camera for a 7-yr old

[jlemire]

It's my daughter's birthday soon and I was thinking of giving her a digital camera. Any suggestions? Obviously

it can't be overly complicated with buttons and options and I'd like to keep it relatively inexpensive, but I'd

also like something half-way decent. Anyone have experience with the Optio class cameras? Do you think a

viewfinder is necessary - I personally hate using an LCD screen to compose, but then again I started with a K1000

so perhaps I'm just old and curmudgeony. OK, I'm just rambling now. Any help would be appreciated.<br>

<br>

(BTW my daughter already has <a href="http://jimlemire.com/kids/photos/july05/em_camera.jpg">film "experience"</a>)

[jgredline]

Jim,

I got my two young daughters this camera. http://www.target.com/Polaroid-6-0MP-Digital-Camera-CIA-00634S/dp/B000SASMOI/sr=1-3/qid=1213906473/ref=sr_1_3/602-7813539-4876621?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Apoloroid%20digital%20cameras&page=1

It takes some really nice pictures and is very simple to use. It comes in different colors as well..

[jamesmck]

There are some conditions under which it is impossible to compose with an LCD. I believe all of the Canon A series have both an optical and LCD.

[frank_skomial]

Get an Olympus Stylus 770SW, 790SW series or higher pixel count version that is drop proof, underwater proof to some depth, and has decent movie mode. You will not need to get another one soon, unless stolen. Do not expect too much from a 7 years old. She will just aim and shoot, and pictures will be clear, what else do you want? Short movies with voice recording are fun to make - you will learn a lot about your daughter's friends and kids on the block watching those movies.

 

With this little camera composition either through viewfinder or on LCD is of lesser concern, but shooting and having fun is more important, and good start to photography years later, ... but not too soon to spoil the fun

[kurt_evers]

My 3-year-old does great work with a Canon Digital Elph s110, which can be found for pennies on the 'Bay. Actually she takes better photos with it than I ever could manage. It's small-ish and pretty much indestructable.

[wpoupore]

I'll second the recommendation for the Olympus Stylus cameras. I've got one and it really is waterproof (10ft or 33 ft

depending on model), drop proof and crush proof. I've gone in water parks with my son with it, it's been dropped in the sink

full of water (not by me), dropped on the ground, had coke sprayed all over it, fallen out of napsacks, etc, etc, and had a 30 pound box put

on top of it. It's still going strong, gives picture quality you'd expect from a P&S, and reasonable movies for what it is. Only down side

is it takes xD memory cards, but I figure what I don't spend on replacing the camera because of "accidents" more than

pays for the memory cards.

[frygge]

The new Pentax Optio W60 is water/drop/ice-cream/booger proof. If you want to keep it in the family.

I have no experience with it though.

 

Good luck

 

Fredrik

[andrewg_ny]

I was also thinking that Pentax W-series are extra durable. In addition to being waterproof their zoom lenses don't extend out of the camera body, adding to general durability.

[jgredline]

Folks, the reason I suggested the poloroid is simply because it is inexpensive, durable, inexpensive, durable. It also comes with a protective rubber cover.. The child is 7 years old. Many of these cameras listed are simply expensive for a 7 year old ''imo'' In fact there are 1 MP cameras that Ritz sells for like 20 bucks. That may be the way to go.

[jlemire]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I agree with Javier - I don't really want to spend $$ on this. I am not expecting my daughter to go out and create award-winning photos - I want her to have fun and explore and try things out - if it means having 10,000 pictures of her friends making funny faces, so be it. My concern with some of the cheaper things out there I've seen is that I imagine they're pretty crappily made and perhaps not even worth their relatively low price. I feel a bit stuck, as usual, between not wanting to spend a lot of money and thinking the cheaper stuff just ain't worth it. I'll keep looking and thinking. Thanks.