Let's say you want a camera for a five year old...

Stephanie Brim · Oct 25, 2012

Daughter is interested in having a camera of her own. I'd like to get her a fun autofocus point and shoot that doesn't suck. Preferably with a decently fast lens, but the main thing, really, is that it be somewhat durable and not cost the earth because, well, she's 5.

Stylus Epic is out. Too many people want them and the price is inflated because of it. I'm pondering the Canon AF35M or the Konica C35AF. Are there any other choices that would suit?

ETA: I put a bid on a C35MF. Lowball, but the light seals were replaced and everything was tested working. I'd still like one for myself, though. Heh.

A.Reijs · Oct 25, 2012

Considering the age, why not go for a Instax and comes in lots of colors.

tomfoo13ry · Oct 25, 2012

I don't have a specific model to recommend but if you have a Goodwill store in your area, I'd check that out. The ones in my area usually have about a dozen point and shoots for between 1 and 4 dollars. I've seen Nikons, Minoltas, Canons, etc...

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Oct 25, 2012

I can send my Nikon One Touch to her.

Umut
Istanbul

Stephanie Brim · Oct 25, 2012

A.Reijs said:
Considering the age, why not go for a Instax and comes in lots of colors. 

I should not have looked at those. I want to order myself a Piano Black version for Christmas.

This is just in the interim until birthday/Christmas rolls around. I have a few rolls of 35mm film left that she can shoot, and then I'll likely buy a few more. The Instax is a really good Christmas idea, though. She'd go nuts.

chriscrawfordphoto · Oct 25, 2012

Stephanie, my son, who is now 15, started at age 3 using Fuji Quicksnap single-use cameras. He got really good with them, used the flash when needed, etc. all by himself and his compositions were GOOD. Got expensive after a while, so for his fourth birthday, I got him a Canon Sure Shot Owl. Its a simple autofocus point-n-shoot 35mm with a very large viewfinder that is easy for kids to see through, and it is super easy to use. I'd look for one of those. They're inexpensive, durable, and good...and easy for a little one to learn.

My son now shoots with a digital SLR. I know, I know....but he is not an artist like me, he is a computer geek who has taught himself two programming languages and who loves building with Lego. He shoots digital because me takes pictures of his Lego projects and posts them on Lego enthusiast websites. He shoots with an SLR with a 50mm macros lens, and he uses it all manual.

I shot this of him when he was four.

Mike Wilde · Oct 25, 2012

Instax is nice but is kind of like snorting drugs is nice to some.. Instax is the cocaine of photography the way I see it. Great snaps but the cost can cripple you fast.

I have an instax 210 wide, and had the autofocus one also until the eject motor went nuts and died consistently mid pack all the time.

Of course if you want to deliver an image to look at quick, as opposed to fiddle in the darkroom as a way to unwind from the day job, like I do, then it may be the way to go.

removed account4 · Oct 25, 2012

HOLGA or box camera

the holga will shoot more than 12frames with the insert ..
box cameras are a no-brainer ...
expired 120 film is cheap as dirt ...

TheFlyingCamera · Oct 25, 2012

That Canon Sure Shot Owl is a good option. There are also decent Pentax P&S cameras that you could get cheap. If you want something rugged, look for a Pentax Zoom 90 WR (I think that's the proper name) it has a zoom, I think 38-90 but maybe even 28-90, and it's water resistant (they won't officially call it waterproof, but I remember when we were selling them at the store, the Pentax rep told me about one that fell off the back of a boat into 10 feet of water and was retrieved a week later and still worked). They're pretty rugged so if the urchin drops it occasionally, it will survive. And it's big enough that the controls should be pretty easy to operate for small hands. Don't know what they're going for these days, but you might find one at a Goodwill.

Laurent · Oct 25, 2012

I've been happy with a Canon WP1 (water proof, decent lens, not too fragile). Mine will go to my son (he's 8 and would like a camera of his own for our next trip)

Rick A · Oct 25, 2012

Im a member of the buy a cheappie at the Godwill store camp. I bought kids a pile of P&S and zoom models for a buck apiece.I have a Pentax IQ zoom 140 that lives inmy car, bought it for a dollar. Its an amazing little camera. Have an Olympus trip 35 I bought for my daughter too.

summicron1 · Oct 25, 2012

i see the olympus stylus at the local thrift store on a regular basis. Nice little cameras for $2. That's inflated?

landscapepics · Oct 25, 2012

My kids sometimes use a Canon EOS300 35mm SLR (the film version - no D at the end). You can put it into "green mode" which makes it point and shoot - but if I want to use the camera then manual mode, aperture priority, and shutter priority are all available.

I paid £5 for the body and used existing prime lenses.

The children call it the "awesome camera" because in comparison with digital compacts, you can actually see what your composition on a sunny day.

Stephanie Brim · Oct 25, 2012

jnanian said:
the holga will shoot more than 12frames with the insert ..
box cameras are a no-brainer ...
expired 120 film is cheap as dirt ...

I forgot the Holga. I'd need to get my hands on a C41 kit, though, as processing for medium format around here is basically dead and all mail order.

For toy cameras, I have a Lex35 that I could let her shoot outside. Also THIS thing:

But I only have a few 127 rolls left and the film advance wheel is really turning hard so I have to help with that. I'm cleaning it up for her to use today.

pentaxuser · Oct 25, 2012

The mju II is an ideal size for a 5 year old's hands. It will also fit into his/her pocket as well. It is quite rugged and sealed to a reasonable extend against "the weather".

Fully auto gives instant success which is important for kids. If he/she loses interest then it is still a good carry around camera for use in instances where bigger cameras might be less manageable or less appropriate.

The plastic Kodak Brownie 127 looks like a "real camera" to a child and it is but it is a bit flimsy and maybe too big for a 5 year old's hands and with the demise of Efke are there any makers of 127 film left?

It also has a proper looking case which would fit around the childs shoulder so he/she can look like a proper photographer just like mum/dad.

pentaxuser

Stephanie Brim · Oct 25, 2012

pentaxuser said:
The mju II is an ideal size for a 5 year old's hands. It will also fit into his/her pocket as well. It is quite rugged and sealed to a reasonable extend against "the weather".

Fully auto gives instant success which is important for kids. If he/she loses interest then it is still a good carry around camera for use in instances where bigger cameras might be less manageable or less appropriate.

The plastic Kodak Brownie 127 looks like a "real camera" to a child and it is but it is a bit flimsy and maybe too big for a 5 year old's hands and with the demise of Efke are there any makers of 127 film left?

It also has a proper looking case which would fit around the childs shoulder so he/she can look like a proper photographer just like mum/dad.

pentaxuser

I don't think there's any other makers of 127. I haven't found any. Unless the Lomo people have some of the film left, getting more for the Bella is going to be a pain in my backside.

I have 7 rolls of Efke R100 left. Once those are gone, my Bella becomes nothing more than a conversation piece unless I cut down 120.

cliveh · Oct 25, 2012

Stephanie Brim said:
I don't think there's any other makers of 127. I haven't found any. Unless the Lomo people have some of the film left, getting more for the Bella is going to be a pain in my backside.

I have 7 rolls of Efke R100 left. Once those are gone, my Bella becomes nothing more than a conversation piece unless I cut down 120.

For a child of that age, would not a digital camera make more sense?

BrianShaw · Oct 25, 2012

cliveh said:
For a child of that age, would not a digital camera make more sense?

Despite this forum being "APUG", I'd agree wholeheartedly. The immediacy of results is a great teaching tool and increases motivation for a child to see like a photographer. There is plenty of time for a 5 year old to learn exposure, etc. later in life.

Stephanie Brim · Oct 25, 2012

cliveh said:
For a child of that age, would not a digital camera make more sense?

I'd rather go about this as a learning experience for her. I've let her use the DSLR (with AMAZINGLY CLOSE supervision), but this will be her first real introduction to any film process. She was too young the last time I had the cameras out.

cliveh · Oct 25, 2012

Stephanie Brim said:
I'd rather go about this as a learning experience for her. I've let her use the DSLR (with AMAZINGLY CLOSE supervision), but this will be her first real introduction to any film process. She was too young the last time I had the cameras out.

And she still is.

LarryP · Oct 25, 2012

Pentax IQ zoom if you find one at a price you like. Decent prints from them and are rugged think construction site proof . A roofing company I used to work for used them for on site documentation. Let's just say guys who broke tools on a regular basis never broke one of these.

removed account4 · Oct 25, 2012

Stephanie Brim said:
I forgot the Holga. I'd need to get my hands on a C41 kit, though, as processing for medium format around here is basically dead and all mail order.

For toy cameras, I have a Lex35 that I could let her shoot outside. Also THIS thing:

View attachment 58881

But I only have a few 127 rolls left and the film advance wheel is really turning hard so I have to help with that. I'm cleaning it up for her to use today.

steph

you can process 120 color film in b/w chemistry and get b/w negatives
with a cast that can easily be removed with a modern device
that is what i do now ... much easier ( and cheaper ) than mail order and
dealing with a c41 kit ... i use caffenol c spiked with a wee bit of print developer
it comes out fine ... YMMV

dsmccrac · Oct 25, 2012

cliveh said:
And she still is.

I would say I depends on the kid. My kids were shooting at about that age, now they were shooting both digi and film (disposable at the time) but they appreciated both. They liked the immediacy of digi but liked the specialness of getting prints from film (like a lot of people, my digital photos were seldomly printed). I am sure instant film is the perfect compromise, but my pockets whenever deep enough for that.

Your right that the stylus would be a good choice, but i understand that it can be a bit pricy these days, unless you find some score at a thrift store. But I think any of the stylus-like cameras will be good option. I liked my kids starting with fix focus lens, I think it was easier for them than farting about with a zoom.

When my daughter was about 8 she would take my DSLR from me. I was a lazy photographer at that point and it would handed back to me with auto exposure and facts turned off, haha.

pentaxuser · Oct 25, 2012

cliveh said:
And she still is.

However what she may not be too young for is seeing the negs( I recall that seeing what's white is black and vice versa was wondrous) and watching a print develop in a tray. Under good supervision she can even claim some ownership of the process.

Even at that age I would not underestimate the "I made this" factor" and being part of a physical process requiring the use of hands

pentaxuser

Poisson Du Jour · Oct 25, 2012

Analogue is the way to go, not digital. The Holgas are hard to pass up, even to grown up little kids like me! Maybe a BelAir folder from Holga, though at last look the 300-odd worldwide allocation was over-subscribed. Or there's a Fuji disposable camera if you reckon she's going to get into battle. My gran'pa gave me a Kodak Box Brownie, all shiny chrome and leatherette, for my 5th birthday. A few el cheapo Ilford-branded B&W prints remain of decapitated chooks strewn about the backyard: gran'ma was adapt at wielding the axe in readiness for the Sunday roast...:confused:

Let's say you want a camera for a five year old...

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