Advice on camera for a child please...

Moey

Moey

Messages
758
Edit My Images
No
Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a camera with a fixed lens and decent zoom for my 7 year old. He enjoys taking photos on our phones when we are out, or just in the garden, so I have decided to get him a camera and see how he gets on. I'm looking for a camera with a fixed lens, but with a decent optical zoom and also manual as well as auto controls. I have seen a couple of Canon SX150's pop up for around the fifty quid mark, so I was going to pull the plug and get something like that. It has a 12x optical and also manual controls, if he enjoys it and carries on with it, I'll get him something else later on down the line...

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

TIA
Moey
 
My 7 year old son has just moved on from my old Canon S90, as he was getting frustrated by the shutter lag. He ended up with that because it was at home, sitting in a drawer, but better than his old rugged Nikon. It probably was not the best camera, but it worked, was "his" but most importantly got him out taking photos with me, which has been great.

I don't think that the exact camera matters, but getting out is the important thing.
 
Craikeybaby said:
I don't think that the exact camera matters, but getting out is the important thing.
Click to expand...

This was my thinking too and I'd like to take the opportunity of getting him out there sooner rather than later, whilst he's keen :)


andrewc said:
If he's slightly clumsy, then there are more rugged camera which may survive being dropped, otherwise there are plenty of decent s/h compacts out there. Maybe a handstrap or a jury rigged neck strap as a precaution.
Click to expand...

He's pretty careful with things to be honest, however, the risk of dropping something is always there regardless, so I will definately be looking at a strap. In fact, that Canon I mentioned in the post comes with a wrist strap, so that will get him started. :)
 
Pretty much anything to get him started, then upgrade as and when he reaches kit limits.
 
Craikeybaby said:
I don't think that the exact camera matters, but getting out is the important thing.
Click to expand...

Agreed, that is the main thing.
At that age my son had a Fujifilm bridge, hardly ever used it, and didn't want to come with us, then I got him a Canon SX 510 HS, and it changed thing completely.
He started off using the screen, but soon changed to the viewfinder.
He then had a 450D, 550D and a 100D, he now uses a Lumix G80, and although he still has the 100D, he still likes the 510. He's been at it 6 years now, and still keen.

What was it about the 510 that got hi interest up? Two things I think, it took good photos, and it looked like everybody else's cameras.

th.jpg
 
When my eldest was about 6, I got her a Nikon D40 with a kit lens for very little money. Before that she had a few kids cameras and some old point and shoots, she used the Nikon very happily for a few years and I eventually traded her up through some of my older Nikon then Sony gear. She has completely lost interest now that she is 17 though. Our other daughter being a bit younger got all my eldest's hand me down but she too has lost interest now and prefers taking videos on her phone for TikTok over shooting any stills.
 
Last edited:
My eldest granddaughter has occasionally uses my wife's old 450D and does quite well with it. She took this when we were out yesterday. Beluga XL.jpg
 
Last edited:
Moey said:
I did look at that, but at present, I'm just looking for cheap used, just in case he decides to stick it in the drawer after a week :)
Click to expand...

Yes, I bought my son a new XT30 and lenses a few years back. He used it twice and lost interest. It sits gathering dust on his bedroom shelf.
 
Moey said:
Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a camera with a fixed lens and decent zoom for my 7 year old. He enjoys taking photos on our phones when we are out, or just in the garden, so I have decided to get him a camera and see how he gets on. I'm looking for a camera with a fixed lens, but with a decent optical zoom and also manual as well as auto controls. I have seen a couple of Canon SX150's pop up for around the fifty quid mark, so I was going to pull the plug and get something like that. It has a 12x optical and also manual controls, if he enjoys it and carries on with it, I'll get him something else later on down the line...

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

TIA
Moey
Click to expand...
I have a Fujifilm Finepix S4800 that might fit the bill. Takes AA batteries which means you don't have to remember to charge a battery pack. If that would be of interest drop me a PM.
 
I got our 12 year old a Kodak Az422 bridge camera the other year. Less than £200 used, Li-Ion battery as my experience of AA cameras are they are crazily power hungry. So far she's had it out with us a few times now (typically when I take one of mine out) and it gets some decent shots to be fair :)
 
moggi1964 said:
I have a Fujifilm Finepix S4800 that might fit the bill. Takes AA batteries which means you don't have to remember to charge a battery pack. If that would be of interest drop me a PM.
Click to expand...

That would possibly have fitted the bill, if I hadn't gone out and bought a camera already :) . I have just logged back into here after a couple of days and I decided to get the Canon that was advertised locally on fb marketplace. That also takes AA batteries although due to the fact that they apparently drain very quickly, I have popped in some Eneloop rechargeables and he has been using it on and off for a couple of days on their first charge. Thanks anyway, I would have been interested if I wasn't already sorted.
 
billgatese30 said:
I got our 12 year old a Kodak Az422 bridge camera the other year. Less than £200 used, Li-Ion battery as my experience of AA cameras are they are crazily power hungry. So far she's had it out with us a few times now (typically when I take one of mine out) and it gets some decent shots to be fair :)
Click to expand...
I have popped in a couple of AA eneloops into the Canon camera I have ended up buying. They hold their charge really well, so it may be something you may wish to look into? I normally use them in my flashguns and they have never ket me down, keeping their charge for very long periods.
 
Moey said:
That would possibly have fitted the bill, if I hadn't gone out and bought a camera already :) . I have just logged back into here after a couple of days and I decided to get the Canon that was advertised locally on fb marketplace. That also takes AA batteries although due to the fact that they apparently drain very quickly, I have popped in some Eneloop rechargeables and he has been using it on and off for a couple of days on their first charge. Thanks anyway, I would have been interested if I wasn't already sorted.
Click to expand...
No worries. The important thing is you got a camera and now the journey begins for your 7 year old. :cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top