Surely if you are a father or mother, you 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 for the camera and you have considered that it is time for them to have theirs.
In case you are thinking about it, for when all this situation is over, I have thought of updating 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 of growing up, it becomes even more complicated.
You already know that in 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 with a selection of recommended cameras.
Let's go there.
HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD CAMERA FOR CHILDREN1. APPROPRIATE FOR HER AGE
This is for me the most important aspect of the whole election. There is no point in giving a super complex camera to a 2-year-old boy or girl, you know what I mean. And giving a teenage profile a camera that is too childish 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 that camera is intended for, in fact, all the advice that I will humbly offer you, you always have to see them based on the 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 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.
Accidental blows and falls , yes, but falls after all, inappropriate places where they are left lying around in any way, possible involuntary stomping and a long etcetera . You know that as well as I do, I'm sure.
To avoid wasting our money, but above all to avoid the displeasure of the little ones, our anger or various sadness, look for a camera that is resistant to shocks and falls.
ATTRACTIVE
As a general rule, cameras for children are attractive. There's a whole marketing department behind it that already makes sure they are , but it doesn't hurt to keep it in mind to give them a camera 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, it seems like a great idea to add versatility to our choice of camera gifts. A submersible camera will not only save you the odd 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 that I would want it submersible. And if she lends it to you on top of it so that you can also enjoy it, it will be impossible to resist .
SMALL AND LIGHT
If, as adults, we value light cameras more and more, but with good features (that's why mirrorless cameras 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 child's camera should be light, small in size, fit in their hands and have a good grip.
INTUITIVE
A camera with the performance of a professional photographer on a 5-year-old is a waste. It already is in the hands of someone who only thinks of working automatically imagine in such a small child.
Cameras are just a tool to approach photography in a fun and healthy way. Giving them a camera that they don't understand, that has too many options, or that is simply not appropriate for their age, promises certain failure.
Obviously, you should take point 1 (age) into account in this specific case. The ability to understand that we have at 3 years old is not the same as at 12 years old, so obviously both age profiles will need different cameras.
IMAGE QUALITY
Okay, he's a kid, which doesn't mean you can fool him with a toy-looking camera. We are in the age of communication and today's children have seen more images in a year than you have seen 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 optics, but that doesn't mean that we don't value what it is to have a good zoom ? . We don't want our creatures to miss out on the magic of being able to get close to everything 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, take both photos and video, as they love action. You will find it very weird 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 version in digital (I considered the analog theme to be high risk for my mini-handyman-touch-buttons and I was afraid of ending up ruined), and an instant camera (the Instax Mini) for my 7 year old daughter.
As I said, I wouldn't give an analogue camera (instantaneous or not) to someone young, but to someone older, who learns to value the power of the image, who learns to ration photos (as we should do). everyone ? ), that he learns 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 all the inheritance in one day ? .
If this is the case in the case of an adult, 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 don't think it's worth spending a fortune on a camera for a child, because that's what they are... small, and they can't (and shouldn't) avoid it ? . And, yes, it's great that they learn to be responsible for their things, but they don't have to learn it at the cost of losing an 800-euro camera, don't they? ? .
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 from 4 to 7-8 years. Being able to expand above and below depending on each person in question and the maturity that she has;).
1. Small size, light, waterproof, 8MP camera, with screen, zoom and different filters:
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
3. 15MP camera, with video, dual camera (with selfie camera), automatic shooting with smile detector, multiple scenes and filters, with a soft and comfortable silicone case to handle the camera, with a resistant and hanging cord to falls.
4. Submersible camera of 10MP and 98 gr. weight, 4x digital zoom, and self-timer among other features.
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 analog instant photography.
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. Camera easy to use and good results. Record video with FHD 1080P, 44MP resolution. It also serves as a web cam and has very good ratings.
7. 21MP compact camera, 8x zoom, 720p HD resolution for video recording, 2.7-inch TFT LCD screen, self-timer.
8. 20MP compact camera, 6x optical zoom and HD 720p video mode, 2.7″ screen, and digital stabilizer.
9. 44 MP Compact Camera, 2.8″ Screen, Ultra HD 2.7K Video, Webcam and Vlogging Recording Function, 16X Digital Zoom and LED Flash.
10. 48MP 3m waterproof camera, 16x zoom, dual screen for selfies, image stabilization, micro SD card slot, continuous shooting, among other features.
11. For older and more responsible children, there is this much more advanced model, which can also be used by adults. Waterproof up to 15m, resistant to shocks and falls, also at temperatures down to -10º, which also makes it ideal for snow. 4K video, GPS, compass, macro mode, Wi-Fi, and image stabilization are just a few of the many features on this action camera.
And up to here my humble contribution in terms of advice for giving cameras to boys or girls.
