lenses that is inexpensive. It won't survive a dunk in a lake or being buried in sand, however.
Personally, when my kids went out on their world tours and backpacking trips back in their teens and twenties, I gave each of them an Olympus Stylus Epic and they all brought back great photos and intact cameras. The Stylus Epic has a great lens, is pocketable, and is "weather resistant". Unfortunately, they have caught on and cost $200 or so now, but still worth it.
If she must have a film camera with more control I would suggest a 1970's era fixed lens rangefinder like the Olympus 35RC. Well made, great lens, light and compact. I backpacked extensively with one of these back in the day, got great photos, and the camera survived. They are reasonably affordable but usually need new seals and benefit from cleaning the viewfinder. They use mercury batteries, but this is easily overcome.
My 2 cents. Good luck with this!
Steve Rosenblum
I don't think that you will be successful at solving this problem (your daughter's inattention to her belongings as a personality/behavioral pattern that leads to the loss or destruction of said belongings) by choosing a different type of camera. It is really her problem to work out. While there is a range of ruggedness in different cameras, they are all, ultimately, precision instruments and prone to damage if it goes far enough. The fact is that she can't really expect to take a decent SLR camera with her on this type of trip and not spend some attention on protecting it. It will break. Just like I can't drive a regular passenger sedan off road over rocks and boulders and expect it to survive the trip. I've tried many different versions of this with my kids, and it just doesn't work. You can't change reality to fit your kid.
That said, short of taking a Nikonos or similar camera system that is designed to resist the elements (likely too expensive) I would suggest that she take one of the small digicams that have been designed to be waterproof, dustproof, and impact resistant. Olympus and Panasonic both makes variants of this, and she can probably find an affordable one used that is one or two generations old. These also have the advantage of being small and light--helpful for backpacking.
If it must be an SLR I will add my vote to the Pentax MX which is a very solidly built compact SLR with great lenses that is inexpensive. It won't survive a dunk in a lake or being buried in sand, however.
Personally, when my kids went out on their world tours and backpacking trips back in their teens and twenties, I gave each of them an Olympus Stylus Epic and they all brought back great photos and intact cameras. The Stylus Epic has a great lens, is pocketable, and is "weather resistant". Unfortunately, they have caught on and cost $200 or so now, but still worth it.
If she must have a film camera with more control I would suggest a 1970's era fixed lens rangefinder like the Olympus 35RC. Well made, great lens, light and compact. I backpacked extensively with one of these back in the day, got great photos, and the camera survived. They are reasonably affordable but usually need new seals and benefit from cleaning the viewfinder. They use mercury batteries, but this is easily overcome.
My 2 cents. Good luck with this!
Steve Rosenblum
