Surely if you are a father or mother, you will have dreamed of sharing your photographic hobby with your children. These days in which we are sharing more hours with them, it is possible until you have fought at some point by the camera and you have considered that it is time for them to have theirs.
In case you are considering it, for when all this situation passes, I have thought to update this article, because if buying a camera is not an easy decision for oneself, buying cameras for children, some little people who, in addition, still have a lot to grow, it becomes even more complicated.
You already know that on the blog we like to try to simplify your life, so I am going to share with you those tips that, from my own experience, have worked best for me. I hope they help you in your search 😉 , at the end I leave you a selection of recommended cameras.
Let’s go there.
INSIDE THIS ARTICLE… 📖
How to choose a good camera for children1. age appropriate
This is for me the most important aspect of the whole election. It’s no use giving a super complex camera to a 2-year-old boy or girl, you know what I mean. And giving a teenage profile a too childish camera would be wasting her talent and your money;).
So my number 1 advice before buying a children’s camera is that you think first of all Who is that camera aimed at? In fact, all the advice that I will humbly offer you must always be seen in terms of age of the person who will receive said camera.
As I have anticipated, at the end of the article I will leave you several options so that you can see a little about what you can find depending on the age.
Resistant
As a photography lover you know how, even for adults, resistance is something to take into account when choosing a camera. Even more so when we talk about cameras for children.
The bumps and the falls unintentionally, yes, but falls after all, the inappropriate places where they are left lying in any way, possible involuntary stomping and a long etcetera. You know that as well as I do, sure.
To avoid wasting our money, but above all to avoid the displeasure of the little ones, ours, various anger or sadness, look for a camera that is resistant to shocks and falls.
attractive
As a general rule, cameras for children are attractive. There is a whole marketing department behind it that is already in charge of making them so 😉 , but it is worth keeping that in mind when giving them a camera that they love.
Taking into account, for example, your favorite color, or your personal tastes can be an interesting option ;).
Submersible
With how long the summer holidays are, I think it’s a great idea to add versatility to our choice of camera to give as a gift. An underwater camera will not only save you the occasional scare, they can take it to the beach, the pool, the river or play in the bathtub.
If I were a girl again, I assure you I would want it submersible. And if on top of it he lends it to you so that you can also enjoy it, it will be impossible to resist 😉.
small and light
If as adults we increasingly value light cameras, but with good features (that’s why mirrorless they have more and more market), how can it not be like that when we talk about giving a camera to a young creature with small hands?
A children’s photo camera should be light, small in size, that fits your hands and have a good grip.
intuitive
A camera with the features of a professional photographer in a 5-year-old child is a waste. It already is in the hands of someone who only plans to work automatically 😉 imagine in such a small child.
Cameras are just a tool to approach photography in a fun and healthy way. Giving him a camera that he does not understand, that has too many options or that is simply not suitable for his age, promises sure failure.
Obviously, you must take into account point 1 (age) in this particular case. The capacity for understanding that we have at 3 years old is not the same as at 12, so, obviously, both age profiles will need different cameras.
Picture quality
Okay, he’s a kid, which doesn’t mean you can fool him with a camera that looks like a toy. We are in the age of communication and today’s children have seen more images in a year than you have in your entire childhood. They know how to recognize a quality image from one that is not, so try to choose a camera for children but with a minimum of quality.
with Zoom
You know that at BdF we are lovers of fixed lenses, but that does not mean that we do not value what it means to have a good zoom 🙂 . We don’t want our creatures to miss out on the magic of being able to get close to anything they want without straying too far from our side.
So, in summary, it may be an option to consider, don’t you think?
Photo and video
Ideally, you should take both photos and video, because they love action. You will find it very strange if you don’t have this option. In addition, having it will help stimulate your creativity.
Analog or digital?
This really is a personal decision between you and that little person to whom you are going to give the camera. In my case, we have both versions: a very childish digital version (I considered the analog theme to be high risk for my mini-handyman-touch-buttons and I was scared I’d be broke), and an instant camera (the Instax Mini) for my 7 year old daughter.
As I have said, I would not give someone young an analog camera (instantaneous or not), but I would give someone older, who learns to value the power of the image, who learns to ration photos (as we should all 😉 ), learn to look, to think before taking any photo.
Don’t go over budget
This is a recommendation that we make for everything that refers to buying photographic material of any kind. In photography you can get excited to infinity and spend your entire inheritance in one day 😉 .
If in the case of an adult this is the case, in the case of cameras to give to children, we must take into account something basic: childhood is childhood, that is, cameras are lost, broken or bored.
I think it’s not worth spending a fortune on a camera for a creature, because they are just that… little ones, and they can’t (and shouldn’t) avoid it 😉 . And, yes, it is very good that they learn to be responsible for their things, but it is not necessary that they learn it at the cost of losing an 800 euro camera, do not you think? 😉 .
Best cameras for children
Cameras recommended for children from 4 to 7 years old
I am not an age expert and no one knows their sons and daughters (or other family) better than you, but I would say that this first batch of recommendations points to ages 4 to 7-8. Being able to expand above and below depending on each little person in question and the maturity that she has;).
1. Small size, light, waterproof 8MP camera with screen, zoom and different filters:
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1 new since €38.990 2nd hand
(* = Affiliate Link / Image Source: Amazon Affiliate Program)
2. Children’s photo camera, video, games, motion detector, music, voice recorder, voice distortion, 5MP, 2.4″ screen, flash, headphones to listen to mp3 music
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You save: €18.30 (20%)
30 new since €73.690 2nd hand
(* = Affiliate Link / Image Source: Amazon Affiliate Program)
3. 16MP photo camera, with video, dual camera (with selfie camera), automatic shot with smile detector, multiple scenes and filters, with soft and comfortable silicone case to handle the camera, with hanging cord and resistant to falls.
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1 new since €57.990 2nd hand
(* = Affiliate Link / Image Source: Amazon Affiliate Program)
4. 10MP 98g underwater camera. weight, 4x digital zoom, and self-timer among other features.
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20 new since €64.904 2nd hand from €22.55
(* = Affiliate Link / Image Source: Amazon Affiliate Program)
5. Although it is not a camera specifically for boys and girls, I do think that they can take advantage of it if you like the subject of analog instant photography.
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0 new1 2nd hand from €72.10
(* = Affiliate Link / Image Source: Amazon Affiliate Program)
Photo cameras recommended for children 7 years and older
Here I would say that we are talking about those who are no longer looking for a toy but a compact camera with good image quality.
6. 21MP compact camera, 8x zoom, 720p HD resolution for video recording, 2.7-inch TFT LCD screen, self-timer.
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