Choosing the Right Camera for Your Child
Choosing the Right Camera for Your Child
If your child has recently started showing an interest in photography and you are thinking about buying them their first camera, there are a few things you need to consider. As a parent, you probably know that a kid’s interests can change tomorrow, next week or even next year but the good news is that you can still support their new hobby without breaking the bank.
Here are our top 7 tips for choosing a camera for your kid.
1. Choose a camera that will enable your child to learn the basics quite quickly. Make sure that the controls and buttons are manageable and that the size of the camera is suited to the size of their hands. The menus should also be logical, easy to read and have intuitive icons that are easy to understand.
2. Children love to experiment and tend to learn faster when they can do so. An entry-level DSLR camera will allow them to adjust exposure settings such as ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Interchangeable lenses are also a great learning tool but definitely not as essential as a beginner. Honestly, even one zoom kit lens would be perfect. I let Ainsley use my old kit lenses, that way if she drops or breaks them I don’t have to worry about my good lenses getting broken.
3. When deciding on a camera for your child, take a look at the screen. It should be large, bright and have great color reproduction. It should also be easy to use both indoors and outdoors as there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to see your images clearly on the screen due to bright sunlight.
4. Ensure that the sensor resolution is good enough and meets your specific requirements, especially if you want to print larger size images. In most cases, a 10-14 megapixel camera is sufficient for an entry-level photographer.
5. As a first time photographer, your child will want to keep practicing so it’s important that you are able to extend the camera’s memory using an SD/SDHC memory card.
6. Next, come the accessories. Your child will want to download their images from the camera onto a computer for editing so a USB cable will be an essential accessory. Some cameras come with all the cords necessary, but I’ll post a few of my favorites below.
If you aren’t sure that a brand new camera is the best route to go as your child pursues their interest in photography you can also look at buying a secondhand camera instead. Ask around because many photographers may be willing to sell an older model camera. Be sure to find out about all the camera’s features and any extras that it might come with before making the purchase to ensure that it meets your specific requirements.
Bonus tip: DSLR cameras are only good for so many shutter actuations. I know, you’re probably thinking, but Kristy, what in the world is a shutter actuation? Shutter actuations are basically a fancy way of saying the shutter count, which means how many photos have been taken on the camera. So what this means is if you are looking to purchase a used DSLR camera you will want to check how many shutter actuations are on the camera and then you’ll need to check to see how many the camera is good for. You can check out the shutter ratings for Canon and Nikon cameras here. So, for example, if you’re looking to purchase a Canon Rebel T6i and you find it has a shutter count of 90,000, when you look up the shutter rating you’ll find that it’s only good for about 100,000 clicks. Meaning the camera’s shutter is at the end of it’s life. You’ll need to decide if it’s still a good deal to get the camera knowing you’ll need to replace the shutter in the near future or you may want to pass on the camera for a less used option. Depending on the camera replacing the shutter costs around $320+.
Kristy’s favorite accessories:
Kingston USB 3.0 Multi-Card Reader- This is the card reader I use. It works on CF cards, SD, SDHC, SDXC cards, micro sd, micro SDHC, micro SDXC cards, MS and DUO cards.
Lens Cleaning Pen- If your child is anything like mine, they love to touch the lens and get finger prints all over it. Something to clean the lens is absolutely necessary.
Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
