So today while I was out shooting, my little side kick Andie
was out with her disposable Kodak camera. I snapped this photo of her as she spotted "best friends forever" - two dandelions with a leaf shaped like a heart beside them. I was actually pretty amazed that she noticed it.
So, my question is....I know there are users here who have kiddos with albums. I don't know if we're ready for that, but what kind of camera do you have for your kids? She is asking for a P&S for her birthday (in October), but I would love to surprise her with one now....
I'm commenting on this one as I'm tempted to get my nieces cameras for their birthdays in June. They will be 5 and 8, so need something quite hardy! My youngest niece especially loves taking pictures.
My 2 have Little Tikes cameras but they are absolutely rubbish so they don't use them. I have been letting them use my own p&s but I'm totally paranoid about them using it as it wasn't cheap so I'm going to get them cameras of their own. I have seen wee cheap cameras (I think they're Vivitar) which I was thinking of getting them. They are £24 so if they drop them or whatever I won't feel quite as bad. I'll get round to getting them eventually. Just don't know how good they'll be though as I've had cheap digital cameras myself and was gutted they were rubbish but that was when I first moved on to digital.
My granddaughter loves to go on photo walks with me when I vist. She was 4 and a half when she asked for a camera for Christmas. My son found a digital kidproof P&S made by Crayola which has the attributes of a basic P&S and in addition won't break if dropped and has great handles for a kid. Here is a picture I posted in Dec. of her and one of her pictures:
Can't quite tell her age, but she looks old enough to be responsible. Try checking around your second hand stores for an older but serviceable P&S. One that includes full manual options. I noticed a whole case full in the lifeline shop (like a goodwill in the US) last time I was in.
Buying second hand gives you a few advantages:
you can give it now, with maybe something else as her birthday present (a gift card for prints and enlargements or a book put together of stuff she's done?)
better for the environment!
not so much worry if she drops it (do make sure it has a strap and she starts learning from the start to 'always wrap the strap!'
cheaper
better for the environment!!
having full manual options on a P&S usually also means auto, so when she's ready she can make the step without worry
better for the environment!!!
had a little 110 micro as a kid, had a lot of fun with it. None of my shots were very good but hey, it's effort that counts!
If you don't have anything against a Kodak camera, I have a Kodak EasyShare C913 that is really easy to work and makes really good pics. It's pink too. I know a 9 year old girl that has the same camera and loves it. They are fairly inexpensive.
@kirsty1975 my 6 year old son has a vivitar camera which gives very variable results. It was cheap so not such an issue if he does drop it (he has his own project which he has lost interest in a bit if you want to see the kind of quality it gives @kimbobrown)
My 9 year old (@hamster) who is a lot more responsible has just used some birthday and christmas money as well as a hand out from me to buy a Panasonic Lumix FS10 - which was about £90. The vivitar was actually hers but she was very frustrated by the pictures she was getting as she wanted to take pictures like mine. So whilst it wasn't cheap I think it was worth it as she is getting good results from it and has had no problems learning how to use it.
As @neda says a second hand one might not be a bad idea :)
Once I started my 365, my 7yo son Liam started takign pictures. At the time we were using my Dad's OLD digital camera (fixed focus, 2MP) which was cute, but even Liam wanted to get creative. So, with his pocket money, he bought a small digital camera with all the right bells and whilstles. It is a GE brand, has all the settings that most digital cameras do, but it's small, easy to use and inexpensive - only $68AU. It's only real downfall is that it's not waterproof or shock resistant - fairly important for a kid's camera!
Lex uses our canon power shot 7D (shock/waterproof), he LOVES it hes got the best attention to detail - i really wanted to start a 365 for him, but that'd require a LOT of effort on my part, so at this stage i've got a iphoto event full of his photos, that will do at the moment ;)
@iowsara Wow, his photos are great!!!! In fact not great, amazing!!! Right I'm definitely getting vivitars, My daughters are 7 (nearly 8) and 5 and they started the project but they've fallen away a bit. I think it's the time spent editing and they aren't computer literate either so we spend ages so trying to work that round homework etc is quite difficult. I'm sure once they have their own they'll want to shoot all the time.
We got a fujifilm XP. We thought it was appropriate for them since it can be dropped, and is water resistant. Love it when the kids take photos. Such a different perspective.
When my daughter was 7 she started asking for a camera, she wanted a pink one. She used my p&s for a while and liked it. I found a pink Kodak easy share p&s at Sears on clearance for less than 50 dollars. The pictures she gets are so, so, but she carries it in her purse or book bag and she likes having it so it wasn't a bad deal. It has been a sturdy little camera and has stood up to her lugging it around all over.
@cjwhite Kodak Easyshare cameras are used in many UK schools because of their ease of use and good picture quality for the price. I'd be inclined to grab a second hand one off Ebay for their first cameras. This wont be too expensive and you can always upgrade at a later date when they have learned the basics.
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
Can't quite tell her age, but she looks old enough to be responsible. Try checking around your second hand stores for an older but serviceable P&S. One that includes full manual options. I noticed a whole case full in the lifeline shop (like a goodwill in the US) last time I was in.
Buying second hand gives you a few advantages:
you can give it now, with maybe something else as her birthday present (a gift card for prints and enlargements or a book put together of stuff she's done?)
better for the environment!
not so much worry if she drops it (do make sure it has a strap and she starts learning from the start to 'always wrap the strap!'
cheaper
better for the environment!!
having full manual options on a P&S usually also means auto, so when she's ready she can make the step without worry
better for the environment!!!
had a little 110 micro as a kid, had a lot of fun with it. None of my shots were very good but hey, it's effort that counts!
My 9 year old (@hamster) who is a lot more responsible has just used some birthday and christmas money as well as a hand out from me to buy a Panasonic Lumix FS10 - which was about £90. The vivitar was actually hers but she was very frustrated by the pictures she was getting as she wanted to take pictures like mine. So whilst it wasn't cheap I think it was worth it as she is getting good results from it and has had no problems learning how to use it.
As @neda says a second hand one might not be a bad idea :)