Tech Blog

[#1]

Kids love taking pictures. I remember borrowing my grandmother's Polaroid One Step at her birthday party and taking lots of pictures. I took a lot of pictures. Which would have been okay except that those 10 exposure packs were pretty expensive back then in the 70s. So you might wonder when I got my first camera of my own. Later that year in fact; I was nine.

So was nine too young for a camera? Not for me. I took care of that camera and saving my allowance for film and flashbars. What about now? I wouldn't buy a kid a film camera. I mean how many kids really understand the concept of "getting your pictures developed?" What about digital? Too expensive? Too delicate?

Honestly I don't think so. I think you have to choose a child's first camera pretty carefully. I'd certainly go for something that isn't too expensive, but also without too many additional features. Rugged? That's a pretty hard thing to judge, but I think a camera that doesn't looking too fragile.

Other things I look for:

• That it takes "normal" batteries
• Takes SD cards
• Uses a standard USB cable
• Buttons large enough a child can use them.

I know that none of these answer the age question. I started with a one-step at 9 and moved to various 110s, Kodak Discs, and even an SLR before I was a teenager. I wasn't a typical kid, but I will say this: if your child seems interested in something creative like photography. Try to find a way to encourage that interest.

As a final note, I'm not fond of "kids cameras", ones that seem dumbed down. Get something decent that doesn't look like a toy. If it doesn't look like a toy, it's less likely to be treated like one.

[#2]

Well said, I agree with going AA's. Hopefully they are rechargeables, like Eneloops. Which of the rugged cameras take AA's?

[#3]

I remember my first camera was a Canon SureShot.  Nothing special, but it took decent pictures.  The catch is to get your kid to put at least a part of their allowance into the camera, then like that, it will ensure they feel a sense of pride over it and they will take better care of it.

The thing now is that you can get fairly basic cameras for so cheap now that it isn't as big a deal anymore.  And like you Tris, I'd avoid the kids cameras too (except for 3-5 year olds).  The reason is that they're almost as expensive as regular cameras (in some cases more expensive) and they're substantially lower quality.

Great recommendations above and I think those are good starting points for any parent thinking to get their child a camera.

[#4]

Yeah I had to buy all my own film ... it sure makes you realize how expensive it is. Having a camera that kids can actually DO things will is important. Even being able to shoot a short movie can be a lot of fun for kids.