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What Camera for Grandchildren.

Elderly

Well-known member
I want to buy my 5 and 8 year old grandchildren cameras.

Nothing complex - nothing too expensive (second hand maybe?).

I've no idea where to start: Should they have a viewfinder? Should they have a zoom?

Any ideas please?
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Most people these days don't use a viewfinder (phones don't have them ;)) so wouldn't worry too much about that to get the youngsters interested in photography.
Given their age I would go as simple as possible and see if the develop "the bug" before getting a more complicated camera.

Maybe this article can give you some ideas
 

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Most people these days don't use a viewfinder (phones don't have them ;)) so wouldn't worry too much about that to get the youngsters interested in photography.
Given their age I would go as simple as possible and see if the develop "the bug" before getting a more complicated camera.

Maybe this article can give you some ideas
That little Sony does look like a nice snap camera. I almost want one, but I am an addict.:ROTFL::banghead:
 

cgastelum

Member
I bought my 4year old daughter a Fujifilm FinePix XP80 . the camera was under $65 used (in purple, her favorite color) the camera is shock proof, water and dust proof.

She didn't use it much when she was 4, but now that She's 5 , She keeps the camera in her backpack and takes pictures everywhere we go.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I gave a nephew a Fuji Instax mini of some sort two years ago when he was five. Didn't use it much then, now he's using it all the time. Loves the fact that there's a print in his hands when he takes a picture. One of these days, I'll scan all the prints he's made with it; some are remarkably good quality AND good photos!. :)

Oh yeah: His dad gave him a beat-up iPhone 6 this February too ... no cellular service, just to use as a toy. He takes a lot of photos with that too now.

G
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
I want to buy my 5 and 8 year old grandchildren cameras.

Nothing complex - nothing too expensive (second hand maybe?).

I've no idea where to start: Should they have a viewfinder? Should they have a zoom?

Any ideas please?
I’d look at a older camera on a close out deal. Not really sure of your budget but you can likely find an older Canon or Nikon DSLR for a couple hundred bucks or so...
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I would not give a child a Fuji Instax camera simply because of the price per image and the amount of film that will likely be used. Instead, a point and shoot like a Canon Elph for approximately $100 is perfect. That's the price of about five packs of Fuji Instax film.
Canon ELPH? What about the cost (and difficulty in finding) APS film and processing? And having to send it away to have it processed, and wait a few days for it to be returned (like with virtually any film these days unless you happen to be willing to sign up for doing the processing and printing all the time)?

Five packs of Instax film is 50 exposures that the child can see and share a photo in minutes. That can be priceless. Most kids I know shoot three or four exposures, and then don't touch the camera for weeks. And they also learn that there's not an infinite amount of pictures ... when they take out the camera and finish a pack, they're done until there's more film available ... which isn't "all the time." It's a good learning experience.

Sorry, I can't say I agree with you at all on this.

G
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Hmm. I didn't know Canon reused that name. I hadn't heard of an Elph camera since the APS cameras died.

My experience: Most young children will beat any of those cameras to junk way too quickly to be worth spending that money. Too many small buttons, etc.

The nice thing about stuff like the Fuji Instax is that they're "toy" cameras ... big plastic things that take a beating and aren't affected by kids dropping them, throwing them into a school bag with books and pencils, etc etc.

But whatever. Buy what you want to buy for the kids. I know what I'd give them. Whenever the youngsters next door see me, they always ask me if I can take another picture of them with the instant camera, and even though I've made dozens of photos of them with digital cameras, they have absolutely no interest in them.

G
 

Elderly

Well-known member
I gave a nephew a Fuji Instax mini of some sort two years ago when he was five. Didn't use it much then, now he's using it all the time. Loves the fact that there's a print in his hands when he takes a picture.

This all got put on the back burner as there have been *other* things happening !

I like the idea of Instax but my daughter said "NO" because the ongoing expense;
apparently my grandson uses the camera on her iPhone like a machine gun.

I've just ordered an XP140 from the Fuji refurb store for him (his 8th birthday is next week).
It's waterproof, shockproof and freeze proof - but I suppose that he could manage to lose it :grin:.

Thanks all for the ideas :thumbup:.
 

Paratom

Well-known member
I think thosr simple, rugged and waterproof cams are great for kids. WOuld be good, if it can transfer images directly to cell phone, because thats the main communication system of most kids today ;)
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I bought a second hand Olympus TG-something for my daughter when she was 5. It cost me $150, and it takes any abuse a child will normally expose it to, including visits to the swimming pool.
 

steveash

Member
I bought my daughter a cheap pink rabbit camera from Amazon when she was six. It’s very simple and she takes it everywhere taking snaps. She doesn’t have to worry about any technicalities including focussing. Just composition. When she’s ready for more I’ll trade it up to a compact.
 
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