Camera for a 4 year old.

Any thoughts on inexpensive general purpose cameras for a 4 year old.

I have twin nieces who are perpetually happy and giggly. Last year I got them, matching of course, analog

pink princess watches for Christmas. No they were not expensive. This year Uncle Two Oceans is getting them cameras. You can generally find something in the 30-40 dollar range that is a point and shoot so I am thinking along those lines. I know their parents are really going to thank me. I started out my journey at eight with a Mamiya 6X7 bellows range finder camera and a Gossen incident light meter and a small metal tripod. I was making contact prints at 10 years in my bathroom. I figure with a point and shoot they will begin to learn and have fun with composition. Thanks in advance.

You can find several models of children-specific digital cameras at WalMart and online. These a fairly inexpensive, P&S bodies with fixed lenses, rugged cases, and simple-to-use controls. I'm not sure they're recommended for as young as 4, but they'd be a good way to start, and more likely to stand up to the abuse and neglect young children are likely to impose. Sounds like you're the "fun" uncle.:)

 

OK, I just did a quick search online and the web is floating in cameras for young children, from less than $20 to over $100, and everything in between. And, as children of the modern age, they'll almost certainly be more adept than either of us at PP within a few months.

Kids' cameras are OK in their way, but in your shoes I'd go for something a little more adult, maybe second-hand but in pristine condition. Children may be more likely to treat something with respect if it looks less like a toy, and they feel they are being trusted with something important. Certainly digital P & S, for instant results (waiting is so frustrating !), but adult encouragement and support is also important while they are learning. Best of luck anyway.

One of the cheaper 'tough' cameras perhaps? Not the top of the range like the Olympus TG-5, but something lesser. I have an Olympus TG-320 that would be perfect, it's rather less perfect for my use.

 

Or there's Instax, their parents would hate you...

What a nice uncle. Would love to see what photos they come up with.

I would surely go digital and stay far away from instant. Four year old girls are not going to understand/care that it's $2 a shot. More "adult" camera are OK only if their parents are also into photography or you plan to be taking them out for a lot of shooting. They aren't going to understand the controls and will quickly tire of widely over or under exposed images. Mom and dad also have to be tech wise enough to get images off of the camera and somewhere else for storage although the kids will mostly desire prints.

 

My three kids started with Nikon D200 but they didn't start quite that young had me right there to learn what they were doing.

 

You need to look for yourself, come up with a budget and then try to get something that you think they can handle without trashing. I know that's not very helpful . . .

A Sinar P3?

Thinking back to my own days of yore, my first camera, at about age 8 or 9, was a Polaroid. Dad gave me a set number of film packets and I had to learn to budget their use, but the instant results captured my imagination. It was big and clunky, and easy to keep track of, with a wrist strap and tough, solid body. My next camera was a folding compact 35mm Voigtlander Vitesse, which I promptly managed to drop in a high alpine stream! The next two were Instamatics, for obvious reasons, until I inherited Dad's Nikkormat EL while in high school, late 70's. Based on my own experience, and watching my 4 yo granddaughter, I would stick with kid-specific digital models until they demonstrate a pro-active sense of responsibility, probably in the 8-10 yo range. I would also ask their parents to closely monitor and vet anything to be posted online, since such young children are unlikely to appreciate the complexities and nuances of appropriate vs inappropriate posts.

One of the cheaper 'tough' cameras perhaps?

Great idea! Since you have a bit of time; try scooping up a pair of used ones?

Those cameras aren't my field of expertise. I own a Pentax WG II; it seems to take pictures. Another option might be, to equip the young ladies with iphones older than them?- This is a huge "ask the parents" can of worms and I am not daring to voice an opinion upon when kids should get hold of smart phones. I'm simply stating: My iphone IV was 45€, a while ago. It is a heck of a tiny little camera and there must be editing apps to run on it, too. - I haven't put it to use yet; it seems to demand a SIM card for that and I am fed up with cellular providers. - But that is my quirk.

 

I honestly don't know what to recommend.

• A less than an (old) iphone just-camera, costing more than a phone makes little sense in my eyes.
  
• Anything P&S will require a PC (or such) to see store show images.
  
• I'd love to ditch old DSLR kits on elementary school kids, later.
  
• I wouldn't dare to gift anything that burdens significant follow up cost (film, processing, serious digital darkroom, ...) on the parents.
  

• A Sinar P3?

  Is kind of right! - "Doing the real thing" in a darkroom, once under their uncle's guidance must be great. - But maybe like the DSLRs a wee bit early right now?
   
  

From enough experience with 4 year olds, the camera has to be light, extremely light. Else they may not be able to carry them around for long. Still, it needs to be able to withstand multiple drops and bumps, and being left out in odd locations. It should have a bright display so that they can instantly see the result of their clicking. That way, they will remain excited and be motivated to practice. Also, many of them will put the camera in the mouth and there's hardly any way to prevent that. Gosh! We are talking about 4 year olds here!

Great idea! Since you have a bit of time; try scooping up a pair of used ones?

Those cameras aren't my field of expertise. I own a Pentax WG II; it seems to take pictures. Another option might be, to equip the young ladies with iphones older than them?- This is a huge "ask the parents" can of worms and I am not daring to voice an opinion upon when kids should get hold of smart phones. I'm simply stating: My iphone IV was 45€, a while ago. It is a heck of a tiny little camera and there must be editing apps to run on it, too. - I haven't put it to use yet; it seems to demand a SIM card for that and I am fed up with cellular providers. - But that is my quirk.

 

I honestly don't know what to recommend.

• A less than an (old) iphone just-camera, costing more than a phone makes little sense in my eyes.
  
• Anything P&S will require a PC (or such) to see store show images.
  
• I'd love to ditch old DSLR kits on elementary school kids, later.
  
• I wouldn't dare to gift anything that burdens significant follow up cost (film, processing, serious digital darkroom, ...) on the parents.
  
• 
  Is kind of right! - "Doing the real thing" in a darkroom, once under their uncle's guidance must be great. - But maybe like the DSLRs a wee bit early right now?
  

 

The Sinar P3 is actually a digital camera.

One more thing . . . If their mom or dad are not into photography, familiarize yourself with whatever you give them and take pictures of the controls for yourself. This way you will be able to help them out over the phone or internet.

Thanks Guys, Great points. I think I will look for something light, durable and less technical and leave more complex PSs and the calculus flash cards for preschoolers I had planned for another time. On the other hand they will no doubt be writing programs in a year or two. There are a couple of Vivitar, Polaroid and Kodak PS cameras that may do the trick. They look fairly small. I should probably go to Walmart first as David suggests to see what's available and handle the product while considering the great suggestions that have been offered me. Some of the suggestions are higher than my price point but I may have to rethink things along these lines. After all it's either my nieces or my parrots who will inherit my burgeoning fortune. I will keep monitoring this string for advice. Thanks again everyone. All the suggestions have been helpful.

The abilities of four year olds with somewhat fragile equipment varies a lot.

 

I started in darkroom photography, and also with real cameras, when I was about nine.

 

But much younger, I knew how to use my father's audio equipment properly

and safely. I learned how to solder electronics when I was about eight.

 

I suspect that the above mentioned kid-proof cameras are right for most kids, and watching

how well they do with those, will tell when they are ready for something better, and more fragile.